diff --git a/skimage/transform/_geometric.py b/skimage/transform/_geometric.py
index f81e6e22..c3f21db9 100644
--- a/skimage/transform/_geometric.py
+++ b/skimage/transform/_geometric.py
@@ -1016,5 +1016,7 @@ def warp(image, inverse_map=None, map_args={}, output_shape=None, order=1,
     if mode == 'constant' and not (0 <= cval <= 1):
         clipped[out == cval] = cval
 
-    # Remove singleton dim introduced by atleast_3d
-    return clipped.squeeze()
+    if clipped.shape[0] == 1 or clipped.shape[1] == 1:
+        return clipped
+    else: # remove singleton dim introduced by atleast_3d
+        return clipped.squeeze()
diff --git a/skimage/transform/pyramids.py b/skimage/transform/pyramids.py
index e5507460..0fdef92e 100644
--- a/skimage/transform/pyramids.py
+++ b/skimage/transform/pyramids.py
@@ -185,16 +185,12 @@ def build_gaussian_pyramid(image, max_layer=-1, factor=2, sigma=None, order=1,
 
     # build downsampled images until max_layer is reached or downsampled image
     # has size of 1 in one direction
-    while True:
+    while layer != max_layer:
         layer += 1
 
         layer_image = pyramid_reduce(pyramid[-1], factor, sigma, order,
                                      mode, cval)
 
-        # image degraded to 1px
-        if layer_image.ndim == 1:
-            break
-
         prev_rows = rows
         prev_cols = cols
         rows = layer_image.shape[0]
@@ -206,9 +202,6 @@ def build_gaussian_pyramid(image, max_layer=-1, factor=2, sigma=None, order=1,
 
         pyramid.append(layer_image)
 
-        if layer == max_layer:
-            break
-
     return pyramid
 
 
@@ -267,7 +260,7 @@ def build_laplacian_pyramid(image, max_layer=-1, factor=2, sigma=None, order=1,
 
     # build downsampled images until max_layer is reached or downsampled image
     # has size of 1 in one direction
-    while True:
+    while layer != max_layer:
         layer += 1
 
         rows = pyramid[-1].shape[0]
@@ -279,10 +272,6 @@ def build_laplacian_pyramid(image, max_layer=-1, factor=2, sigma=None, order=1,
                          mode=mode, cval=cval)
         layer_image = _smooth(resized, sigma, mode, cval)
 
-        # image degraded to 1px
-        if layer_image.ndim == 1:
-            break
-
         prev_rows = rows
         prev_cols = cols
         rows = layer_image.shape[0]
@@ -294,7 +283,4 @@ def build_laplacian_pyramid(image, max_layer=-1, factor=2, sigma=None, order=1,
 
         pyramid.append(layer_image)
 
-        if layer == max_layer:
-            break
-
     return pyramid