@@ -11,6 +11,11 @@ These changes include:
 
 - The default figure background color is now white.
 
+- The limits are scaled to exactly the dimensions of the data, plus 5%
+  padding.  The old behavior was to scale to the nearest "round"
+  numbers.  To use the old behavior, set the ``rcParam``
+  ``axes.autolimit_mode`` to ``round_numbers``.
+
 - Grid lines are light grey solid 1pt lines.  They are no longer dashed by
   default.
 
 
@@ -982,7 +982,7 @@ def cla(self):
         self._autoscaleYon = True
         self._xmargin = rcParams['axes.xmargin']
         self._ymargin = rcParams['axes.ymargin']
-        self._tight = False
+        self._tight = None
         self._update_transScale()  # needed?
 
         self._get_lines = _process_plot_var_args(self)
@@ -2120,10 +2120,11 @@ def autoscale_view(self, tight=None, scalex=True, scaley=True):
         autoscale_view.
         """
         if tight is None:
-            # if image data only just use the datalim
-            _tight = self._tight or (len(self.images) > 0 and
-                                     len(self.lines) == 0 and
-                                     len(self.patches) == 0)
+            if self._tight is None:
+                _tight = rcParams['axes.autolimit_mode'] == 'data'
+            else:
+                # if image data only just use the datalim
+                _tight = self._tight
         else:
             _tight = self._tight = bool(tight)
 
 
@@ -203,6 +203,7 @@ axes.prop_cycle    : cycler('color', 'bgrcmyk')
                                            # as list of string colorspecs:
                                            # single letter, long name, or
                                            # web-style hex
+axes.autolimit_mode : round_numbers
 axes.xmargin        : 0  # x margin.  See `axes.Axes.margins`
 axes.ymargin        : 0  # y margin See `axes.Axes.margins`
 axes.spines.bottom  : True
@@ -418,7 +419,7 @@ pdf.use14corefonts : False
 pgf.debug           : False
 pgf.texsystem       : xelatex
 pgf.rcfonts         : True
-pgf.preamble        : 
+pgf.preamble        :
 
 # svg backend params
 svg.image_inline : True       # write raster image data directly into the svg file
 
@@ -964,12 +964,17 @@ def validate_cycler(s):
     # to create the object.
     'axes.prop_cycle': [ccycler('color', 'bgrcmyk'),
                         validate_cycler],
-    'axes.xmargin': [0, ValidateInterval(0, 1,
-                                         closedmin=True,
-                                         closedmax=True)],  # margin added to xaxis
-    'axes.ymargin': [0, ValidateInterval(0, 1,
-                                         closedmin=True,
-                                         closedmax=True)],# margin added to yaxis
+    # If 'data', axes limits are set close to the data.
+    # If 'round_numbers' axes limits are set to the nearest round numbers.
+    'axes.autolimit_mode': [
+        'data',
+        ValidateInStrings('autolimit_mode', ['data', 'round_numbers'])],
+    'axes.xmargin': [0.05, ValidateInterval(0, 1,
+                                            closedmin=True,
+                                            closedmax=True)],  # margin added to xaxis
+    'axes.ymargin': [0.05, ValidateInterval(0, 1,
+                                            closedmin=True,
+                                            closedmax=True)],# margin added to yaxis
 
     'polaraxes.grid': [True, validate_bool],  # display polar grid or
                                                      # not
 
@@ -273,8 +273,10 @@ backend      : %(backend)s
                                             # as list of string colorspecs:
                                             # single letter, long name, or
                                             # web-style hex
-#axes.xmargin        : 0  # x margin.  See `axes.Axes.margins`
-#axes.ymargin        : 0  # y margin See `axes.Axes.margins`
+#axes.autolimit_mode : data # scale axes limits to the data.
+                            # Use "round_numbers" to round to nearest round numbers
+#axes.xmargin        : .05  # x margin.  See `axes.Axes.margins`
+#axes.ymargin        : .05  # y margin See `axes.Axes.margins`
 
 #polaraxes.grid      : True    # display grid on polar axes
 #axes3d.grid         : True    # display grid on 3d axes