diff --git a/src/core/core.scale.js b/src/core/core.scale.js
index 5384e323613..28e0e88e343 100644
--- a/src/core/core.scale.js
+++ b/src/core/core.scale.js
@@ -325,6 +325,7 @@ module.exports = Element.extend({
 		var context = me.ctx;
 		var tickOpts = me.options.ticks;
 		var labels = labelsFromTicks(me._ticks);
+		var margins = me.margins;
 
 		// Get the width of each grid by calculating the difference
 		// between x offsets between 0 and 1.
@@ -339,7 +340,8 @@ module.exports = Element.extend({
 			var cosRotation, sinRotation;
 
 			// Allow 3 pixels x2 padding either side for label readability
-			var tickWidth = me.getPixelForTick(1) - me.getPixelForTick(0) - 6;
+			var numLabels = labels.length - (tickOpts.offset ? 0 : 1);
+			var tickWidth = (me.width - (margins.left + margins.right)) / numLabels;
 
 			// Max label rotation can be set or default to 90 - also act as a loop counter
 			while (labelWidth > tickWidth && labelRotation < tickOpts.maxRotation) {
diff --git a/src/scales/scale.time.js b/src/scales/scale.time.js
index 427343a6bb3..d0516e8ce60 100644
--- a/src/scales/scale.time.js
+++ b/src/scales/scale.time.js
@@ -752,13 +752,16 @@ module.exports = Scale.extend({
 	 */
 	getLabelCapacity: function(exampleTime) {
 		var me = this;
+		var margins = me.margins;
 
 		// pick the longest format (milliseconds) for guestimation
 		var format = me.options.time.displayFormats.millisecond;
 		var exampleLabel = me.tickFormatFunction(exampleTime, 0, [], format);
 		var tickLabelWidth = me.getLabelWidth(exampleLabel);
-		var innerWidth = me.isHorizontal() ? me.width : me.height;
-		var capacity = Math.floor(innerWidth / tickLabelWidth) - 1;
+		var innerWidth = me.isHorizontal()
+			? me.width - (margins.left + margins.right)
+			: me.height - (margins.top + margins.bottom);
+		var capacity = Math.floor(innerWidth / tickLabelWidth);
 
 		return capacity > 0 ? capacity : 1;
 	}