diff --git a/examples/plot_tasks.py b/examples/plot_tasks.py
index 0e43adc4a39a8b33fed7ce87eb4125b95a8009cc..781db19b4c9d7de06d8515b477a53adcd544a2b5 100755
--- a/examples/plot_tasks.py
+++ b/examples/plot_tasks.py
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ parser.add_argument("input", help="Thread data file (-y output)")
 parser.add_argument("outbase", help="Base name for output graphic files (PNG)")
 parser.add_argument("-l", "--limit", dest="limit",
                     help="Upper time limit in millisecs (def: depends on data)",
-                    default=0, type=int)
+                    default=0, type=float)
 parser.add_argument("-e", "--expand", dest="expand",
                     help="Thread expansion factor (def: 1)",
                     default=1, type=int)
@@ -226,30 +226,35 @@ if delta_t == 0:
 
 # Once more doing the real gather and plots this time.
 for rank in ranks:
+    print "# Processing rank: ", rank
     if mpimode:
         data = sdata[sdata[:,rankcol] == rank]
         full_step = data[0,:]
-    if mintic < 0:
-        tic_step = int(full_step[ticcol])
-    else:
-        tic_step = mintic
+    tic_step = int(full_step[ticcol])
     toc_step = int(full_step[toccol])
+    print "# Min tic = ", tic_step
     data = data[1:,:]
     typesseen = []
     nethread = 0
 
     #  Dummy image for ranks that have no tasks.
     if data.size == 0:
-        print "# rank ", rank, " has no tasks"
+        print "# Rank ", rank, " has no tasks"
         fig = pl.figure()
         ax = fig.add_subplot(1,1,1)
         ax.set_xlim(-delta_t * 0.01 / CPU_CLOCK, delta_t * 1.01 / CPU_CLOCK)
         ax.set_ylim(0, nthread*expand)
-        start_t = tic_step
+        if mintic < 0:
+            start_t = tic_step
+        else:
+            start_t = mintic
         end_t = (toc_step - start_t) / CPU_CLOCK
     else:
 
-        start_t = float(tic_step)
+        if mintic < 0:
+            start_t = float(tic_step)
+        else:
+            start_t = float(mintic)
         data[:,ticcol] -= start_t
         data[:,toccol] -= start_t
         end_t = (toc_step - start_t) / CPU_CLOCK
@@ -333,7 +338,12 @@ for rank in ranks:
         ax.set_position([box.x0, box.y0, box.width, box.height*0.8])
 
     # Start and end of time-step
-    ax.plot([0, 0], [0, nethread + nrow + 1], 'k--', linewidth=1)
+    if mintic < 0:
+        ax.plot([0, 0], [0, nethread + nrow + 1], 'k--', linewidth=1)
+    else:
+        print tic_step, mintic, tic_step - mintic
+        real_start = tic_step - mintic
+        ax.plot([real_start, real_start], [0, nethread + nrow + 1], 'k--', linewidth=1)
     ax.plot([end_t, end_t], [0, nethread + nrow + 1], 'k--', linewidth=1)
 
     ax.set_xlabel("Wall clock time [ms]")
diff --git a/examples/plot_threadpool.py b/examples/plot_threadpool.py
index a25a0dc9833968341ad97d983352ed6350e1fa66..bbcc8c23e4c4e5ed6b93055d7460d793f43d91fb 100755
--- a/examples/plot_threadpool.py
+++ b/examples/plot_threadpool.py
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ parser.add_argument("input", help="Threadpool data file (-Y output)")
 parser.add_argument("outpng", help="Name for output graphic file (PNG)")
 parser.add_argument("-l", "--limit", dest="limit",
                     help="Upper time limit in millisecs (def: depends on data)",
-                    default=0, type=int)
+                    default=0, type=float)
 parser.add_argument("-e", "--expand", dest="expand",
                     help="Thread expansion factor (def: 1)",
                     default=1, type=int)
@@ -61,12 +61,16 @@ parser.add_argument("--nolegend", dest="nolegend",
 parser.add_argument("-v", "--verbose", dest="verbose",
                     help="Show colour assignments and other details (def: False)",
                     default=False, action="store_true")
+parser.add_argument("-m", "--mintic", dest="mintic",
+                    help="Value of the smallest tic (def: least in input file)",
+                    default=-1, type=int)
 
 args = parser.parse_args()
 infile = args.input
 outpng = args.outpng
 delta_t = args.limit
 expand = args.expand
+mintic = args.mintic
 
 #  Basic plot configuration.
 PLOT_PARAMS = {"axes.labelsize": 10,
@@ -136,10 +140,12 @@ threads = pl.array(threads)
 chunks = pl.array(chunks)
 
 #  Recover the start and end time
-tic_step = min(tics)
+mintic_step = min(tics)
+tic_step = mintic_step
 toc_step = max(tocs)
-print "# Min tic = ", tic_step
-print "# Max toc = ", toc_step
+print "# Min tic = ", mintic_step
+if mintic > 0:
+    tic_step = mintic
 
 #  Calculate the time range, if not given.
 delta_t = delta_t * CPU_CLOCK
@@ -249,7 +255,9 @@ if not args.nolegend:
     ax.set_position([box.x0, box.y0, box.width, box.height*0.8])
     
 # Start and end of time-step
-ax.plot([0, 0], [0, nthread + nrow + 1], 'k--', linewidth=1)
+real_start_t = (mintic_step - tic_step)/ CPU_CLOCK
+ax.plot([real_start_t, real_start_t], [0, nthread + nrow + 1], 'k--', linewidth=1)
+
 ax.plot([end_t, end_t], [0, nthread + nrow + 1], 'k--', linewidth=1)
 
 ax.set_xlabel("Wall clock time [ms]", labelpad=0.)
diff --git a/examples/process_plot_taskthreadpools_helper b/examples/process_plot_taskthreadpools_helper
index 1dfd802a4fa23b0f468f8c97bd053278dd33a78a..a92e347d7f7a96ee1ef177ed63565b4ceba4e87c 100755
--- a/examples/process_plot_taskthreadpools_helper
+++ b/examples/process_plot_taskthreadpools_helper
@@ -9,12 +9,18 @@ step="$4"
 #  Locate script.
 SCRIPTHOME=$(dirname "$0")
 
-#  Process threadpool and capture minimum tic.
-result=$(${SCRIPTHOME}/plot_threadpool.py --expand 1 --limit $range \
-    --width 16 --height 4 $poolfile poolstep${step}r)
+#  Process tasks and capture minimum tic from start of step and the data
+#  range, if appropriate.
+result=$(${SCRIPTHOME}/plot_tasks.py --expand 1 --limit $range \
+    --width 16 --height 4 $taskfile taskstep${step}r)
 echo "$result"
-mintic=$(echo "$result" | grep 'Min tic'|awk '{print $5}')
+mintic=$(echo "$result" | grep 'Min tic'| awk '{print $5}')
+echo "range: $range"
+if test $range -eq 0; then
+    range=$(echo "$result" | grep 'Data range:' | awk '{print $4}')
+    echo "new range: $range"
+fi
+${SCRIPTHOME}/plot_threadpool.py --expand 1 --mintic $mintic --limit $range \
+    --width 16 --height 4 $poolfile poolstep${step}r
 
-${SCRIPTHOME}/plot_tasks.py --mintic $mintic --expand 1 --limit $range \
-    --width 16 --height 4 $taskfile taskstep${step}r
 exit