diff --git a/core b/core
index 760beff..1f4d9a5 160000
--- a/core
+++ b/core
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 760beffe2710d863e2e18063fff50556fa1c054c
+Subproject commit 1f4d9a574c8887e084bb1acbde3dc99392da084c
diff --git a/drawing/Common.lua b/drawing/Common.lua
index bfb370c..8f69a12 100644
--- a/drawing/Common.lua
+++ b/drawing/Common.lua
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ M.default_plot_style = Startup.plot_style(
 M.percent_label_style = Startup.label_style(
    Theme.INACTIVE_TEXT_FG,
    M.label_font_spec,
-   function(z) return Util.round_to_string(z * 100)..'%' end
+   function(_) return function(z) return Util.round_to_string(z * 100)..'%' end end
 )
 
 M.initThemedLabelPlot = function(x, y, w, h, label_style, update_freq)
@@ -200,6 +200,34 @@ end
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 -- scaled plot
 
+-- Generate a format string for labels on y axis of plots. If the max of the
+-- plot if numerically less than the number of grid lines, this means that
+-- some number of decimal places are necessary to accurately display the number.
+-- Note that this for now only works when the number of y grid lines if 4, as
+-- it gives enough resolution for 1, 0.75, 0.5, and 0.25 but no more
+M.y_label_format_string = function(plot_max, unit)
+   local num_fmt
+   if plot_max < 2 then
+      num_fmt = '%.2f'
+   elseif plot_max < 4 then
+      num_fmt = '%.1f'
+   else
+      num_fmt = '%.0f'
+   end
+   return string.format('%s %s', num_fmt, unit)
+end
+
+M.converted_y_label_format_generator = function(unit)
+   return function(plot_max)
+      local new_prefix, new_max = Util.convert_data_val(plot_max)
+      local conversion_factor = plot_max / new_max
+      local fmt = M.y_label_format_string(new_max, new_prefix..unit..'/s')
+      return function(bytes)
+         return string.format(fmt, bytes / conversion_factor)
+      end
+   end
+end
+
 M.base_2_scale_data = function(m)
    return Startup.scale_data(2, m, 0.9)
 end
diff --git a/drawing/Network.lua b/drawing/Network.lua
index d343e95..1a3e269 100644
--- a/drawing/Network.lua
+++ b/drawing/Network.lua
@@ -5,10 +5,9 @@ local Geometry = require 'Geometry'
 return function(update_freq)
    local PLOT_SEC_BREAK = 20
    local PLOT_HEIGHT = 56
+   -- TODO ensure these interfaces actually exist
    local INTERFACES = {'enp7s0f1', 'wlp0s20f3'}
 
-   local __math_floor = math.floor
-
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
    -- header
 
@@ -22,11 +21,6 @@ return function(update_freq)
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
    -- download plot
 
-   local network_label_function = function(bits)
-      local new_unit, new_value = Util.convert_data_val(bits)
-      return __math_floor(new_value)..' '..new_unit..'b/s'
-   end
-
    local value_format_function = function(bits)
       local unit, value = Util.convert_data_val(bits)
       return Util.precision_round_to_string(value, 3)..' '..unit..'b/s'
@@ -39,7 +33,7 @@ return function(update_freq)
          Geometry.SECTION_WIDTH,
          PLOT_HEIGHT,
          value_format_function,
-         network_label_function,
+         Common.converted_y_label_format_generator('b'),
          PLOT_SEC_BREAK,
          label,
          2,
diff --git a/drawing/Power.lua b/drawing/Power.lua
index b203f1c..893771a 100644
--- a/drawing/Power.lua
+++ b/drawing/Power.lua
@@ -23,10 +23,13 @@ return function(update_freq)
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
    -- package 0 power plot
 
-   local power_label_function = function(watts) return watts..' W' end
+   local power_label_function = function(plot_max)
+      local fmt = Common.y_label_format_string(plot_max, 'W')
+      return function(watts) return string.format(fmt, watts) end
+   end
 
    local power_format_function = function(watts)
-      return Util.precision_round_to_string(watts, 3).." W"
+      return Util.precision_round_to_string(watts, 3)..' W'
    end
 
    local build_plot = function(y, label, format_fun)
diff --git a/drawing/ReadWrite.lua b/drawing/ReadWrite.lua
index 6496f55..041c9f8 100644
--- a/drawing/ReadWrite.lua
+++ b/drawing/ReadWrite.lua
@@ -31,10 +31,14 @@ return function(update_freq)
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
    -- reads
 
-   local io_label_function = function(bytes)
-      local new_unit, new_value = Util.convert_data_val(bytes)
-      return __math_floor(new_value)..' '..new_unit..'B/s'
-   end
+   -- local io_label_format_fun_generator = function(plot_max)
+   --    local new_unit, new_max = Util.convert_data_val(plot_max)
+   --    local conversion_factor = plot_max / new_max
+   --    local fmt = Common.y_label_format_string(new_max, new_unit..'B/s')
+   --    return function(bytes)
+   --       return string.format(fmt, bytes / conversion_factor)
+   --    end
+   -- end
 
    local format_value_function = function(bps)
       local unit, value = Util.convert_data_val(bps)
@@ -48,7 +52,7 @@ return function(update_freq)
          Geometry.SECTION_WIDTH,
          PLOT_HEIGHT,
          format_value_function,
-         io_label_function,
+         Common.converted_y_label_format_generator('B'),
          PLOT_SEC_BREAK,
          label,
          2,