diff --git a/src/axis/horizontalaxis.cpp b/src/axis/horizontalaxis.cpp
index 95b786d..9dcd775 100644
--- a/src/axis/horizontalaxis.cpp
+++ b/src/axis/horizontalaxis.cpp
@@ -164,7 +164,13 @@ void HorizontalAxis::updateGeometry()
         //shades
         if ((i + 1) % 2 && i > 1) {
             QGraphicsRectItem *rectItem = static_cast<QGraphicsRectItem *>(shades.at(i / 2 - 1));
-            rectItem->setRect(layout[i - 1], gridRect.top(), layout[i] - layout[i - 1], gridRect.height());
+            qreal leftBound = qMax(layout[i - 1], gridRect.left());
+            qreal rightBound = qMin(layout[i], gridRect.right());
+            rectItem->setRect(leftBound, gridRect.top(), rightBound - leftBound, gridRect.height());
+            if (rectItem->rect().width() <= 0.0)
+                rectItem->setVisible(false);
+            else
+                rectItem->setVisible(true);
         }
 
         // check if the grid line and the axis tick should be shown
diff --git a/src/axis/verticalaxis.cpp b/src/axis/verticalaxis.cpp
index 38a6107..d3c5efa 100644
--- a/src/axis/verticalaxis.cpp
+++ b/src/axis/verticalaxis.cpp
@@ -175,7 +175,13 @@ void VerticalAxis::updateGeometry()
         //shades
         if ((i + 1) % 2 && i > 1) {
             QGraphicsRectItem *rectItem = static_cast<QGraphicsRectItem *>(shades.at(i / 2 - 1));
-            rectItem->setRect(gridRect.left(), layout[i], gridRect.width(), layout[i - 1] - layout[i]);
+            qreal lowerBound = qMin(layout[i - 1], gridRect.bottom());
+            qreal upperBound = qMax(layout[i], gridRect.top());
+            rectItem->setRect(gridRect.left(), upperBound, gridRect.width(), lowerBound - upperBound);
+            if (rectItem->rect().height() <= 0.0)
+                rectItem->setVisible(false);
+            else
+                rectItem->setVisible(true);
         }
 
         // check if the grid line and the axis tick should be shown