diff --git a/src/ticks.jl b/src/ticks.jl
index 8394ace..ab863ae 100644
--- a/src/ticks.jl
+++ b/src/ticks.jl
@@ -135,8 +135,7 @@ function optimize_ticks(x_min::T, x_max::T; extend_ticks::Bool=false,
                            coverage_weight::Float64=1/3, niceness_weight::Float64=1/4,
                            strict_span=true, span_buffer=nothing, scale=nothing) where T
 
-    F = float(T)
-    Qv = [(F(q[1]), F(q[2])) for q in Q]
+    Qv = [(Float64(q[1]), Float64(q[2])) for q in Q]
     optimize_ticks_typed(x_min, x_max, extend_ticks, Qv, k_min, k_max, k_ideal,
                          granularity_weight, simplicity_weight,
                          coverage_weight, niceness_weight, strict_span, span_buffer, scale)
@@ -147,9 +146,11 @@ function optimize_ticks_typed(x_min::T, x_max::T, extend_ticks,
                            granularity_weight::Float64, simplicity_weight::Float64,
                            coverage_weight::Float64, niceness_weight::Float64,
                            strict_span, span_buffer, scale) where T
-    xspan = x_max - x_min
+    
     F = float(T)
-    xspan < eps(F) && return fallback_ticks(x_min, x_max, k_min, k_max)
+    if (xspan = x_max - x_min) < eps(F)
+        return fallback_ticks(x_min, x_max, k_min, k_max)
+    end
 
     n = length(Q)
     is_log_scale = scale ∈ _logScales
@@ -192,11 +193,12 @@ function optimize_ticks_typed(x_min::T, x_max::T, extend_ticks,
                 isfinite(r) || continue
                 r = ceil(Int, r)
 
-                has_nice_scale = true
                 if is_log_scale && !isinteger(tickspan)
                     # try to favor integer exponents for log scales
-                    has_nice_scale = false
+                    nice_scale = false
                     qscore = 0
+                else
+                    nice_scale = true
                 end
 
                 while r * tickspan <= x_min
@@ -245,7 +247,7 @@ function optimize_ticks_typed(x_min::T, x_max::T, extend_ticks,
                     has_zero = r <= 0 && abs(r) < k
 
                     # simplicity
-                    s = has_zero && has_nice_scale ? 1 : 0
+                    s = has_zero && nice_scale ? 1 : 0
 
                     # granularity
                     g = 0 < length(S) < 2k_ideal ? 1 - abs(length(S) - k_ideal) / k_ideal : 0
@@ -299,14 +301,12 @@ function optimize_ticks_typed(x_min::T, x_max::T, extend_ticks,
 end
 
 
-function optimize_ticks(x_min::Date, x_max::Date; extend_ticks::Bool=false,
+optimize_ticks(x_min::Date, x_max::Date; extend_ticks::Bool=false,
                         k_min=nothing, k_max=nothing, scale=:auto,
                         granularity_weight=nothing, simplicity_weight=nothing,
                         coverage_weight=nothing, niceness_weight=nothing,
-                        strict_span=true, span_buffer = nothing)
-    return optimize_ticks(convert(DateTime, x_min), convert(DateTime, x_max),
-                          extend_ticks=extend_ticks, scale=scale)
-end
+                        strict_span=true, span_buffer = nothing) =
+optimize_ticks(convert(DateTime, x_min), convert(DateTime, x_max), extend_ticks=extend_ticks, scale=scale)
 
 
 function optimize_ticks(x_min::DateTime, x_max::DateTime; extend_ticks::Bool=false,
diff --git a/test/runtests.jl b/test/runtests.jl
index b6bc398..020ca23 100644
--- a/test/runtests.jl
+++ b/test/runtests.jl
@@ -131,42 +131,52 @@ end
         end
     end
 
-    @testset "PlotUtils.jl/issues/86" begin 
-        let x = -1.0, y = 13.0
-            test_ticks(x, y, optimize_ticks(x, y, k_min = 4, k_max = 8)[1])
-        end
-    end
-
     @testset "digits" begin
         @testset "digits $((10^n) - 1)*10^$i" for n in 1:9, i in -9:9
             y0 = 10^n
             x0 = y0 - 1
             x, y = (x0, y0) .* 10.0^i
-            ticks = optimize_ticks(x, y)[1]
+            ticks, = optimize_ticks(x, y)
             test_ticks(x, y, ticks)
         end
     end
 
-    @testset "Plots.jl/issues/3859" begin
-        x, y = extrema([-1.7055509600077687e307, -1.3055509600077687e307, -1.e300])
-        test_ticks(x, y, optimize_ticks(x, y, k_min = 4, k_max = 8)[1])
+    @testset "types" begin
+        for T in (Int32, Int64, Float16, Float32, Float64)
+            x, y = T(1), T(10)
+            ticks, = optimize_ticks(x, y)
+            @test eltype(ticks) <: AbstractFloat
+            @test eltype(ticks) == (T <: AbstractFloat ? T : float(T))
+        end
     end
 
-    @testset "PlotUtils.jl/issues/114" begin
-        let x = -.1eps(), y = .1eps()
-            test_ticks(x, y, optimize_ticks(x, y)[1])
+    @testset "issues" begin
+        @testset "PlotUtils.jl/issues/86" begin 
+            let x = -1.0, y = 13.0
+                test_ticks(x, y, optimize_ticks(x, y, k_min = 4, k_max = 8)[1])
+            end
+        end
+
+        @testset "Plots.jl/issues/3859" begin
+            x, y = extrema([-1.7055509600077687e307, -1.3055509600077687e307, -1.e300])
+            test_ticks(x, y, optimize_ticks(x, y, k_min = 4, k_max = 8)[1])
         end
-    end
 
-    @testset "PlotUtils.jl/issues/116" begin
-        let x = 4.5, y = 5.5
-            test_ticks(x, y, optimize_ticks(x, y, scale=:log10)[1])
+        @testset "PlotUtils.jl/issues/114" begin
+            let x = -.1eps(), y = .1eps()
+                test_ticks(x, y, optimize_ticks(x, y)[1])
+            end
         end
-        let x = 2.5, y = 3.5
-            test_ticks(x, y, optimize_ticks(x, y, scale=:log2)[1])
+
+        @testset "PlotUtils.jl/issues/116" begin
+            let x = 4.5, y = 5.5
+                test_ticks(x, y, optimize_ticks(x, y, scale = :log10)[1])
+            end
+            let x = 2.5, y = 3.5
+                test_ticks(x, y, optimize_ticks(x, y, scale = :log2)[1])
+            end
         end
     end
-
 end
 
 # ----------------------