diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e0d9001..d0112a1 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
     "@webcomponents/webcomponentsjs": "^1.0.7",
     "assert": "^1.4.1",
     "d3-time-format": "^2.0.3",
+    "intersection-observer": "^0.4.0",
     "jsdom-wc": "^11.0.0-alpha-1",
     "katex": "^0.7.1"
   }
diff --git a/rollup.config.js b/rollup.config.js
index b7f4371..2fc121b 100644
--- a/rollup.config.js
+++ b/rollup.config.js
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ componentsConfig.plugins.push(copy({
   './node_modules/katex/dist/fonts': 'dist/fonts',
   './node_modules/@webcomponents/webcomponentsjs/webcomponents-lite.js': 'dist/webcomponents-lite.js',
   './node_modules/@webcomponents/webcomponentsjs/webcomponents-lite.js.map': 'dist/webcomponents-lite.js.map',
+  './node_modules/intersection-observer/intersection-observer.js': 'dist/intersection-observer.js',
 }));
 Object.assign(transformsConfig, defaultConfig);
 
diff --git a/src/components/d-figure.js b/src/components/d-figure.js
index be5b90b..a5bc76a 100644
--- a/src/components/d-figure.js
+++ b/src/components/d-figure.js
@@ -1,28 +1,17 @@
-`Figure
-
-d-figure provides a state-machine of visibility events:
-
-                                    scroll out of view
-                                    +----------------+
-              *do work here*        |                |
-+------+    +----------------+    +-+---------+    +-v---------+
-| init +----> almostonscreen +----> onscreen  |    | offscreen |
-+------+    +----------------+    +---------^-+    +---------+-+
-                                            |                |
-                                            +----------------+
-                                             scroll into view
-
-TODO:
-* default styling
-* get rid of init state?
-* shadow dom?
-* resizing/default size?
-* offer centerscreen event?
-* polyfills
-
-`
-
-const intersectionMargin = 1000;
+// Figure
+//
+// d-figure provides a state-machine of visibility events:
+//
+//                         scroll out of view
+//                         +----------------+
+//   *do work here*        |                |
+// +----------------+    +-+---------+    +-v---------+
+// | ready          +----> onscreen  |    | offscreen |
+// +----------------+    +---------^-+    +---------+-+
+//                                 |                |
+//                                 +----------------+
+//                                  scroll into view
+//
 
 export class Figure extends HTMLElement {
 
@@ -30,81 +19,88 @@ export class Figure extends HTMLElement {
 
   constructor() {
     super();
-
-    // keep track of communicated state
-    this._init = false;
+    this._ready = false;
     this._onscreen = false;
     this._offscreen = true;
-
-    // we use two separate observers:
-    // one with an extra 1000px margin to warn if the viewpoint gets close,
-    // and one for the actual on/off screen events
-    this._marginObserver = new IntersectionObserver((entries) => {
-      for (const entry of entries) {
-        if (entry.isIntersecting && !this._almostonscreen) {
-          this.almostonscreen();
-          this._marginObserver.disconnect();
-        }
-      }
-    }, {
-      root: null, // listen on entire viewport
-      rootMargin: intersectionMargin + 'px 0px ' + intersectionMargin + 'px 0px',
-      threshold: 1.0,
-    });
-    this._directObserver = new IntersectionObserver((entries) => {
-      for (const entry of entries) {
-        if (entry.isIntersecting) {
-          if (!this._almostonscreen) { this.almostonscreen(); }
-          if (this._offscreen) { this.onscreen(); }
-        } else {
-          if (this._onscreen) { this.offscreen(); }
-        }
-      }
-    }, {
-      root: null, // listen on entire viewport
-      rootMargin: '0px',
-      threshold: [0, 1.0],
-    });
-
   }
 
   connectedCallback() {
-    this._marginObserver.observe(this);
-    this._directObserver.observe(this);
-    this.init();
+    Figure.marginObserver.observe(this);
+    Figure.directObserver.observe(this);
   }
 
+  disconnectedCallback() {
+    Figure.marginObserver.unobserve(this);
+    Figure.directObserver.unobserve(this);
+  }
 
-  /* Override addEventListener
-   * We want to notify elements that register late as well.
-   */
+  // We use two separate observers:
+  // One with an extra 1000px margin to warn if the viewpoint gets close,
+  // And one for the actual on/off screen events
+
+  static get marginObserver() {
+    if (!Figure._marginObserver) {
+      const viewportHeight = window.innerHeight;
+      const margin = Math.floor(2 * viewportHeight);
+      Figure._marginObserver = new IntersectionObserver(
+        Figure.didObserveMarginIntersection, {
+          rootMargin: margin + 'px 0px ' + margin + 'px 0px', threshold: 0.01,
+        });
+    }
+    return Figure._marginObserver;
+  }
+
+  static didObserveMarginIntersection(entries) {
+    for (const entry of entries) {
+      const figure = entry.target;
+      if (entry.isIntersecting && !figure._ready) {
+        figure.ready();
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  static get directObserver() {
+    if (!Figure._directObserver) {
+      Figure._directObserver = new IntersectionObserver(
+        Figure.didObserveDirectIntersection, {
+          rootMargin: '0px', threshold: [0, 1.0],
+        }
+      );
+    }
+    return Figure._directObserver;
+  }
+
+  static didObserveDirectIntersection(entries) {
+    for (const entry of entries) {
+      const figure = entry.target;
+      if (entry.isIntersecting) {
+        if (!figure._ready) { figure.ready(); }
+        if (figure._offscreen) { figure.onscreen(); }
+      } else {
+        if (figure._onscreen) { figure.offscreen(); }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  // Notify listeners that registered late, too:
 
   addEventListener(eventName, callback) {
     super.addEventListener(eventName, callback);
     // if we had already dispatched something while presumingly no one was listening, we do so again
-    if (this._init && eventName === 'init') {
-      this.init();
-    }
-    if (this._almostonscreen && eventName === 'almostonscreen') {
-      this.almostonscreen();
+    if (this._ready && eventName === 'ready') {
+      this.ready();
     }
     if (this._onscreen && eventName === 'onscreen') {
       this.onscreen();
     }
   }
 
+  // Custom Events
 
-  /* Custom Events */
-
-  init() {
-    this._init = true;
-    const event = new CustomEvent('init');
-    this.dispatchEvent(event);
-  }
-
-  almostonscreen() {
-    this._almostonscreen = true;
-    const event = new CustomEvent('almostonscreen');
+  ready() {
+    this._ready = true;
+    this.marginObserver.unobserve(this);
+    const event = new CustomEvent('ready');
     this.dispatchEvent(event);
   }
 
diff --git a/src/styles/styles-layout.css b/src/styles/styles-layout.css
index 65c3908..d8a863f 100644
--- a/src/styles/styles-layout.css
+++ b/src/styles/styles-layout.css
@@ -52,7 +52,8 @@ d-article > * {
   grid-column: margin-left / body;
 }
 
-.l-page {
+.l-page,
+d-figure {
   grid-column: margin-left / page;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/transforms/polyfills.js b/src/transforms/polyfills.js
index 419124a..d479c15 100644
--- a/src/transforms/polyfills.js
+++ b/src/transforms/polyfills.js
@@ -1,17 +1,38 @@
 const webcomponentPath = '../dist/webcomponents-lite.js';
+const intersectionObserverPath = '../dist/intersection-observer.js';
 
 const template = `
-  if ('registerElement' in document &&
-      'import' in document.createElement('link') &&
-      'content' in document.createElement('template')) {
-    // Platform supports webcomponents natively! :-)
-  } else {
-    // Platform does not support webcomponents--loading polyfills synchronously.
-    const scriptTag = document.createElement('script');
-    scriptTag.src = '${webcomponentPath}';
-    scriptTag.async = false;
-    document.currentScript.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptTag, document.currentScript.nextSibling);
-  }
+if ('IntersectionObserver' in window &&
+  'IntersectionObserverEntry' in window &&
+  'intersectionRatio' in IntersectionObserverEntry.prototype) {
+    // Platform supports IntersectionObserver natively! :-)
+    if (!('isIntersecting' in IntersectionObserverEntry.prototype)) {
+      Object.defineProperty(IntersectionObserverEntry.prototype,
+        'isIntersecting', {
+        get: function () {
+          return this.intersectionRatio > 0;
+        }
+      });
+    }
+} else {
+  // Platform does not support webcomponents--loading polyfills synchronously.
+  const scriptTag = document.createElement('script');
+  scriptTag.src = '${intersectionObserverPath}';
+  scriptTag.async = false;
+  document.currentScript.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptTag, document.currentScript.nextSibling);
+}
+
+if ('registerElement' in document &&
+    'import' in document.createElement('link') &&
+    'content' in document.createElement('template')) {
+  // Platform supports webcomponents natively! :-)
+} else {
+  // Platform does not support webcomponents--loading polyfills synchronously.
+  const scriptTag = document.createElement('script');
+  scriptTag.src = '${webcomponentPath}';
+  scriptTag.async = false;
+  document.currentScript.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptTag, document.currentScript.nextSibling);
+}
 `;
 
 export default function render(dom) {