diff --git a/client/app/scripts/charts/nodes-chart.js b/client/app/scripts/charts/nodes-chart.js
index f876206b2..0a4714c76 100644
--- a/client/app/scripts/charts/nodes-chart.js
+++ b/client/app/scripts/charts/nodes-chart.js
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ const MARGINS = {
 
 // make sure circular layouts a bit denser with 3-6 nodes
 const radiusDensity = d3.scale.threshold()
-  .domain([3, 6]).range([3, 4, 3]);
+  .domain([3, 6]).range([2.5, 3.5, 3]);
 
 const NodesChart = React.createClass({
 
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ const NodesChart = React.createClass({
       nodes: {},
       edges: {},
       nodeScale: d3.scale.linear(),
-      translate: [0, 0],
+      shiftTranslate: [0, 0],
       panTranslate: [0, 0],
       scale: 1,
       hasZoomed: false,
@@ -49,8 +49,7 @@ const NodesChart = React.createClass({
       .scaleExtent([0.1, 2])
       .on('zoom', this.zoomed);
 
-    d3.select('.canvas')
-      .on('click', this.handleBackgroundClick)
+    d3.select('.nodes-chart svg')
       .call(this.zoom);
   },
 
@@ -61,6 +60,7 @@ const NodesChart = React.createClass({
     // wipe node states when showing different topology
     if (nextProps.topologyId !== this.props.topologyId) {
       _.assign(state, {
+        autoShifted: false,
         nodes: {},
         edges: {}
       });
@@ -82,8 +82,7 @@ const NodesChart = React.createClass({
   componentWillUnmount: function() {
     // undoing .call(zoom)
 
-    d3.select('.canvas')
-      .on('click', null)
+    d3.select('.nodes-chart svg')
       .on('mousedown.zoom', null)
       .on('onwheel', null)
       .on('onmousewheel', null)
@@ -159,7 +158,7 @@ const NodesChart = React.createClass({
 
     // only animate shift behavior, not panning
     const panTranslate = this.state.panTranslate;
-    const shiftTranslate = this.state.translate;
+    const shiftTranslate = this.state.shiftTranslate;
     let translate = panTranslate;
     let wasShifted = false;
     if (shiftTranslate[0] !== panTranslate[0] || shiftTranslate[1] !== panTranslate[1]) {
@@ -175,7 +174,7 @@ const NodesChart = React.createClass({
           <span className="nodes-chart-error-icon fa fa-ban" />
           <div>Too many nodes to show in the browser.<br />We're working on it, but for now, try a different view?</div>
         </div>
-        <svg width="100%" height="100%" className={svgClassNames}>
+        <svg width="100%" height="100%" className={svgClassNames} onMouseUp={this.handleMouseUp}>
           <Spring endValue={{val: translate, config: [80, 20]}}>
             {function(interpolated) {
               let interpolatedTranslate = wasShifted ? interpolated.val : panTranslate;
@@ -287,9 +286,10 @@ const NodesChart = React.createClass({
     const adjacentCount = adjacentLayoutNodes.length;
     const density = radiusDensity(adjacentCount);
     const radius = Math.min(props.width, props.height) / density;
+    const offsetAngle = Math.PI / 4;
 
     _.each(adjacentLayoutNodes, function(node, i) {
-      const angle = Math.PI * 2 * i / adjacentCount;
+      const angle = offsetAngle + Math.PI * 2 * i / adjacentCount;
       node.x = centerX + radius * Math.sin(angle);
       node.y = centerY + radius * Math.cos(angle);
     });
@@ -310,37 +310,43 @@ const NodesChart = React.createClass({
 
     // shift canvas selected node out of view if it has not been shifted already
     let autoShifted = this.state.autoShifted;
-    const translate = state.translate;
+    const shiftTranslate = state.shiftTranslate;
 
     if (!autoShifted) {
       const visibleWidth = Math.max(props.width - props.detailsWidth, 0);
-      const offsetX = translate[0];
+      const offsetX = shiftTranslate[0];
       // normalize graph coordinates by zoomScale
       const zoomScale = state.scale;
       const outerRadius = radius + this.state.nodeScale(1.5);
-      if (offsetX + (centerX + outerRadius) * zoomScale > visibleWidth) {
+      if (2 * outerRadius * zoomScale > props.width) {
+        // radius too big, centering center node on canvas
+        shiftTranslate[0] = -(centerX * zoomScale - (props.width + MARGINS.left) / 2);
+      } else if (offsetX + (centerX + outerRadius) * zoomScale > visibleWidth) {
         // shift left if blocked by details
         const shift = (centerX + outerRadius) * zoomScale - visibleWidth;
-        translate[0] = -shift;
+        shiftTranslate[0] = -shift;
       } else if (offsetX + (centerX - outerRadius) * zoomScale < 0) {
         // shift right if off canvas
         const shift = offsetX - offsetX + (centerX - outerRadius) * zoomScale;
-        translate[0] = -shift;
+        shiftTranslate[0] = -shift;
       }
-      const offsetY = translate[1];
-      if (offsetY + (centerY + outerRadius) * zoomScale > props.height) {
+      const offsetY = shiftTranslate[1];
+      if (2 * outerRadius * zoomScale > props.height) {
+        // radius too big, centering center node on canvas
+        shiftTranslate[1] = -(centerY * zoomScale - (props.height + MARGINS.top) / 2);
+      } else if (offsetY + (centerY + outerRadius) * zoomScale > props.height) {
         // shift up if past bottom
         const shift = (centerY + outerRadius) * zoomScale - props.height;
-        translate[1] = -shift;
+        shiftTranslate[1] = -shift;
       } else if (offsetY + (centerY - outerRadius) * zoomScale - props.topMargin < 0) {
         // shift down if off canvas
         const shift = offsetY - offsetY + (centerY - outerRadius) * zoomScale - props.topMargin;
-        translate[1] = -shift;
+        shiftTranslate[1] = -shift;
       }
-      // debug('shift', centerX, centerY, outerRadius, translate);
+      // debug('shift', centerX, centerY, outerRadius, shiftTranslate);
 
       // saving translate in d3's panning cache
-      this.zoom.translate(translate);
+      this.zoom.translate(shiftTranslate);
       autoShifted = true;
     }
 
@@ -348,16 +354,22 @@ const NodesChart = React.createClass({
       autoShifted: autoShifted,
       edges: layoutEdges,
       nodes: layoutNodes,
-      translate: translate
+      shiftTranslate: shiftTranslate
     };
   },
 
-  handleBackgroundClick: function() {
-    AppActions.clickCloseDetails();
-    // allow shifts again
-    this.setState({
-      autoShifted: false
-    });
+  isZooming: false, // distinguish pan/zoom from click
+
+  handleMouseUp: function() {
+    if (!this.isZooming) {
+      AppActions.clickCloseDetails();
+      // allow shifts again
+      this.setState({
+        autoShifted: false
+      });
+    } else {
+      this.isZooming = false;
+    }
   },
 
   restoreLayout: function(state) {
@@ -443,11 +455,12 @@ const NodesChart = React.createClass({
 
   zoomed: function() {
     // debug('zoomed', d3.event.scale, d3.event.translate);
+    this.isZooming = true;
     this.setState({
       autoShifted: false,
       hasZoomed: true,
       panTranslate: d3.event.translate.slice(),
-      translate: d3.event.translate.slice(),
+      shiftTranslate: d3.event.translate.slice(),
       scale: d3.event.scale
     });
   }