diff --git a/scripts/codemap.py b/scripts/codemap.py
index 0f66d431..c7d787e9 100755
--- a/scripts/codemap.py
+++ b/scripts/codemap.py
@@ -912,7 +912,6 @@ def main_(ring, paths, *,
         to_ratio=1/1,
         tiny=False,
         title=None,
-        padding=0,
         label=False,
         no_label=False,
         **args):
@@ -1220,32 +1219,10 @@ def main_(ring, paths, *,
 
     # our general purpose partition function
     def partition(tile, **args):
-        if tile.depth == 0:
-            # apply top padding
-            tile.x += padding
-            tile.y += padding
-            tile.width  -= min(padding, tile.width)
-            tile.height -= min(padding, tile.height)
-            # apply bottom padding
-            if not tile.children:
-                tile.width  -= min(padding, tile.width)
-                tile.height -= min(padding, tile.height)
-
-            x__ = tile.x
-            y__ = tile.y
-            width__ = tile.width
-            height__ = tile.height
-
-        else:
-            # apply bottom padding
-            if not tile.children:
-                tile.width  -= min(padding, tile.width)
-                tile.height -= min(padding, tile.height)
-
-            x__ = tile.x
-            y__ = tile.y
-            width__ = tile.width
-            height__ = tile.height
+        x__ = tile.x
+        y__ = tile.y
+        width__ = tile.width
+        height__ = tile.height
 
         # partition via requested scheme
         if tile.children:
@@ -1622,10 +1599,6 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     parser.add_argument(
             '--title',
             help="Add a title. Accepts %% modifiers.")
-    parser.add_argument(
-            '--padding',
-            type=float,
-            help="Padding to add to each level of the treemap. Defaults to 0.")
     parser.add_argument(
             '-l', '--label',
             action='store_true',
diff --git a/scripts/dbgbmap.py b/scripts/dbgbmap.py
index 9eba7864..56d1847a 100755
--- a/scripts/dbgbmap.py
+++ b/scripts/dbgbmap.py
@@ -4354,7 +4354,6 @@ def main_(ring, disk, mroots=None, *,
         title=None,
         title_littlefs=False,
         title_usage=False,
-        padding=0,
         **args):
     # give ring an writeln function
     def writeln(s=''):
@@ -4677,17 +4676,6 @@ def main_(ring, disk, mroots=None, *,
             b.width = block_width_
             b.height = block_height_
 
-            # apply top padding
-            if x == 0:
-                b.x += padding
-                b.width -= min(padding, b.width)
-            if y == 0:
-                b.y += padding
-                b.height -= min(padding, b.height)
-            # apply bottom padding
-            b.width  -= min(padding, b.width)
-            b.height -= min(padding, b.height)
-
             # align to pixel boundaries
             b.align()
 
@@ -5075,11 +5063,6 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
             action='store_true',
             help="Use the mdir/btree/data usage as the title. This is the "
                 "default.")
-    # TODO drop padding in ascii scripts, no one is ever going to use this
-    parser.add_argument(
-            '--padding',
-            type=float,
-            help="Padding to add to each block. Defaults to 0.")
     parser.add_argument(
             '-e', '--error-on-corrupt',
             action='store_true',
diff --git a/scripts/dbgtrace.py b/scripts/dbgtrace.py
index 5a273507..5d7872da 100755
--- a/scripts/dbgtrace.py
+++ b/scripts/dbgtrace.py
@@ -941,7 +941,6 @@ def main(path='-', *,
         to_ratio=1/1,
         tiny=False,
         title=None,
-        padding=0,
         lines=None,
         head=False,
         cat=False,
@@ -1356,17 +1355,6 @@ def main(path='-', *,
                 b.width = block_width_
                 b.height = block_height_
 
-                # apply top padding
-                if x == 0:
-                    b.x += padding
-                    b.width -= min(padding, b.width)
-                if y == 0:
-                    b.y += padding
-                    b.height -= min(padding, b.height)
-                # apply bottom padding
-                b.width  -= min(padding, b.width)
-                b.height -= min(padding, b.height)
-
                 # align to pixel boundaries
                 b.align()
 
@@ -1816,11 +1804,6 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     parser.add_argument(
             '--title',
             help="Add a title. Accepts %% modifiers.")
-    # TODO drop padding in ascii scripts, no one is ever going to use this
-    parser.add_argument(
-            '--padding',
-            type=float,
-            help="Padding to add to each block. Defaults to 0.")
     parser.add_argument(
             '-n', '--lines',
             nargs='?',
diff --git a/scripts/treemap.py b/scripts/treemap.py
index 439355aa..247727e8 100755
--- a/scripts/treemap.py
+++ b/scripts/treemap.py
@@ -926,7 +926,6 @@ def main_(ring, csv_paths, *,
         to_ratio=1/1,
         tiny=False,
         title=None,
-        padding=0,
         label=False,
         no_label=False,
         **args):
@@ -1102,32 +1101,10 @@ def main_(ring, csv_paths, *,
     tile.width = canvas.width
     tile.height = canvas.height
     def partition(tile):
-        if tile.depth == 0:
-            # apply top padding
-            tile.x += padding
-            tile.y += padding
-            tile.width  -= min(padding, tile.width)
-            tile.height -= min(padding, tile.height)
-            # apply bottom padding
-            if not tile.children:
-                tile.width  -= min(padding, tile.width)
-                tile.height -= min(padding, tile.height)
-
-            x__ = tile.x
-            y__ = tile.y
-            width__ = tile.width
-            height__ = tile.height
-
-        else:
-            # apply bottom padding
-            if not tile.children:
-                tile.width  -= min(padding, tile.width)
-                tile.height -= min(padding, tile.height)
-
-            x__ = tile.x
-            y__ = tile.y
-            width__ = tile.width
-            height__ = tile.height
+        x__ = tile.x
+        y__ = tile.y
+        width__ = tile.width
+        height__ = tile.height
 
         # partition via requested scheme
         if tile.children:
@@ -1481,10 +1458,6 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     parser.add_argument(
             '--title',
             help="Add a title. Accepts %% modifiers.")
-    parser.add_argument(
-            '--padding',
-            type=float,
-            help="Padding to add to each level of the treemap. Defaults to 0.")
     parser.add_argument(
             '-l', '--label',
             action='store_true',