diff -up gdl-0.9.3/CMakeLists.txt.plwidth gdl-0.9.3/CMakeLists.txt
--- gdl-0.9.3/CMakeLists.txt.plwidth	2013-08-27 16:55:33.806600443 -0600
+++ gdl-0.9.3/CMakeLists.txt	2013-08-27 16:55:36.589590528 -0600
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ include(CheckLibraryExists)
 include(CheckFunctionExists)
 include(CheckSymbolExists)
 include(CheckCSourceRuns)
+include(CheckCXXSourceCompiles)
 include(FindPkgConfig)
 include(FindPackageHandleStandardArgs)
 
@@ -302,6 +303,18 @@ if(PLPLOT_FOUND)
 	  message(STATUS "warning, due to old plplot library, [XYZ]TICKFORMAT option for plot axis will not be supported.\n"
 	    "you should upgrade to plplot version > 5.9.6")
 	endif(HAVE_PLPLOT_SLABELFUNC)
+	set(CMAKE_REQUIRED_INCLUDES "${PLPLOT_INCLUDE_DIR}")
+	set(CMAKE_REQUIRED_LIBRARIES "${PLPLOT_LIBRARIES}")
+	check_cxx_source_compiles("
+#include <plplot/plstream.h>
+int main(int argc, char **argv) {
+  plstream *p = new plstream();
+  PLFLT w = 0.5;
+  p->width(w);
+}" HAVE_PLPLOT_WIDTH)
+	if(HAVE_PLPLOT_WIDTH)
+	  set(HAVE_PLPLOT_WIDTH 1)
+	endif(HAVE_PLPLOT_WIDTH)
 	check_library_exists("${PLPLOT_LIBRARIES}" plstrl "" PLPLOT_PRIVATE_NOT_HIDDEN)
 	if(PLPLOT_PRIVATE_NOT_HIDDEN)
 	  set(PLPLOT_PRIVATE_NOT_HIDDEN 1)
diff -up gdl-0.9.3/config.h.cmake.plwidth gdl-0.9.3/config.h.cmake
--- gdl-0.9.3/config.h.cmake.plwidth	2013-08-27 16:55:33.808600436 -0600
+++ gdl-0.9.3/config.h.cmake	2013-08-27 16:55:36.589590528 -0600
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #cmakedefine HAVE_NEXTTOWARD 1
 #cmakedefine HAVE_OLDPLPLOT 1
 #cmakedefine HAVE_PLPLOT_SLABELFUNC 1
+#cmakedefine HAVE_PLPLOT_WIDTH 1
 #cmakedefine PLPLOT_PRIVATE_NOT_HIDDEN 1
 #cmakedefine PLPLOT_HAS_LEGEND
 #ifndef HAVE_STDINT_H
diff -up gdl-0.9.3/src/plotting_contour.cpp.plwidth gdl-0.9.3/src/plotting_contour.cpp
--- gdl-0.9.3/src/plotting_contour.cpp.plwidth	2013-08-27 16:55:33.883600169 -0600
+++ gdl-0.9.3/src/plotting_contour.cpp	2013-08-27 16:55:36.590590524 -0600
@@ -705,7 +705,11 @@ namespace lib
               actStream->pat(1,&ori,&spa);
 
               if (docolors) actStream->Color ( ( *colors )[i%colors->N_Elements ( )], decomposed, (PLINT)colorindex_table_0_color );
+#if (HAVE_PLPLOT_WIDTH)
+              if (dothick) actStream->width ( static_cast<PLFLT>(( *thick )[i%thick->N_Elements ( )]));
+#else
               if (dothick) actStream->wid ( ( *thick )[i%thick->N_Elements ( )]);
+#endif
               if (dostyle) gdlLineStyle(actStream, ( *style )[i%style->N_Elements ( )]);
               actStream->shade( map, xEl, yEl, isLog?doIt:NULL, xStart, xEnd, yStart, yEnd,
               clevel[i], clevel[i+1],
@@ -788,7 +792,11 @@ namespace lib
               actStream->stransform(gdl3dTo2dTransformContour, &Data3d);
             }
             if (docolors) actStream->Color ( ( *colors )[i%colors->N_Elements ( )], decomposed, 2);
+#if (HAVE_PLPLOT_WIDTH)
+            if (dothick) actStream->width ( static_cast<PLFLT>(( *thick )[i%thick->N_Elements ( )]));
+#else
             if (dothick) actStream->wid ( ( *thick )[i%thick->N_Elements ( )]);
+#endif
             if (dostyle) gdlLineStyle(actStream, ( *style )[i%style->N_Elements ( )]);
             if (dolabels) actStream->setcontlabelparam ( LABELOFFSET, (PLFLT) label_size, LABELSPACING,
                                                         (PLINT)(*labels)[i%labels->N_Elements()] );
diff -up gdl-0.9.3/src/plotting.cpp.plwidth gdl-0.9.3/src/plotting.cpp
--- gdl-0.9.3/src/plotting.cpp.plwidth	2013-08-27 16:55:33.886600158 -0600
+++ gdl-0.9.3/src/plotting.cpp	2013-08-27 16:58:33.707952697 -0600
@@ -1891,7 +1891,11 @@ namespace lib
       DFloatGDL* charthickVect=e->GetKWAs<DFloatGDL>( charthickIx );
       charthick=(*charthickVect)[0];
     }
+#if (HAVE_PLPLOT_WIDTH)
+    a->width(static_cast<PLFLT>(charthick));
+#else
     a->wid(charthick);
+#endif
   }
 
   void gdlSetAxisCharsize(EnvT *e, GDLGStream *a, string axis)
@@ -1919,7 +1923,11 @@ namespace lib
 
     e->AssureFloatScalarKWIfPresent("THICK", thick);
     if ( thick<=0.0 ) thick=1.0;
+#if (HAVE_PLPLOT_WIDTH)
+    a->width(static_cast<PLFLT>(thick));
+#else
     a->wid(static_cast<PLINT>(floor(thick-0.5)));
+#endif
   }
 
   //LINESTYLE
@@ -2932,7 +2940,11 @@ namespace lib
         a->smaj((PLFLT)OtherAxisSizeInMm, 1.0); //set base ticks to default 0.02 viewport converted to mm.
         a->smin((PLFLT)OtherAxisSizeInMm/2.0,1.0); //idem min (plplt defaults)
         //thick for box and ticks.
+#if (HAVE_PLPLOT_WIDTH)
+        a->width(static_cast<PLFLT>(Thick));
+#else
         a->wid(Thick);
+#endif
         //ticks or grid eventually with style and length:
         if (abs(TickLen)<1e-6) Opt=""; else Opt="st"; //remove ticks if ticklen=0
         if (TickLen<0) {Opt+="i"; TickLen=-TickLen;}
@@ -2977,7 +2989,11 @@ namespace lib
         else if (axis=="Y") a->box("", 0.0, 0 , Opt.c_str(), 0.0, 0);
       }
       //reset charsize & thick
+#if (HAVE_PLPLOT_WIDTH)
+      a->width(1.0);
+#else
       a->wid(1);
+#endif
       a->sizeChar(1.0);
     }
 	return 0;
@@ -3120,7 +3136,11 @@ namespace lib
         a->smaj((PLFLT)OtherAxisSizeInMm, 1.0); //set base ticks to default 0.02 viewport converted to mm.
         a->smin((PLFLT)OtherAxisSizeInMm/2.0,1.0); //idem min (plplt defaults)
         //thick for box and ticks.
+#if (HAVE_PLPLOT_WIDTH)
+        a->width(static_cast<PLFLT>(Thick));
+#else
         a->wid(Thick);
+#endif
         //ticks or grid eventually with style and length:
         if (abs(TickLen)<1e-6) Opt=""; else Opt="st"; //remove ticks if ticklen=0
         if (TickLen<0) {Opt+="i"; TickLen=-TickLen;}
@@ -3145,7 +3165,11 @@ namespace lib
         else if (axis=="Z") a->box3("","",0,0,"","",0,0, Opt.c_str(), "", TickInterval, Minor);
       }
       //reset charsize & thick
+#if (HAVE_PLPLOT_WIDTH)
+      a->width(1.0);
+#else
       a->wid(1);
+#endif
       a->sizeChar(1.0);
     }
 	return 0;
diff -up gdl-0.9.3/src/plotting_xyouts.cpp.plwidth gdl-0.9.3/src/plotting_xyouts.cpp
--- gdl-0.9.3/src/plotting_xyouts.cpp.plwidth	2013-08-27 16:55:33.892600137 -0600
+++ gdl-0.9.3/src/plotting_xyouts.cpp	2013-08-27 16:55:36.591590521 -0600
@@ -339,7 +339,11 @@ namespace lib
         //plot!
         if (docharsize) actStream->sizeChar(( *size )[i%size->N_Elements ( )]);
         if (docolor) actStream->Color ( ( *color )[i%color->N_Elements ( )], decomposed, 2);
+#if (HAVE_PLPLOT_WIDTH)
+        if (docharthick) actStream->width ( static_cast<PLFLT>(( *charthick )[i%charthick->N_Elements ( )]));
+#else
         if (docharthick) actStream->wid ( ( *charthick )[i%charthick->N_Elements ( )]);
+#endif
         //orientation word is not orientation page depending on axes increment direction [0..1] vs. [1..0]
         PLFLT oriD=(( *orientation )[i%orientation->N_Elements ( )]); //ori DEVICE
         PLFLT oriW=oriD; //ori WORLD