diff --git a/doc/api/next_api_changes/2019-07-16-EF.rst b/doc/api/next_api_changes/2019-07-16-EF.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..15143065960e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/api/next_api_changes/2019-07-16-EF.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+Deprecations
+````````````
+
+The "smart_bounds" functionality is deprecated.  This includes
+``Axis.set_smart_bounds()``, ``Axis.get_smart_bounds()``,
+``Spine.set_smart_bounds()``, and ``Spine.get_smart_bounds()``.
diff --git a/examples/ticks_and_spines/spine_placement_demo.py b/examples/ticks_and_spines/spine_placement_demo.py
index ca2543344554..6e52eae7908e 100644
--- a/examples/ticks_and_spines/spine_placement_demo.py
+++ b/examples/ticks_and_spines/spine_placement_demo.py
@@ -22,8 +22,6 @@
 ax.spines['right'].set_color('none')
 ax.spines['bottom'].set_position('center')
 ax.spines['top'].set_color('none')
-ax.spines['left'].set_smart_bounds(True)
-ax.spines['bottom'].set_smart_bounds(True)
 ax.xaxis.set_ticks_position('bottom')
 ax.yaxis.set_ticks_position('left')
 
@@ -34,8 +32,6 @@
 ax.spines['right'].set_color('none')
 ax.spines['bottom'].set_position('zero')
 ax.spines['top'].set_color('none')
-ax.spines['left'].set_smart_bounds(True)
-ax.spines['bottom'].set_smart_bounds(True)
 ax.xaxis.set_ticks_position('bottom')
 ax.yaxis.set_ticks_position('left')
 
@@ -46,8 +42,6 @@
 ax.spines['right'].set_color('none')
 ax.spines['bottom'].set_position(('axes', 0.1))
 ax.spines['top'].set_color('none')
-ax.spines['left'].set_smart_bounds(True)
-ax.spines['bottom'].set_smart_bounds(True)
 ax.xaxis.set_ticks_position('bottom')
 ax.yaxis.set_ticks_position('left')
 
@@ -58,8 +52,6 @@
 ax.spines['right'].set_color('none')
 ax.spines['bottom'].set_position(('data', 2))
 ax.spines['top'].set_color('none')
-ax.spines['left'].set_smart_bounds(True)
-ax.spines['bottom'].set_smart_bounds(True)
 ax.xaxis.set_ticks_position('bottom')
 ax.yaxis.set_ticks_position('left')
 
@@ -71,7 +63,6 @@ def adjust_spines(ax, spines):
     for loc, spine in ax.spines.items():
         if loc in spines:
             spine.set_position(('outward', 10))  # outward by 10 points
-            spine.set_smart_bounds(True)
         else:
             spine.set_color('none')  # don't draw spine
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axis.py b/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
index 98f8bc73e0d8..db8a41e628e5 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
@@ -763,7 +763,7 @@ def __init__(self, axes, pickradius=15):
         self.callbacks = cbook.CallbackRegistry()
 
         self._autolabelpos = True
-        self._smart_bounds = False
+        self._smart_bounds = False  # Deprecated in 3.2
 
         self.label = self._get_label()
         self.labelpad = rcParams['axes.labelpad']
@@ -1085,11 +1085,13 @@ def get_ticklabel_extents(self, renderer):
             bbox2 = mtransforms.Bbox.from_extents(0, 0, 0, 0)
         return bbox, bbox2
 
+    @cbook.deprecated("3.2")
     def set_smart_bounds(self, value):
         """Set the axis to have smart bounds."""
         self._smart_bounds = value
         self.stale = True
 
+    @cbook.deprecated("3.2")
     def get_smart_bounds(self):
         """Return whether the axis has smart bounds."""
         return self._smart_bounds
@@ -1121,7 +1123,7 @@ def _update_ticks(self):
         if view_low > view_high:
             view_low, view_high = view_high, view_low
 
-        if self._smart_bounds and ticks:
+        if self._smart_bounds and ticks:  # _smart_bounds is deprecated in 3.2
             # handle inverted limits
             data_low, data_high = sorted(self.get_data_interval())
             locs = np.sort([tick.get_loc() for tick in ticks])
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/spines.py b/lib/matplotlib/spines.py
index aecd9c320492..1b2e714bcdc5 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/spines.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/spines.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import matplotlib
 from matplotlib import cbook, docstring, rcParams
 from matplotlib.artist import allow_rasterization
+import matplotlib.cbook as cbook
 import matplotlib.transforms as mtransforms
 import matplotlib.patches as mpatches
 import matplotlib.path as mpath
@@ -56,7 +57,7 @@ def __init__(self, axes, spine_type, path, **kwargs):
         self.set_transform(self.axes.transData)  # default transform
 
         self._bounds = None  # default bounds
-        self._smart_bounds = False
+        self._smart_bounds = False  # deprecated in 3.2
 
         # Defer initial position determination. (Not much support for
         # non-rectangular axes is currently implemented, and this lets
@@ -77,6 +78,7 @@ def __init__(self, axes, spine_type, path, **kwargs):
         # Note: This cannot be calculated until this is added to an Axes
         self._patch_transform = mtransforms.IdentityTransform()
 
+    @cbook.deprecated("3.2")
     def set_smart_bounds(self, value):
         """Set the spine and associated axis to have smart bounds."""
         self._smart_bounds = value
@@ -88,6 +90,7 @@ def set_smart_bounds(self, value):
             self.axes.xaxis.set_smart_bounds(value)
         self.stale = True
 
+    @cbook.deprecated("3.2")
     def get_smart_bounds(self):
         """Return whether the spine has smart bounds."""
         return self._smart_bounds
@@ -268,7 +271,7 @@ def _adjust_location(self):
                 raise ValueError('unknown spine spine_type: %s' %
                                  self.spine_type)
 
-            if self._smart_bounds:
+            if self._smart_bounds:  # deprecated in 3.2
                 # attempt to set bounds in sophisticated way
 
                 # handle inverted limits