diff --git a/src/scales/scale.time.js b/src/scales/scale.time.js
index f82d43ad72d..779e88afe4d 100644
--- a/src/scales/scale.time.js
+++ b/src/scales/scale.time.js
@@ -372,8 +372,8 @@ export default class TimeScale extends Scale {
     const timestamps = tickOpts.source === 'labels' ? this.getLabelTimestamps() : this._generate();
 
     if (options.bounds === 'ticks' && timestamps.length) {
-      this.min = this._userMin || timestamps[0];
-      this.max = this._userMax || timestamps[timestamps.length - 1];
+      this.min = isNullOrUndef(this._userMin) ? timestamps[0] : this._userMin;
+      this.max = isNullOrUndef(this._userMax) ? timestamps[timestamps.length - 1] : this._userMax;
     }
 
     const min = this.min;
diff --git a/test/specs/scale.time.tests.js b/test/specs/scale.time.tests.js
index 42817ae15c9..dde6afec275 100644
--- a/test/specs/scale.time.tests.js
+++ b/test/specs/scale.time.tests.js
@@ -28,6 +28,24 @@ describe('Time scale tests', function() {
     return scale.ticks.map(t => t.label);
   }
 
+  ['time', 'timeseries'].forEach(function(type) {
+    ['min', 'max'].forEach(function(bound) {
+      ['labels', 'auto'].forEach(function(source) {
+        it('should preserve an explicit epoch-zero ' + bound + ' for ' + type + ' with ' + source + ' ticks', function() {
+          var labels = bound === 'min' ? [1000, 2000] : [-2000, -1000];
+          var options = {type: type, bounds: 'ticks', ticks: {source: source}, time: {unit: 'second'}};
+          options[bound] = 0;
+          var chart = window.acquireChart({
+            type: 'line',
+            data: {labels: labels, datasets: [{data: [1, 2]}]},
+            options: {animation: false, scales: {x: options}}
+          });
+          expect(chart.scales.x[bound]).toBe(0);
+        });
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
   beforeEach(function() {
     // Need a time matcher for getValueFromPixel
     jasmine.addMatchers({