diff --git a/src/core/core.scale.js b/src/core/core.scale.js
index 4c1a2f8eb3c..45c3caf357b 100644
--- a/src/core/core.scale.js
+++ b/src/core/core.scale.js
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ var Scale = Element.extend({
 	update: function(maxWidth, maxHeight, margins) {
 		var me = this;
 		var optionTicks = me.options.ticks;
-		var i, ilen, labels, label, ticks, tick;
+		var i, ilen, labels, ticks;
 
 		// Update Lifecycle - Probably don't want to ever extend or overwrite this function ;)
 		me.beforeUpdate();
@@ -293,10 +293,15 @@ var Scale = Element.extend({
 
 		// New implementations should return an array of objects but for BACKWARD COMPAT,
 		// we still support no return (`this.ticks` internally set by calling this method).
-		ticks = me.buildTicks() || [];
+		ticks = me.buildTicks();
 
 		// Allow modification of ticks in callback.
-		ticks = me.afterBuildTicks(ticks) || ticks;
+		if (ticks) {
+			ticks = me.afterBuildTicks(ticks);
+		} else {
+			// Support old implementations (that modified `this.ticks` directly in buildTicks)
+			me.ticks = me.afterBuildTicks(me.ticks);
+		}
 
 		me.beforeTickToLabelConversion();
 
@@ -311,20 +316,21 @@ var Scale = Element.extend({
 
 		// IMPORTANT: from this point, we consider that `this.ticks` will NEVER change!
 
-		// BACKWARD COMPAT: synchronize `_ticks` with labels (so potentially `this.ticks`)
-		for (i = 0, ilen = labels.length; i < ilen; ++i) {
-			label = labels[i];
-			tick = ticks[i];
-			if (!tick) {
+		if (!ticks) {
+			ticks = [];
+			for (i = 0, ilen = labels.length; i < ilen; ++i) {
 				ticks.push({
-					label: label,
+					value: me.ticks[i],
 					major: false
 				});
-			} else {
-				tick.label = label;
 			}
 		}
 
+		// BACKWARD COMPAT: synchronize `_ticks` with labels (so potentially `this.ticks`)
+		for (i = 0, ilen = labels.length; i < ilen; ++i) {
+			ticks[i].label = labels[i];
+		}
+
 		me._ticks = ticks;
 
 		// Tick Rotation
@@ -395,13 +401,7 @@ var Scale = Element.extend({
 	buildTicks: helpers.noop,
 	afterBuildTicks: function(ticks) {
 		var me = this;
-		// ticks is empty for old axis implementations here
-		if (helpers.isArray(ticks) && ticks.length) {
-			return helpers.callback(me.options.afterBuildTicks, [me, ticks]);
-		}
-		// Support old implementations (that modified `this.ticks` directly in buildTicks)
-		me.ticks = helpers.callback(me.options.afterBuildTicks, [me, me.ticks]) || me.ticks;
-		return ticks;
+		return helpers.callback(me.options.afterBuildTicks, [me, ticks]) || ticks;
 	},
 
 	beforeTickToLabelConversion: function() {