diff --git a/src/conky.cc b/src/conky.cc
index 657977cd..b008e224 100644
--- a/src/conky.cc
+++ b/src/conky.cc
@@ -1526,6 +1526,7 @@ int draw_each_line_inner(char *s, int special_index, int last_special_applied)
 					w = current->width;
 					if (w == 0) {
 						w = text_start_x + text_width - cur_x - 1;
+						current->graph_width = w - 1;
 					}
 					if (w < 0) {
 						w = 0;
@@ -1539,48 +1540,53 @@ int draw_each_line_inner(char *s, int special_index, int last_special_applied)
 					XSetLineAttributes(display, window.gc, 1, LineSolid,
 						CapButt, JoinMiter);
 
-					if (current->last_colour != 0
-							|| current->first_colour != 0) {
-						tmpcolour = do_gradient(w - 1, current->last_colour, current->first_colour);
-					}
-					colour_idx = 0;
-					for (i = w - 2; i > -1; i--) {
-						if (current->last_colour != 0
-								|| current->first_colour != 0) {
-							if (current->tempgrad) {
+					/* in case we don't have a graph yet */
+					if (current->graph) {
+
+						if (current->last_colour != 0 || current->first_colour != 0) {
+							tmpcolour = do_gradient(w - 1,
+									current->last_colour, current->first_colour);
+						}
+						colour_idx = 0;
+						for (i = w - 2; i > -1; i--) {
+							if (current->last_colour != 0 || current->first_colour != 0) {
+								if (current->tempgrad) {
 #ifdef DEBUG_lol
-								assert(
-										(int)((float)(w - 2) - current->graph[j] *
-											(w - 2) / (float)current->scale)
-										< w - 1
-									  );
-								assert(
-										(int)((float)(w - 2) - current->graph[j] *
-											(w - 2) / (float)current->scale)
-										> -1
-									  );
-								if (current->graph[j] == current->scale) {
 									assert(
 											(int)((float)(w - 2) - current->graph[j] *
 												(w - 2) / (float)current->scale)
-											== 0
+											< w-1
 										  );
-								}
+									assert(
+											(int)((float)(w - 2) - current->graph[j] *
+												(w - 2) / (float)current->scale)
+											> -1
+										  );
+									if (current->graph[j] == current->scale) {
+										assert(
+												(int)((float)(w - 2) - current->graph[j] *
+													(w - 2) / (float)current->scale)
+												== 0
+											  );
+									}
 #endif /* DEBUG_lol */
-										set_foreground_color(tmpcolour[
-										(int)((float)(w - 2) - current->graph[j] *
-											(w - 2) / (float)current->scale)
-										]);
-							} else {
-								set_foreground_color(tmpcolour[colour_idx++]);
+									set_foreground_color(tmpcolour[
+											(int)((float)(w - 2) -
+												current->graph[j] * (w - 2) /
+												(float)current->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 - current->graph[j] *
+										(h - 1) / current->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 - current->graph[j] *
-									(h - 1) / current->scale));
-						j++;
+						if (tmpcolour) free(tmpcolour);
 					}
 					free_and_zero(tmpcolour);
 					if (h > cur_y_add
diff --git a/src/specials.cc b/src/specials.cc
index 08497f3c..e0e87d1f 100644
--- a/src/specials.cc
+++ b/src/specials.cc
@@ -381,6 +381,9 @@ 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);
@@ -392,7 +395,7 @@ 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];
 	}
 	graph->graph[0] = f;	/* add new data */
@@ -421,10 +424,25 @@ 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 = (double*)malloc(s->width * sizeof(double));
-		memset(s->graph, 0, s->width * sizeof(double));
-		s->scale = 100;
+	if (s->width) s->graph_width = s->width;
+
+	if (s->graph_width != s->graph_allocated) {
+		double *graph = static_cast<double *>(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->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 96a054c9..5b463d30 100644
--- a/src/specials.h
+++ b/src/specials.h
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ struct special_t {
 	double *graph;
 	double scale;			/* maximum value */
 	short show_scale;
+	int graph_width;
+	int graph_allocated;
 	int scaled;			/* auto adjust maximum */
 	unsigned long first_colour;	// for graph gradient
 	unsigned long last_colour;