diff --git a/src/objects/axis/begin.js b/src/objects/axis/begin.js
index 6f24504b..e191ac36 100755
--- a/src/objects/axis/begin.js
+++ b/src/objects/axis/begin.js
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@
         this.fontFamily = "sans-serif";
         // Help: http://github.com/PMSI-AlignAlytics/dimple/wiki/dimple.axis#wiki-autoRotateLabel
         this.autoRotateLabel = (autoRotateLabel === null || autoRotateLabel === undefined ? true : autoRotateLabel);
+        // whether the tickCount (if specified) should be applied to call to .nice() when building the axis scale
+        this.forceTickCount = false;
 
         // If this is a composite axis, store links to all slaves
         this._slaves = [];
diff --git a/src/objects/axis/methods/_update.js b/src/objects/axis/methods/_update.js
index 7de59106..9c8b66ec 100755
--- a/src/objects/axis/methods/_update.js
+++ b/src/objects/axis/methods/_update.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
                 remainder,
                 origin,
                 tickCount = this.ticks || 10,
+                niceTickCount = this.forceTickCount && this.ticks ? tickCount : undefined,
                 getOrderedCategories = function (self, axPos, oppPos) {
                     var category = self.categoryFields[0],
                         axisData = self._getAxisData(),
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@
                         ])
                         .clamp(this.clamp)
                         .base(this.logBase)
-                        .nice();
+                        .nice(niceTickCount);
                 } else if (this.measure === null || this.measure === undefined) {
                     distinctCats = getOrderedCategories(this, "x", "y");
                     // If there are any slaves process accordingly
@@ -82,7 +83,7 @@
                         .range([this.chart._xPixels(), this.chart._xPixels() + this.chart._widthPixels()])
                         .domain([this._min, this._max])
                         .clamp(this.clamp)
-                        .nice();
+                        .nice(niceTickCount);
                 }
                 // If it's visible, orient it at the top or bottom if it's first or second respectively
                 if (!this.hidden) {
@@ -121,7 +122,7 @@
                         ])
                         .clamp(this.clamp)
                         .base(this.logBase)
-                        .nice();
+                        .nice(niceTickCount);
                 } else if (this.measure === null || this.measure === undefined) {
                     distinctCats = getOrderedCategories(this, "y", "x");
                     // If there are any slaves process accordingly
@@ -138,7 +139,7 @@
                         .range([this.chart._yPixels() + this.chart._heightPixels(), this.chart._yPixels()])
                         .domain([this._min, this._max])
                         .clamp(this.clamp)
-                        .nice();
+                        .nice(niceTickCount);
                 }
                 // if it's visible, orient it at the left or right if it's first or second respectively
                 if (!this.hidden) {