diff --git a/examples/pylab_examples/stairs_demo.py b/examples/pylab_examples/stairs_demo.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..957cdafaeefc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/pylab_examples/stairs_demo.py
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+import numpy as np
+from matplotlib import pyplot as plt
+
+x = np.linspace(-2*np.pi, 2*np.pi, num=40, endpoint=True)
+y = np.sin(x)
+
+fig = plt.figure()
+ax = fig.add_subplot(1, 1, 1)
+ax.stairs(x, y)
+plt.show()
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axes.py b/lib/matplotlib/axes.py
index f631543b7fe2..6c0e3604dc7a 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axes.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axes.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 import matplotlib.quiver as mquiver
 import matplotlib.scale as mscale
 import matplotlib.stackplot as mstack
+import matplotlib.stairs as mstairs
 import matplotlib.streamplot as mstream
 import matplotlib.table as mtable
 import matplotlib.text as mtext
@@ -6415,6 +6416,10 @@ def stackplot(self, x, *args, **kwargs):
         return mstack.stackplot(self, x, *args, **kwargs)
     stackplot.__doc__ = mstack.stackplot.__doc__
 
+    def stairs(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        return mstairs.stairs(self, *args, **kwargs)
+    stairs.__doc__ = mstairs.stairs.__doc__
+
     def streamplot(self, x, y, u, v, density=1, linewidth=None, color=None,
                    cmap=None, norm=None, arrowsize=1, arrowstyle='-|>',
                    minlength=0.1):
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/stairs.py b/lib/matplotlib/stairs.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..83cf1a79815e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/stairs.py
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+"""
+Stairstep plots.
+"""
+
+import numpy as np
+
+__all__ = ['stairs']
+
+def stairs(axes, *args, **kwargs):
+    """Draws a stairstep plot
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    Takes either one or two arguments. Valid calls are:
+
+    ax.stairs(y) # Make a stairstep plot of the values in *y*
+    ax.stairs(x, y) # Stairstep plot of the values in *y* at points in *x*
+
+    *x*, *y* : 1d arrays.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    *lines* : :class:`~matplotlib.collections.LineCollection`
+              Line collection defining all the steps in the stairstep plot
+    """
+
+    if len(args) == 1:
+        y = np.asarray(args[0])
+        x = np.arange(len(y))
+    elif len(args) == 2:
+        x = np.asarray(args[0])
+        y = np.asarray(args[1])
+    else:
+        raise ValueError, "stairs takes either 1 or 2 arguments, %d given" % len(args)
+
+    d = 0.5 * np.abs(np.diff(x))
+    dm = np.append(d[0], d)
+    dp = np.append(d, d[-1])
+
+    xm = x - dm
+    xp = x + dp
+    x_all = np.dstack((xm, x, xp)).flatten()
+    y_all = np.dstack((y, y, y)).flatten()
+
+    return axes.plot(x_all, y_all, **kwargs)