diff --git a/bashplotlib/histogram.py b/bashplotlib/histogram.py
index 43b7dd3..89a10db 100644
--- a/bashplotlib/histogram.py
+++ b/bashplotlib/histogram.py
@@ -182,11 +182,12 @@ def plot_hist(f, height=20.0, bincount=None, binwidth=None, pch="o", colour="def
     print(" " * (nlen + 1) + "-" * len(xs))
 
     if xlab:
-        xlen = len(str(float((max_y) / height) + max_y))
+        labels = abbreviate([str(b) for b in bins])
+        xlen = len(labels[0])
         for i in range(0, xlen):
             printcolour(" " * (nlen + 1), True, colour)
             for x in range(0, len(hist)):
-                num = str(bins[x])
+                num = labels[x]
                 if x % 2 != 0:
                     pass
                 elif i < len(num):
diff --git a/bashplotlib/utils/helpers.py b/bashplotlib/utils/helpers.py
index bfffe46..cf209ee 100644
--- a/bashplotlib/utils/helpers.py
+++ b/bashplotlib/utils/helpers.py
@@ -64,6 +64,18 @@ def drange(start, stop, step=1.0, include_stop=False):
             r = round(r, 10)
 
 
+def abbreviate(labels, rfill=' '):
+    """
+    Abbreviate labels without introducing ambiguities.
+    """
+    max_len = max(len(l) for l in labels)
+    for i in range(1, max_len):
+        abbrev = [l[:i].ljust(i, rfill) for l in labels]
+        if len(abbrev) == len(set(abbrev)):
+            break
+    return abbrev
+
+
 def box_text(text, width, offset=0):
     """
     Return text inside an ascii textbox
diff --git a/examples/sample.sh b/examples/sample.sh
index 02985ed..08702e5 100755
--- a/examples/sample.sh
+++ b/examples/sample.sh
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ hist --file "${dir}/data/exp.txt" --colour blue
 echo 'changing the shape of the point'
 hist --file "${dir}/data/exp.txt" --pch .
 
+echo 'adding x-labels'
+hist --file "${dir}/data/exp.txt" --pch . --xlab
+
 #echo 'using stdin'
 #curl -sL https://dl.dropbox.com/u/49171662/example.txt | hist