diff --git a/src/demo/reel.c b/src/demo/reel.c
index 865d2dafd..8ca18cd8c 100644
--- a/src/demo/reel.c
+++ b/src/demo/reel.c
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ tabletdraw(struct ncplane* w, int maxy, tabletctx* tctx, unsigned rgb){
     }
     cell_release(w, &c);
   }
-  return y - 1;
+  return y;
 }
 
 static int
diff --git a/src/lib/reel.c b/src/lib/reel.c
index 6b92274f4..cd80543a7 100644
--- a/src/lib/reel.c
+++ b/src/lib/reel.c
@@ -276,9 +276,10 @@ ncreel_draw_tablet(const ncreel* nr, nctablet* t, int frontiertop,
     ++cbx;
   }
   if(cbleny - cby + 1 > 0){
-    t->cbp = ncplane_new(t->p, cbleny - cby + 1, cblenx - cbx + 1, cby, cbx, NULL, "tdat");
+//fprintf(stderr, "CREATING %dx%d\n", cbleny, cblenx);
+    t->cbp = ncplane_new(t->p, cbleny, cblenx, cby, cbx, NULL, "tdat");
     if(t->cbp == NULL){
-//fprintf(stderr, "failure creating data plane %d %d %d %d\n", cbleny - cby + 1, cblenx - cbx + 1, cby, cbx);
+//fprintf(stderr, "failure creating data plane %d %d %d %d\n", cbleny, cblenx, cby, cbx);
       ncplane_destroy(t->p);
       t->p = NULL;
       return -1;
diff --git a/tests/reel.cpp b/tests/reel.cpp
index b4d0180d4..92409c601 100644
--- a/tests/reel.cpp
+++ b/tests/reel.cpp
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ int check_allborders(nctablet* t, bool drawfromtop) {
   ncplane_dim_yx(ncp, &rows, &cols);
   int srows, scols;
   ncplane_dim_yx(notcurses_stdplane(ncplane_notcurses(ncp)), &srows, &scols);
-  CHECK(srows == rows + 4);
+  CHECK(srows == rows + 2);
   CHECK(scols == cols + 4);
   return 1;
 }
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ int check_notborders(nctablet* t, bool drawfromtop) {
   ncplane_dim_yx(ncp, &rows, &cols);
   int srows, scols;
   ncplane_dim_yx(notcurses_stdplane(ncplane_notcurses(ncp)), &srows, &scols);
-  CHECK(srows == rows + 2);
+  CHECK(srows == rows); // we get maximum possible size to try out
   CHECK(scols == cols + 2);
   return 1;
 }