diff --git a/src/openmc_regular_mesh_plotter/core.py b/src/openmc_regular_mesh_plotter/core.py
index 17c7b42..65256d5 100644
--- a/src/openmc_regular_mesh_plotter/core.py
+++ b/src/openmc_regular_mesh_plotter/core.py
@@ -22,6 +22,12 @@
 _default_outline_kwargs = {"colors": "black", "linestyles": "solid", "linewidths": 1}
 
 
+def _squeeze_end_of_array(array, dims_required=3):
+    while len(array.shape) > dims_required:
+        array = np.squeeze(array, axis=len(array.shape) - 1)
+    return array
+
+
 def plot_mesh_tally(
     tally: "openmc.Tally",
     basis: str = "xy",
@@ -95,12 +101,7 @@ def plot_mesh_tally(
 
     mesh = tally.find_filter(filter_type=openmc.MeshFilter).mesh
     if not isinstance(mesh, openmc.RegularMesh):
-        raise NotImplemented(
-            f"Only RegularMesh are currently supported not {type(mesh)}"
-        )
-    # if mesh.n_dimension != 3:
-    #     msg = "Your mesh has {mesh.n_dimension} dimension and currently only RegularMesh with 3 dimensions are supported"
-    #     raise NotImplementedError(msg)
+        raise NotImplemented(f"Only RegularMesh are supported not {type(mesh)}")
 
     # if score is not specified and tally has a single score then we know which score to use
     if score is None:
@@ -112,19 +113,32 @@ def plot_mesh_tally(
 
     tally_slice = tally.get_slice(scores=[score])
 
-    # if mesh.n_dimension == 3:
+    basis_to_index = {"xy": 2, "xz": 1, "yz": 0}[basis]
 
     if 1 in mesh.dimension:
         index_of_2d = mesh.dimension.index(1)
         axis_of_2d = {0: "x", 1: "y", 2: "z"}[index_of_2d]
+        if (
+            axis_of_2d in basis
+        ):  # checks if the axis is being plotted, e.g is 'x' in 'xy'
+            raise ValueError(
+                "The selected tally has a mesh that has 1 dimension in the "
+                f"{axis_of_2d} axis, minimum of 2 needed to plot with a basis "
+                f"of {basis}."
+            )
 
-    # todo check if 1 appears twice or three times, raise value error if so
+    # TODO check if 1 appears twice or three times, raise value error if so
 
-    tally_data = tally_slice.get_reshaped_data(expand_dims=True, value=value).squeeze()
+    tally_data = tally_slice.get_reshaped_data(
+        expand_dims=True, value=value
+    )  # .squeeze()
 
-    basis_to_index = {"xy": 2, "xz": 1, "yz": 0}[basis]
-    if len(tally_data.shape) == 3:
+    tally_data = _squeeze_end_of_array(tally_data, dims_required=3)
+
+    # if len(tally_data.shape) == 3:
+    if mesh.n_dimension == 3:
         if slice_index is None:
+            # finds the mid index
             slice_index = int(tally_data.shape[basis_to_index] / 2)
 
         if basis == "xz":
@@ -139,29 +153,11 @@ def plot_mesh_tally(
             slice_data = tally_data[:, :, slice_index]
             data = np.rot90(slice_data, -3)
             xlabel, ylabel = f"x [{axis_units}]", f"y [{axis_units}]"
-    # elif mesh.n_dimension == 2:
-    elif len(tally_data.shape) == 2:
-        if basis_to_index == index_of_2d:
-            slice_data = tally_data[:, :]
-            if basis == "xz":
-                data = np.flip(np.rot90(slice_data, -1))
-                xlabel, ylabel = f"x [{axis_units}]", f"z [{axis_units}]"
-            elif basis == "yz":
-                data = np.flip(np.rot90(slice_data, -1))
-                xlabel, ylabel = f"y [{axis_units}]", f"z [{axis_units}]"
-            else:  # basis == 'xy'
-                data = np.rot90(slice_data, -3)
-                xlabel, ylabel = f"x [{axis_units}]", f"y [{axis_units}]"
-
-        else:
-            raise ValueError(
-                "The selected tally has a mesh that has 1 dimension in the "
-                f"{axis_of_2d} axis, minimum of 2 needed to plot with a basis "
-                f"of {basis}."
-            )
 
     else:
-        raise ValueError("mesh n_dimension")
+        raise ValueError(
+            f"mesh n_dimension is not 3 or 2 but is {mesh.n_dimension} which is not supported"
+        )
 
     if volume_normalization:
         # in a regular mesh all volumes are the same so we just divide by the first
diff --git a/tests/test_units.py b/tests/test_units.py
index c4528a7..13a07b9 100644
--- a/tests/test_units.py
+++ b/tests/test_units.py
@@ -121,8 +121,10 @@ def test_plot_2d_mesh_tally(model):
         tally_result = statepoint.get_tally(name="mesh-tal")
 
     plot = plot_mesh_tally(
-        tally=tally_result, basis="yz", slice_index=29  # max value of slice selected
+        tally=tally_result, basis="yz", slice_index=0  # max value of slice selected
     )
+
+    plot = plot_mesh_tally(tally=tally_result, basis="yz")
     # axis_units defaults to cm
     assert plot.xaxis.get_label().get_text() == "y [cm]"
     assert plot.yaxis.get_label().get_text() == "z [cm]"