diff --git a/src/controllers/controller.bar.js b/src/controllers/controller.bar.js
index 9a568cdeb99..1ab4f2217fb 100644
--- a/src/controllers/controller.bar.js
+++ b/src/controllers/controller.bar.js
@@ -170,6 +170,13 @@ function isFloatBar(custom) {
   return custom && custom.barStart !== undefined && custom.barEnd !== undefined;
 }
 
+function barSign(size, vScale, actualBase) {
+  if (size !== 0) {
+    return sign(size);
+  }
+  return (vScale.isHorizontal() ? 1 : -1) * (vScale.min >= actualBase ? 1 : -1);
+}
+
 export default class BarController extends DatasetController {
 
   /**
@@ -426,8 +433,8 @@ export default class BarController extends DatasetController {
 	 */
   _calculateBarValuePixels(index) {
     const me = this;
-    const {vScale, _stacked} = me._cachedMeta;
-    const {base: baseValue, minBarLength} = me.options;
+    const {_cachedMeta: {vScale, _stacked}, options: {base: baseValue, minBarLength}} = me;
+    const actualBase = baseValue || 0;
     const parsed = me.getParsed(index);
     const custom = parsed._custom;
     const floating = isFloatBar(custom);
@@ -454,7 +461,7 @@ export default class BarController extends DatasetController {
     const startValue = !isNullOrUndef(baseValue) && !floating ? baseValue : start;
     let base = vScale.getPixelForValue(startValue);
 
-    if (this.chart.getDataVisibility(index)) {
+    if (me.chart.getDataVisibility(index)) {
       head = vScale.getPixelForValue(start + length);
     } else {
       // When not visible, no height
@@ -463,24 +470,18 @@ export default class BarController extends DatasetController {
 
     size = head - base;
 
-    if (minBarLength !== undefined && Math.abs(size) < minBarLength) {
-      size = size < 0 ? -minBarLength : minBarLength;
-      if (value === 0) {
+    if (Math.abs(size) < minBarLength) {
+      size = barSign(size, vScale, actualBase) * minBarLength;
+      if (value === actualBase) {
         base -= size / 2;
       }
       head = base + size;
     }
 
-    const actualBase = baseValue || 0;
     if (base === vScale.getPixelForValue(actualBase)) {
-      const halfGrid = vScale.getLineWidthForValue(actualBase) / 2;
-      if (size > 0) {
-        base += halfGrid;
-        size -= halfGrid;
-      } else if (size < 0) {
-        base -= halfGrid;
-        size += halfGrid;
-      }
+      const halfGrid = sign(size) * vScale.getLineWidthForValue(actualBase) / 2;
+      base += halfGrid;
+      size -= halfGrid;
     }
 
     return {
diff --git a/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/horizontal-neg.js b/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/horizontal-neg.js
index 85e6dba68e5..c625aa64e4f 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/horizontal-neg.js
+++ b/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/horizontal-neg.js
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ module.exports = {
         {
           data: [0, -0.01, -30],
           backgroundColor: '#00ff00',
-          borderWidth: 0,
+          borderColor: '#000',
+          borderWidth: 4,
           minBarLength: 20
         }
       ]
diff --git a/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/horizontal-neg.png b/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/horizontal-neg.png
index 4b8335a436d..f012c82b6fb 100644
Binary files a/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/horizontal-neg.png and b/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/horizontal-neg.png differ
diff --git a/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/horizontal-pos.js b/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/horizontal-pos.js
index d12c91cf9d7..397e54adc16 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/horizontal-pos.js
+++ b/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/horizontal-pos.js
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ module.exports = {
         {
           data: [0, 0.01, 30],
           backgroundColor: '#00ff00',
-          borderWidth: 0,
+          borderColor: '#000',
+          borderWidth: 4,
           minBarLength: 20
         }
       ]
diff --git a/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/horizontal-pos.png b/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/horizontal-pos.png
index b19acd76753..0f89b8676ed 100644
Binary files a/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/horizontal-pos.png and b/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/horizontal-pos.png differ
diff --git a/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/horizontal.js b/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/horizontal.js
index ac320120c4c..3c52f3cf543 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/horizontal.js
+++ b/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/horizontal.js
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@ module.exports = {
         {
           data: [0, -0.01, 0.01, 30, -30],
           backgroundColor: '#00ff00',
-          borderWidth: 0,
+          borderColor: '#000',
+          borderSkipped: ctx => ctx.raw === 0 ? false : 'start',
+          borderWidth: 4,
           minBarLength: 20
         }
       ]
diff --git a/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/horizontal.png b/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/horizontal.png
index 39b1d3f1252..11aefdb1d8d 100644
Binary files a/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/horizontal.png and b/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/horizontal.png differ
diff --git a/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/vertical-neg.js b/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/vertical-neg.js
index 92f853f426f..7cee3a8a1e2 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/vertical-neg.js
+++ b/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/vertical-neg.js
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ module.exports = {
         {
           data: [0, -0.01, -30],
           backgroundColor: '#00ff00',
-          borderWidth: 0,
+          borderColor: '#000',
+          borderWidth: 4,
           minBarLength: 20
         }
       ]
diff --git a/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/vertical-neg.png b/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/vertical-neg.png
index ec9636feb5f..4d75f1cb238 100644
Binary files a/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/vertical-neg.png and b/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/vertical-neg.png differ
diff --git a/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/vertical-pos.js b/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/vertical-pos.js
index cf0afa2b14b..96e2756c33a 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/vertical-pos.js
+++ b/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/vertical-pos.js
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ module.exports = {
         {
           data: [0, 0.01, 30],
           backgroundColor: '#00ff00',
-          borderWidth: 0,
+          borderColor: '#000',
+          borderWidth: 4,
           minBarLength: 20
         }
       ]
diff --git a/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/vertical-pos.png b/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/vertical-pos.png
index b5d4f8a2e12..5561b4f3b3d 100644
Binary files a/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/vertical-pos.png and b/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/vertical-pos.png differ
diff --git a/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/vertical.js b/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/vertical.js
index 4a45513c53c..d7313be9be2 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/vertical.js
+++ b/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/vertical.js
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@ module.exports = {
         {
           data: [0, -0.01, 0.01, 30, -30],
           backgroundColor: '#00ff00',
-          borderWidth: 0,
+          borderColor: '#000',
+          borderSkipped: ctx => ctx.raw === 0 ? false : 'start',
+          borderWidth: 4,
           minBarLength: 20
         }
       ]
diff --git a/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/vertical.png b/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/vertical.png
index a78cb133d00..c79c4f3f3c9 100644
Binary files a/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/vertical.png and b/test/fixtures/controller.bar/minBarLength/vertical.png differ