diff --git a/src/hist/basehist.py b/src/hist/basehist.py
index 4c1a710..b68a7f8 100644
--- a/src/hist/basehist.py
+++ b/src/hist/basehist.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ from .axestuple import NamedAxesTuple
 from .axis import AxisProtocol
 from .quick_construct import MetaConstructor
 from .storage import Storage
-from .svgplots import html_hist, svg_hist_1d, svg_hist_1d_c, svg_hist_2d, svg_hist_nd
+from .svgplots import html_hist, svg_hist_1d, svg_hist_1d_c, svg_hist_2d
 from .typing import ArrayLike, Protocol, SupportsIndex
 
 if typing.TYPE_CHECKING:
@@ -87,37 +87,37 @@ class BaseHist(bh.Histogram, metaclass=MetaConstructor, family=hist):
             for a in args
         ]
 
-        if args:
-            if isinstance(storage, str):
-                storage_str = storage.title()
-                if storage_str == "Atomicint64":
-                    storage_str = "AtomicInt64"
-                elif storage_str == "Weightedmean":
-                    storage_str = "WeightedMean"
-                storage = getattr(bh.storage, storage_str)()
-            elif isinstance(storage, type):
-                msg = (
-                    f"Please use '{storage.__name__}()' instead of '{storage.__name__}'"
+        if isinstance(storage, str):
+            storage_str = storage.title()
+            if storage_str == "Atomicint64":
+                storage_str = "AtomicInt64"
+            elif storage_str == "Weightedmean":
+                storage_str = "WeightedMean"
+            storage = getattr(bh.storage, storage_str)()
+        elif isinstance(storage, type):
+            msg = f"Please use '{storage.__name__}()' instead of '{storage.__name__}'"
+            warnings.warn(msg)
+            storage = storage()
+
+        super().__init__(*args, storage=storage, metadata=metadata)  # type: ignore[call-overload]
+
+        disallowed_names = {"weight", "sample", "threads"}
+        for ax in self.axes:
+            if ax.name in disallowed_names:
+                disallowed_warning = (
+                    f"{ax.name} is a protected keyword and cannot be used as axis name"
                 )
-                warnings.warn(msg)
-                storage = storage()
-            super().__init__(*args, storage=storage, metadata=metadata)  # type: ignore[call-overload]
-
-            disallowed_names = {"weight", "sample", "threads"}
-            for ax in self.axes:
-                if ax.name in disallowed_names:
-                    disallowed_warning = f"{ax.name} is a protected keyword and cannot be used as axis name"
-                    warnings.warn(disallowed_warning)
-
-            valid_names = [ax.name for ax in self.axes if ax.name]
-            if len(valid_names) != len(set(valid_names)):
-                raise KeyError(
-                    f"{self.__class__.__name__} instance cannot contain axes with duplicated names"
-                )
-            for i, ax in enumerate(self.axes):
-                # label will return name if label is not set, so this is safe
-                if not ax.label:
-                    ax.label = f"Axis {i}"
+                warnings.warn(disallowed_warning)
+
+        valid_names = [ax.name for ax in self.axes if ax.name]
+        if len(valid_names) != len(set(valid_names)):
+            raise KeyError(
+                f"{self.__class__.__name__} instance cannot contain axes with duplicated names"
+            )
+        for i, ax in enumerate(self.axes):
+            # label will return name if label is not set, so this is safe
+            if not ax.label:
+                ax.label = f"Axis {i}"
 
         if data is not None:
             self[...] = data
@@ -130,19 +130,24 @@ class BaseHist(bh.Histogram, metaclass=MetaConstructor, family=hist):
 
         return NamedAxesTuple(self._axis(i) for i in range(self.ndim))
 
-    def _repr_html_(self) -> str:
+    def _repr_html_(self) -> str | None:
         if self.size == 0:
-            return str(self)
+            return None
+
         if self.ndim == 1:
-            if self.axes[0].traits.circular:
-                return str(html_hist(self, svg_hist_1d_c))
-            return str(html_hist(self, svg_hist_1d))
+            if len(self.axes[0]) <= 1000:
+                return str(
+                    html_hist(
+                        self,
+                        svg_hist_1d_c if self.axes[0].traits.circular else svg_hist_1d,
+                    )
+                )
+
         if self.ndim == 2:
-            return str(html_hist(self, svg_hist_2d))
-        if self.ndim > 2:
-            return str(html_hist(self, svg_hist_nd))
+            if len(self.axes[0]) <= 200 and len(self.axes[1]) <= 200:
+                return str(html_hist(self, svg_hist_2d))
 
-        return str(self)
+        return None
 
     def _name_to_index(self, name: str) -> int:
         """
diff --git a/src/hist/svgplots.py b/src/hist/svgplots.py
index 8bfe8b9..5086b5e 100644
--- a/src/hist/svgplots.py
+++ b/src/hist/svgplots.py
@@ -193,32 +193,3 @@ def svg_hist_2d(h: hist.BaseHist) -> svg:
     ]
 
     return svg(*texts, *boxes, viewBox=f"{-20} {-height - 20} {width+40} {height+40}")
-
-
-def svg_hist_nd(h: hist.BaseHist) -> svg:
-    assert h.ndim > 2, "Must be more than 2D"
-
-    width = 200
-    height = 200
-
-    boxes = [
-        rect(
-            x=20 * i,
-            y=20 * i,
-            width=width - 40,
-            height=height - 40,
-            style="fill:white;opacity:.5;stroke-width:2;stroke:currentColor;",
-        )
-        for i in range(3)
-    ]
-
-    nd = text(
-        f"{h.ndim}D",
-        x=height / 2 + 20,
-        y=width / 2 + 20,
-        style="font-size: 26pt; font-family: verdana; font-style: bold; fill: black;",
-        text_anchor="middle",
-        alignment_baseline="middle",
-    )
-
-    return svg(*boxes, nd, viewBox=f"-10 -10 {height + 20} {width + 20}")

diff --git a/tests/test_reprs.py b/tests/test_reprs.py
index 4d44171..ad4c70a 100644
--- a/tests/test_reprs.py
+++ b/tests/test_reprs.py
@@ -81,13 +81,18 @@ def test_ND_empty_repr(named_hist):
         .Double()
     )
     html = h._repr_html_()
-    assert html
-    assert "name='x'" in repr(h)
-    assert "name='p'" in repr(h)
-    assert "name='a'" in repr(h)
-    assert "label='y'" in repr(h)
-    assert "label='q'" in repr(h)
-    assert "label='b'" in repr(h)
+    assert html is None
+
+
+def test_empty_mega_repr(named_hist):
+
+    h = named_hist.new.Reg(1001, -1, 1, name="x").Double()
+    html = h._repr_html_()
+    assert html is None
+
+    h = named_hist.new.Reg(201, -1, 1, name="x").Reg(100, 0, 1, name="y").Double()
+    html = h._repr_html_()
+    assert html is None
 
 
 def test_stack_repr(named_hist):

chore: convert to mime bundle for IPython reprs
Let's convert `_repr_svg_` (and any extras) to `_repr_mimebundle_`. See https://github.com/scikit-hep/decaylanguage/pull/213.
tests/test_reprs.py::test_ND_empty_repr[Hist] tests/test_reprs.py::test_ND_empty_repr[BaseHist] tests/test_reprs.py::test_ND_empty_repr[NamedHist] tests/test_reprs.py::test_empty_mega_repr[Hist] tests/test_reprs.py::test_empty_mega_repr[BaseHist] tests/test_reprs.py::test_empty_mega_repr[NamedHist]
tests/test_reprs.py::test_1D_empty_repr[Hist] tests/test_reprs.py::test_1D_empty_repr[BaseHist] tests/test_reprs.py::test_1D_empty_repr[NamedHist] tests/test_reprs.py::test_1D_var_empty_repr[Hist] tests/test_reprs.py::test_1D_var_empty_repr[BaseHist] tests/test_reprs.py::test_1D_var_empty_repr[NamedHist] tests/test_reprs.py::test_1D_int_empty_repr[Hist] tests/test_reprs.py::test_1D_int_empty_repr[BaseHist] tests/test_reprs.py::test_1D_int_empty_repr[NamedHist] tests/test_reprs.py::test_1D_intcat_empty_repr[Hist] tests/test_reprs.py::test_1D_intcat_empty_repr[BaseHist] tests/test_reprs.py::test_1D_intcat_empty_repr[NamedHist] tests/test_reprs.py::test_1D_strcat_empty_repr[Hist] tests/test_reprs.py::test_1D_strcat_empty_repr[BaseHist] tests/test_reprs.py::test_1D_strcat_empty_repr[NamedHist] tests/test_reprs.py::test_2D_empty_repr[Hist] tests/test_reprs.py::test_2D_empty_repr[BaseHist] tests/test_reprs.py::test_2D_empty_repr[NamedHist] tests/test_reprs.py::test_1D_circ_empty_repr[Hist] tests/test_reprs.py::test_1D_circ_empty_repr[BaseHist] tests/test_reprs.py::test_1D_circ_empty_repr[NamedHist] tests/test_reprs.py::test_stack_repr[Hist] tests/test_reprs.py::test_stack_repr[BaseHist] tests/test_reprs.py::test_stack_repr[NamedHist]