diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1686a31f..56140d4a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -687,7 +687,7 @@ Add the XChart library as a dependency to your pom.xml file:
 <dependency>
     <groupId>org.knowm.xchart</groupId>
     <artifactId>xchart</artifactId>
-    <version>4.0.3</version>
+    <version>4.0.4</version>
 </dependency>
 ```
 
@@ -710,7 +710,7 @@ For snapshots, add the following to your pom.xml file:
 <dependency>
 <groupId>org.knowm.xchart</groupId>
 <artifactId>xchart</artifactId>
-<version>4.0.4-SNAPSHOT</version>
+<version>4.0.5-SNAPSHOT</version>
 </dependency>
 ```
 
diff --git a/xchart/src/main/java/org/knowm/xchart/internal/chartpart/AxisTickMarks.java b/xchart/src/main/java/org/knowm/xchart/internal/chartpart/AxisTickMarks.java
index beecb31d..6c56d18c 100644
--- a/xchart/src/main/java/org/knowm/xchart/internal/chartpart/AxisTickMarks.java
+++ b/xchart/src/main/java/org/knowm/xchart/internal/chartpart/AxisTickMarks.java
@@ -105,15 +105,17 @@ else if (direction == Axis_.Direction.X && styler.isXAxisTicksVisible()) {
       g.setColor(styler.getXAxisTickMarksColor());
       int axisTickMarkLength = styler.getAxisTickMarkLength();
       double xOffset = chart.getXAxis().getBounds().getX();
-      double yOffset =
-          chart.getXAxis().getAxisTick().getAxisTickLabels().getBounds().getY()
-              - styler.getAxisTickPadding();
+      // anchor the axis line to the top of the x-axis bounds — which sits exactly plotMargin
+      // below the plot area — rather than deriving it from the tick label geometry, whose
+      // measured height can drift sub-pixel from the reserved bounds and shift the line
+      double lineYOffset = chart.getXAxis().getBounds().getY();
+      double yOffset = lineYOffset + axisTickMarkLength;
 
       // bounds
       bounds =
           new Rectangle2D.Double(
               xOffset,
-              yOffset - axisTickMarkLength,
+              lineYOffset,
               chart.getXAxis().getBounds().getWidth(),
               axisTickMarkLength);
       // g.setColor(Color.yellow);
@@ -145,11 +147,13 @@ else if (direction == Axis_.Direction.X && styler.isXAxisTicksVisible()) {
       if (styler.isAxisTicksLineVisible()) {
 
         g.setStroke(styler.getAxisTickMarksStroke());
-        g.drawLine(
-            (int) xOffset,
-            (int) (yOffset - axisTickMarkLength),
-            (int) (xOffset + chart.getXAxis().getBounds().getWidth()),
-            (int) (yOffset - axisTickMarkLength));
+        Shape line =
+            new Line2D.Double(
+                xOffset,
+                lineYOffset,
+                xOffset + chart.getXAxis().getBounds().getWidth(),
+                lineYOffset);
+        g.draw(line);
       }
     } else {
       bounds = new Rectangle2D.Double();
diff --git a/xchart/src/main/java/org/knowm/xchart/internal/chartpart/Axis_Y.java b/xchart/src/main/java/org/knowm/xchart/internal/chartpart/Axis_Y.java
index 8a8151c0..20dd1bee 100644
--- a/xchart/src/main/java/org/knowm/xchart/internal/chartpart/Axis_Y.java
+++ b/xchart/src/main/java/org/knowm/xchart/internal/chartpart/Axis_Y.java
@@ -168,25 +168,17 @@ public void paint(java.awt.Graphics2D g) {
     double axisTickLabelsHeight = 0.0;
     if (axesChartStyler.isYAxisTicksVisible()) {
 
-      // find the widest label using the actual renderer (TeX or plain text)
+      // find the widest label using the same metric AxisTickLabels paints with — any mismatch
+      // between this hint and the painted column shifts the axis line away from its intended
+      // plotMargin distance to the plot area
+      FontRenderContext frc = new FontRenderContext(null, true, false);
       double maxLabelWidth = 0;
       for (int i = 0; i < axisTickCalculator.getTickLabels().size(); i++) {
         String lbl = axisTickCalculator.getTickLabels().get(i);
         if (lbl == null || lbl.isEmpty()) {
           continue;
         }
-        double w;
-        if (TexRenderer.isTeX(lbl)) {
-          w = TexRenderer.getBounds(lbl, axesChartStyler.getAxisTickLabelsFont()).getWidth();
-        } else {
-          w =
-              new TextLayout(
-                      lbl,
-                      axesChartStyler.getAxisTickLabelsFont(),
-                      new FontRenderContext(null, true, false))
-                  .getBounds()
-                  .getWidth();
-        }
+        double w = TickLabelMetrics.width(lbl, axesChartStyler.getAxisTickLabelsFont(), frc);
         if (w > maxLabelWidth) {
           maxLabelWidth = w;
         }
@@ -214,18 +206,7 @@ public void paint(java.awt.Graphics2D g) {
             if (lbl == null || lbl.isEmpty()) {
               continue;
             }
-            double w;
-            if (TexRenderer.isTeX(lbl)) {
-              w = TexRenderer.getBounds(lbl, axesChartStyler.getAxisTickLabelsFont()).getWidth();
-            } else {
-              w =
-                  new TextLayout(
-                          lbl,
-                          axesChartStyler.getAxisTickLabelsFont(),
-                          new FontRenderContext(null, true, false))
-                      .getBounds()
-                      .getWidth();
-            }
+            double w = TickLabelMetrics.width(lbl, axesChartStyler.getAxisTickLabelsFont(), frc);
             if (w > slaveMaxWidth) {
               slaveMaxWidth = w;
             }
diff --git a/xchart/src/test/java/org/knowm/xchart/internal/chartpart/AxisLinePlotMarginTest.java b/xchart/src/test/java/org/knowm/xchart/internal/chartpart/AxisLinePlotMarginTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e7a5d557
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xchart/src/test/java/org/knowm/xchart/internal/chartpart/AxisLinePlotMarginTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+package org.knowm.xchart.internal.chartpart;
+
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+
+import java.awt.Color;
+import java.awt.image.BufferedImage;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.knowm.xchart.BitmapEncoder;
+import org.knowm.xchart.XYChart;
+import org.knowm.xchart.XYChartBuilder;
+
+// The axis tick lines that hug the plot area must sit at the same distance (plotMargin) from the
+// plot on both the y-axis and x-axis sides. Historically the y-axis line was positioned from the
+// painted tick label width while the plot edge was positioned from the width *hint*; when the two
+// measurements diverged (e.g. advance width vs ink width after issue #618), the y-axis line
+// drifted toward the plot and the gaps went visibly asymmetric.
+//
+// Renders to an off-screen image (no XChartPanel / Swing display) so it runs headless on CI.
+class AxisLinePlotMarginTest {
+
+  @Test
+  void axisLinesSitAtPlotMarginOnBothSides() throws Exception {
+
+    XYChart chart = new XYChartBuilder().width(800).height(600).title("t").build();
+    chart.addSeries("s", new double[] {1, 2, 3}, new double[] {10, 20, 30});
+    chart.getStyler().setLegendVisible(false);
+    chart.getStyler().setPlotGridLinesVisible(false);
+    chart.getStyler().setPlotBackgroundColor(Color.YELLOW);
+    chart.getStyler().setPlotBorderVisible(true);
+    chart.getStyler().setPlotBorderColor(Color.RED);
+
+    BufferedImage img = BitmapEncoder.getBufferedImage(chart);
+
+    // locate the yellow plot area
+    int yellow = Color.YELLOW.getRGB();
+    int minX = Integer.MAX_VALUE, maxX = -1, minY = Integer.MAX_VALUE, maxY = -1;
+    for (int y = 0; y < img.getHeight(); y++) {
+      for (int x = 0; x < img.getWidth(); x++) {
+        if (img.getRGB(x, y) == yellow) {
+          minX = Math.min(minX, x);
+          maxX = Math.max(maxX, x);
+          minY = Math.min(minY, y);
+          maxY = Math.max(maxY, y);
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    assertThat(maxX).as("plot area must be found").isGreaterThan(minX);
+
+    // walk left from the plot border to the y-axis line (first non-background pixel)
+    int borderLeft = minX - 1;
+    int background = img.getRGB(0, 0);
+    int midY = (minY + maxY) / 2;
+    int yAxisLineX = -1;
+    for (int x = borderLeft - 1; x > borderLeft - 20; x--) {
+      if (img.getRGB(x, midY) != background) {
+        yAxisLineX = x;
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+    assertThat(yAxisLineX).as("y-axis line must be found left of the plot").isPositive();
+
+    // walk down from the plot border to the x-axis line; use a column 1/3 into the plot to make a
+    // tick mark collision unlikely (tick marks are only a few px wide, and if one were hit it
+    // would not change the first dark pixel: marks start at the line and extend away from it)
+    int borderBottom = maxY + 1;
+    int midX = minX + (maxX - minX) / 3;
+    int xAxisLineY = -1;
+    for (int y = borderBottom + 1; y < borderBottom + 20; y++) {
+      if (img.getRGB(midX, y) != background) {
+        xAxisLineY = y;
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+    assertThat(xAxisLineY).as("x-axis line must be found below the plot").isPositive();
+
+    int leftGap = borderLeft - yAxisLineX;
+    int bottomGap = xAxisLineY - borderBottom;
+    assertThat(leftGap)
+        .as("y-axis line and x-axis line must sit at the same distance from the plot area")
+        .isEqualTo(bottomGap);
+    assertThat(leftGap)
+        .as("axis line distance must equal the styler's plotMargin")
+        .isEqualTo(chart.getStyler().getPlotMargin());
+  }
+}