diff --git a/xchart/src/main/java/com/xeiam/xchart/internal/chartpart/Legend.java b/xchart/src/main/java/com/xeiam/xchart/internal/chartpart/Legend.java
index 1891a9b07d76f4990a00bebbdbb5274a1da45e02..3fadc766c477f487a0f121545e53409b4aa0d17c 100644
--- a/xchart/src/main/java/com/xeiam/xchart/internal/chartpart/Legend.java
+++ b/xchart/src/main/java/com/xeiam/xchart/internal/chartpart/Legend.java
@@ -70,6 +70,9 @@ public class Legend implements ChartPart {
     if (!chartPainter.getStyleManager().isLegendVisible()) {
       return new double[] { 0, 0 };
     }
+    if (chartPainter.getPlot().getBounds().getWidth() < 30) {
+      return new double[] { 0, 0 };
+    }
 
     StyleManager styleManager = getChartPainter().getStyleManager();
     boolean isBar = styleManager.getChartType() == ChartType.Bar;
@@ -114,6 +117,11 @@ public class Legend implements ChartPart {
   @Override
   public void paint(Graphics2D g) {
 
+    // if the area to draw a chart on is so small, don't even bother
+    if (chartPainter.getPlot().getBounds().getWidth() < 30) {
+      return;
+    }
+
     bounds = new Rectangle2D.Double();
     // g.setFont(chartPainter.getStyleManager().getLegendFont());
 
diff --git a/xchart/src/main/java/com/xeiam/xchart/internal/chartpart/PlotContentLineChart.java b/xchart/src/main/java/com/xeiam/xchart/internal/chartpart/PlotContentLineChart.java
index 5f84e9e58330d02f8a58711ac277ed9bb813a441..e68ad52661e1a7140c4f8d2aaa8d80ad21987c14 100644
--- a/xchart/src/main/java/com/xeiam/xchart/internal/chartpart/PlotContentLineChart.java
+++ b/xchart/src/main/java/com/xeiam/xchart/internal/chartpart/PlotContentLineChart.java
@@ -54,6 +54,11 @@ public class PlotContentLineChart extends PlotContent {
     // g.setColor(Color.red);
     // g.draw(bounds);
 
+    // if the area to draw a chart on is so small, don't even bother
+    if (bounds.getWidth() < 30) {
+      return;
+    }
+
     StyleManager styleManager = plot.getChartPainter().getStyleManager();
 
     // this is for preventing the series to be drawn outside the plot area if min and max is overridden to fall inside the data range