diff --git a/client/__tests__/e2e/data.js b/client/__tests__/e2e/data.js
index da29f59e..204cb566 100644
--- a/client/__tests__/e2e/data.js
+++ b/client/__tests__/e2e/data.js
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ export const datasets = {
         {
           metadata: "n_genes",
           "coordinates-as-percent": { x1: 0.25, y1: 0.5, x2: 0.55, y2: 0.5 },
-          count: "1537"
+          count: "1552"
         }
       ]
     },
diff --git a/client/__tests__/e2e/e2e.test.js b/client/__tests__/e2e/e2e.test.js
index 783e8f31..a53c4ab0 100644
--- a/client/__tests__/e2e/e2e.test.js
+++ b/client/__tests__/e2e/e2e.test.js
@@ -126,12 +126,12 @@ describe("cell selection", () => {
 
   test("selects cells via continuous", async () => {
     for (const cellset of data.cellsets.continuous) {
-      const histId = `histogram-${cellset.metadata}-plot-brush`;
+      const histBrushableAreaId = `histogram-${cellset.metadata}-plot-brushable-area`;
       const coords = await cxgActions.calcDragCoordinates(
-        histId,
+        histBrushableAreaId,
         cellset["coordinates-as-percent"]
       );
-      await cxgActions.drag(histId, coords.start, coords.end);
+      await cxgActions.drag(histBrushableAreaId, coords.start, coords.end);
       const cellCount = await cxgActions.cellSet(1);
       expect(cellCount).toBe(cellset.count);
     }
@@ -280,12 +280,12 @@ describe("scatter plot", () => {
 describe("clipping", () => {
   test("clip continuous", async () => {
     await cxgActions.clip(data.clip.min, data.clip.max);
-    const histId = `histogram-${data.clip.metadata}-plot-brush`;
+    const histBrushableAreaId = `histogram-${data.clip.metadata}-plot-brushable-area`;
     const coords = await cxgActions.calcDragCoordinates(
-      histId,
+      histBrushableAreaId,
       data.clip["coordinates-as-percent"]
     );
-    await cxgActions.drag(histId, coords.start, coords.end);
+    await cxgActions.drag(histBrushableAreaId, coords.start, coords.end);
     const cellCount = await cxgActions.cellSet(1);
     expect(cellCount).toBe(data.clip.count);
   });
@@ -295,12 +295,12 @@ describe("clipping", () => {
     await page.keyboard.press("Enter");
     await page.waitForSelector(`[data-testid='histogram-${data.clip.gene}']`);
     await cxgActions.clip(data.clip.min, data.clip.max);
-    const histId = `histogram-${data.clip.gene}-plot-brush`;
+    const histBrushableAreaId = `histogram-${data.clip.gene}-plot-brushable-area`;
     const coords = await cxgActions.calcDragCoordinates(
-      histId,
+      histBrushableAreaId,
       data.clip["coordinates-as-percent"]
     );
-    await cxgActions.drag(histId, coords.start, coords.end);
+    await cxgActions.drag(histBrushableAreaId, coords.start, coords.end);
     const cellCount = await cxgActions.cellSet(1);
     expect(cellCount).toBe(data.clip["gene-cell-count"]);
   });
diff --git a/client/src/components/brushableHistogram/index.js b/client/src/components/brushableHistogram/index.js
index 8f5755d1..fc7732fc 100644
--- a/client/src/components/brushableHistogram/index.js
+++ b/client/src/components/brushableHistogram/index.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 https://bl.ocks.org/mbostock/4341954
 https://bl.ocks.org/mbostock/34f08d5e11952a80609169b7917d4172
 https://bl.ocks.org/SpaceActuary/2f004899ea1b2bd78d6f1dbb2febf771
+https://bl.ocks.org/mbostock/3019563
 */
 // jshint esversion: 6
 import React from "react";
@@ -55,7 +56,7 @@ class HistogramBrush extends React.PureComponent {
     histogramCache.x = d3
       .scaleLinear()
       .domain([domainMin, domainMax])
-      .range([0, this.width - this.marginRight]);
+      .range([this.marginLeft, this.marginLeft + this.width]);
 
     histogramCache.bins = d3
       .histogram()
@@ -68,7 +69,7 @@ class HistogramBrush extends React.PureComponent {
     histogramCache.y = d3
       .scaleLinear()
       .domain([0, yMax])
-      .range([this.height - this.marginBottom, 0]);
+      .range([this.marginTop + this.height, this.marginTop]);
 
     return histogramCache;
   });
@@ -76,10 +77,13 @@ class HistogramBrush extends React.PureComponent {
   constructor(props) {
     super(props);
 
-    this.width = 340;
-    this.height = 100;
-    this.marginBottom = 20; // space for X axis & labels
+    this.marginLeft = 3; // Space for 0 tick label on X axis
     this.marginRight = 40; // space for Y axis & labels
+    this.marginBottom = 25; // space for X axis & labels
+    this.marginTop = 3;
+
+    this.width = 340 - this.marginLeft - this.marginRight;
+    this.height = 135 - this.marginTop - this.marginBottom;
   }
 
   componentDidMount() {
@@ -315,8 +319,16 @@ class HistogramBrush extends React.PureComponent {
     /* Remove everything */
     svg.selectAll("*").remove();
 
+    /* Set margins within the SVG */
+    const container = svg
+      .attr("width", this.width + this.marginLeft + this.marginRight)
+      .attr("height", this.height + this.marginTop + this.marginBottom)
+      .append("g")
+      .attr("class", "histogram-container")
+      .attr("transform", `translate(${this.marginLeft},${this.marginTop})`);
+
     /* BINS */
-    svg
+    container
       .insert("g", "*")
       .attr("fill", "#bbb")
       .selectAll("rect")
@@ -328,10 +340,14 @@ class HistogramBrush extends React.PureComponent {
       .attr("width", d => Math.abs(x(d.x1) - x(d.x0) - 1))
       .attr("height", d => y(0) - y(d.length));
 
-    /* BRUSH */
+    // BRUSH
+    // Note the brushable area is bounded by the data on three sides, but goes down to cover the x-axis
     const brushX = d3
       .brushX()
-      .extent([[0, 0], [this.width - this.marginRight, this.height]])
+      .extent([
+          [x.range()[0], y.range()[1]],
+          [x.range()[1], this.marginTop + this.height + this.marginBottom]
+      ])
       /*
       emit start so that the Undoable history can save an undo point
       upon drag start, and ignore the subsequent intermediate drag events.
@@ -339,18 +355,18 @@ class HistogramBrush extends React.PureComponent {
       .on("start", this.onBrush(field, x.invert, "start").bind(this))
       .on("brush", this.onBrush(field, x.invert, "brush").bind(this))
       .on("end", this.onBrushEnd(field, x.invert).bind(this));
-    const brushXselection = d3
-      .select(svgRef)
-      .append("g")
+
+    const brushXselection = container
+      .insert("g")
       .attr("class", "brush")
-      .attr("data-testid", `${svgRef.dataset.testid}-brush`)
+      .attr("data-testid", `${svgRef.dataset.testid}-brushable-area`)
       .call(brushX);
 
     /* X AXIS */
-    svg
-      .append("g")
+    container
+      .insert("g")
       .attr("class", "axis axis--x")
-      .attr("transform", `translate(0,${this.height - this.marginBottom})`)
+      .attr("transform", `translate(0,${this.marginTop + this.height})`)
       .call(
         d3
           .axisBottom(x)
@@ -359,10 +375,10 @@ class HistogramBrush extends React.PureComponent {
       );
 
     /* Y AXIS */
-    svg
-      .append("g")
+    container
+      .insert("g")
       .attr("class", "axis axis--y")
-      .attr("transform", `translate(${this.width - this.marginRight},0)`)
+      .attr("transform", `translate(${this.marginLeft + this.width},0)`)
       .call(
         d3
           .axisRight(y)