diff --git a/src/conky.c b/src/conky.c
index 53e9d6d6..8f1e01ec 100644
--- a/src/conky.c
+++ b/src/conky.c
@@ -2994,6 +2994,7 @@ int draw_each_line_inner(char *s, int special_index, int last_special_applied)
 					w = specials[special_index].width;
 					if (w == 0) {
 						w = text_start_x + text_width - cur_x - 1;
+						specials[special_index].graph_width = w - 1;
 					}
 					if (w < 0) {
 						w = 0;
@@ -3007,52 +3008,58 @@ int draw_each_line_inner(char *s, int special_index, int last_special_applied)
 					XSetLineAttributes(display, window.gc, 1, LineSolid,
 						CapButt, JoinMiter);
 
-					if (specials[special_index].last_colour != 0
-							|| specials[special_index].first_colour != 0) {
-						tmpcolour = do_gradient(w - 1, specials[special_index].last_colour, specials[special_index].first_colour);
-					}
-					colour_idx = 0;
-					for (i = w - 2; i > -1; i--) {
+					/* in case we don't have a graph yet */
+					if (specials[special_index].graph) {
+
 						if (specials[special_index].last_colour != 0
 								|| specials[special_index].first_colour != 0) {
-							if (specials[special_index].tempgrad) {
+							tmpcolour = do_gradient(w - 1,
+									specials[special_index].last_colour,
+									specials[special_index].first_colour);
+						}
+						colour_idx = 0;
+						for (i = w - 2; i > -1; i--) {
+							if (specials[special_index].last_colour != 0
+									|| specials[special_index].first_colour != 0) {
+								if (specials[special_index].tempgrad) {
 #ifdef DEBUG_lol
-								assert(
-										(int)((float)(w - 2) - specials[special_index].graph[j] *
-											(w - 2) / (float)specials[special_index].graph_scale)
-										< w - 1
-									  );
-								assert(
-										(int)((float)(w - 2) - specials[special_index].graph[j] *
-											(w - 2) / (float)specials[special_index].graph_scale)
-										> -1
-									  );
-								if (specials[special_index].graph[j] == specials[special_index].graph_scale) {
 									assert(
 											(int)((float)(w - 2) - specials[special_index].graph[j] *
 												(w - 2) / (float)specials[special_index].graph_scale)
-											== 0
+											< w - 1
 										  );
-								}
+									assert(
+											(int)((float)(w - 2) - specials[special_index].graph[j] *
+												(w - 2) / (float)specials[special_index].graph_scale)
+											> -1
+										  );
+									if (specials[special_index].graph[j] == specials[special_index].graph_scale) {
+										assert(
+												(int)((float)(w - 2) - specials[special_index].graph[j] *
+													(w - 2) / (float)specials[special_index].graph_scale)
+												== 0
+											  );
+									}
 #endif /* DEBUG_lol */
-										set_foreground_color(tmpcolour[
-												(int)((float)(w - 2) -
-													specials[special_index].graph[j]
-													* (w - 2) /
-													(float)specials[special_index].graph_scale)
-												]);
-							} else {
-								set_foreground_color(tmpcolour[colour_idx++]);
+									set_foreground_color(tmpcolour[
+											(int)((float)(w - 2) -
+												specials[special_index].graph[j]
+												* (w - 2) /
+												(float)specials[special_index].graph_scale)
+											]);
+								} else {
+									set_foreground_color(tmpcolour[colour_idx++]);
+								}
 							}
+							/* this is mugfugly, but it works */
+							XDrawLine(display, window.drawable, window.gc,
+									cur_x + i + 1, by + h, cur_x + i + 1,
+									round_to_int((double)by + h - specials[special_index].graph[j] *
+										(h - 1) / specials[special_index].graph_scale));
+							++j;
 						}
-						/* this is mugfugly, but it works */
-						XDrawLine(display, window.drawable, window.gc,
-								cur_x + i + 1, by + h, cur_x + i + 1,
-								round_to_int((double)by + h - specials[special_index].graph[j] *
-									(h - 1) / specials[special_index].graph_scale));
-						++j;
+						if (tmpcolour) free(tmpcolour);
 					}
-					if (tmpcolour) free(tmpcolour);
 					if (h > cur_y_add
 							&& h > font_h) {
 						cur_y_add = h;
diff --git a/src/specials.c b/src/specials.c
index 4aec9fdd..dc0dfa32 100644
--- a/src/specials.c
+++ b/src/specials.c
@@ -353,6 +353,9 @@ static void graph_append(struct special_t *graph, double f, char showaslog)
 {
 	int i;
 
+	/* do nothing if we don't even have a graph yet */
+	if (!graph->graph) return;
+
 	if (showaslog) {
 #ifdef MATH
 		f = log10(f + 1);
@@ -364,7 +367,7 @@ static void graph_append(struct special_t *graph, double f, char showaslog)
 	}
 
 	/* shift all the data by 1 */
-	for (i = graph->width - 1; i > 0; i--) {
+	for (i = graph->graph_allocated - 1; i > 0; i--) {
 		graph->graph[i] = graph->graph[i - 1];
 		if (graph->scaled && graph->graph[i - 1] > graph->graph_scale) {
 			/* check if we need to update the scale */
@@ -392,10 +395,25 @@ void new_graph(struct text_object *obj, char *buf, int buf_max_size, double val)
 	s = new_special(buf, GRAPH);
 
 	s->width = g->width;
-	if (s->graph == NULL) {
-		s->graph = malloc(s->width * sizeof(double));
-		memset(s->graph, 0, s->width * sizeof(double));
-		s->graph_scale = 100;
+	if (s->width) s->graph_width = s->width;
+
+	if (s->graph_width != s->graph_allocated) {
+		char *graph = realloc(s->graph, s->graph_width * sizeof(double));
+		DBGP("reallocing graph from %d to %d", s->graph_allocated, s->graph_width);
+		if (!s->graph) {
+			/* initialize */
+			memset(graph, 0, s->graph_width * sizeof(double));
+			s->graph_scale = 100;
+		} else {
+			if (s->graph_width > s->graph_allocated) {
+				/* initialize the new region */
+				memset(graph + (s->graph_allocated * sizeof(double)), 0,
+						(s->graph_width - s->graph_allocated) *
+						sizeof(double));
+			}
+		}
+		s->graph = graph;
+		s->graph_allocated = s->graph_width;
 	}
 	s->height = g->height;
 	s->first_colour = adjust_colours(g->first_colour);
diff --git a/src/specials.h b/src/specials.h
index 0ae6dd18..dfa20fdd 100644
--- a/src/specials.h
+++ b/src/specials.h
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ struct special_t {
 	double *graph;
 	double graph_scale;
 	short show_scale;
+	int graph_width;
+	int graph_allocated;
 	int scaled;
 	unsigned long first_colour;	// for graph gradient
 	unsigned long last_colour;