diff --git a/sample-book.pdf b/sample-book.pdf
index 4ffc450..f6d2189 100644
Binary files a/sample-book.pdf and b/sample-book.pdf differ
diff --git a/sample-handout.pdf b/sample-handout.pdf
index a22a342..aab9deb 100644
Binary files a/sample-handout.pdf and b/sample-handout.pdf differ
diff --git a/tufte-common.def b/tufte-common.def
index b70711f..ab05cc0 100644
--- a/tufte-common.def
+++ b/tufte-common.def
@@ -1030,16 +1030,21 @@
   \let\@tufte@orig@label\label%
 }
 
+% New length for tweaking float captions
+\newlength{\@tufte@caption@vertical@offset}
+\setlength{\@tufte@caption@vertical@offset}{0pt}
+
 % Store the caption and label contents
 \newcommand{\@tufte@stored@shortcaption}{}
 \newcommand{\@tufte@stored@caption}{}
 \newcommand{\@tufte@stored@label}{}
 
-\newcommand{\@tufte@caption}[2][]{%
+\long\def\@tufte@caption[#1][#2]#3{%
   \ifthenelse{\isempty{#1}}%
-    {\gdef\@tufte@stored@shortcaption{#2}}%
+    {\gdef\@tufte@stored@shortcaption{#3}}%
     {\gdef\@tufte@stored@shortcaption{#1}}%
-  \gdef\@tufte@stored@caption{#2}%
+  \gdef\@tufte@caption@vertical@offset{-#2}% we want positive push to lower captions
+  \gdef\@tufte@stored@caption{#3}%
 }
 
 \newcommand{\@tufte@label}[1]{%
@@ -1071,8 +1076,8 @@
     \ifthenelse{\equal{#1}{b}\OR\equal{#1}{B}}%
       {\renewcommand{\floatalignment}{b}}%
       {\renewcommand{\floatalignment}{t}}%
-    % Caption the contents of the \caption and \label commands to use later
-    \renewcommand{\caption}[2][]{\@tufte@caption[##1]{##2}}%
+    % Capture the contents of the \caption and \label commands to use later
+    \renewcommand{\caption}{\optparams{\@tufte@caption}{[][0pt]}}%
     \renewcommand{\label}[1]{\@tufte@label{##1}}%
     \@tufte@orig@float{#2}[#1]%
     \ifthenelse{\boolean{@tufte@float@star}}%
@@ -1096,8 +1101,8 @@
     \begin{fullwidth}%
       \begin{minipage}[\floatalignment]{\linewidth}%
         \ifthenelse{\boolean{@tufte@float@star}}%
-          {\@tufte@float@fullwidth{\@tufte@figure@box}{\@tufte@caption@box}}%
-          {\@tufte@float@textwidth{\@tufte@figure@box}{\@tufte@caption@box}}%
+          {\@tufte@float@fullwidth[\@tufte@caption@vertical@offset]{\@tufte@figure@box}{\@tufte@caption@box}}%
+          {\@tufte@float@textwidth[\@tufte@caption@vertical@offset]{\@tufte@figure@box}{\@tufte@caption@box}}%
       \end{minipage}%
     \end{fullwidth}%
     \@tufte@orig@endfloat%
@@ -1108,37 +1113,36 @@
     \begin{lrbox}{\@tufte@caption@box}\hbox{}\end{lrbox}%
     \gdef\@tufte@stored@shortcaption{}%
     \gdef\@tufte@stored@caption{}%
+    \gdef\@tufte@caption@vertical@offset{0pt}% reset caption push
   }
 
-\newcommand{\@tufte@float@textwidth}[2]{%
+\newcommand{\@tufte@float@textwidth}[3][0pt]{%
   \ifthenelse{\NOT\boolean{@tufte@symmetric}\OR\boolean{@tufte@float@recto}}{%
     % asymmetric or page is odd, so caption is on the right
     \hbox{%
-      \usebox{#1}%
+      \usebox{#2}%
       \hspace{\marginparsep}%
-      \smash{\usebox{#2}}%
+      \smash{\raisebox{#1}{\usebox{#3}}}%
     }%
-  }{%
-    % symmetric pages and page is even, so caption is on the left
+  }{% symmetric pages and page is even, so caption is on the left
     \hbox{%
-      \smash{\usebox{#2}}%
+      \smash{\raisebox{#1}{\usebox{#3}}}%
       \hspace{\marginparsep}%
-      \usebox{#1}%
+      \usebox{#2}%
     }%
   }%
 }
 
-\newcommand{\@tufte@float@fullwidth}[2]{%
+\newcommand{\@tufte@float@fullwidth}[3][0pt]{%
   \ifthenelse{\equal{\floatalignment}{b}}%
     {% place caption above figure
       \ifthenelse{\NOT\boolean{@tufte@symmetric}\OR\boolean{@tufte@float@recto}}%
-        {\hfill\smash{\usebox{#2}}\par\usebox{#1}}% caption on the right
-        {\smash{\usebox{#2}\hfill}\par\usebox{#1}}% caption on the left
-    }%
-    {% place caption below figure
+        {\hfill\smash{\raisebox{#1}{\usebox{#3}}}\par\usebox{#2}}% caption on the right
+        {\smash{\raisebox{#1}{\usebox{#3}}}\hfill\par\usebox{#2}}% caption on the left
+    }{% place caption below figure
       \ifthenelse{\NOT\boolean{@tufte@symmetric}\OR\boolean{@tufte@float@recto}}%
-        {\usebox{#1}\par\hfill\smash{\usebox{#2}}}% caption on the right
-        {\usebox{#1}\par\smash{\usebox{#2}\hfill}}% caption on the left
+        {\usebox{#2}\par\hfill\smash{\raisebox{#1}{\usebox{#3}}}}% caption on the right
+        {\usebox{#2}\par\smash{\raisebox{#1}{\usebox{#3}}}\hfill}% caption on the left
     }%
 }