diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/artist.py b/lib/matplotlib/artist.py
index c1e7c7a67c76..93a91a67538b 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/artist.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/artist.py
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ def contains(self, mouseevent):
         --------
         set_contains, get_contains
         """
-        if callable(self._contains):
+        if self._contains is not None:
             return self._contains(self, mouseevent)
         _log.warning("%r needs 'contains' method", self.__class__.__name__)
         return False, {}
@@ -411,6 +411,8 @@ def contains(artist: Artist, event: MouseEvent) -> bool, dict
               implementation of the respective artist, but may provide
               additional information.
         """
+        if not callable(picker):
+            raise TypeError("picker is not a callable")
         self._contains = picker
 
     def get_contains(self):
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py
index 8287983a3039..5786cc6c1d46 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py
@@ -4229,7 +4229,7 @@ def get_children(self):
 
     def contains(self, mouseevent):
         # docstring inherited.
-        if callable(self._contains):
+        if self._contains is not None:
             return self._contains(self, mouseevent)
         return self.patch.contains(mouseevent)
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axis.py b/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
index e33e55a2ee5a..93472c729223 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ def contains(self, mouseevent):
         This function always returns false.  It is more useful to test if the
         axis as a whole contains the mouse rather than the set of tick marks.
         """
-        if callable(self._contains):
+        if self._contains is not None:
             return self._contains(self, mouseevent)
         return False, {}
 
@@ -1858,7 +1858,7 @@ class XAxis(Axis):
     def contains(self, mouseevent):
         """Test whether the mouse event occurred in the x axis.
         """
-        if callable(self._contains):
+        if self._contains is not None:
             return self._contains(self, mouseevent)
 
         x, y = mouseevent.x, mouseevent.y
@@ -2202,7 +2202,7 @@ def contains(self, mouseevent):
 
         Returns *True* | *False*
         """
-        if callable(self._contains):
+        if self._contains is not None:
             return self._contains(self, mouseevent)
 
         x, y = mouseevent.x, mouseevent.y
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/collections.py b/lib/matplotlib/collections.py
index a58d60e19d65..9b9bb068821b 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/collections.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/collections.py
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ def contains(self, mouseevent):
         Returns ``bool, dict(ind=itemlist)``, where every item in itemlist
         contains the event.
         """
-        if callable(self._contains):
+        if self._contains is not None:
             return self._contains(self, mouseevent)
 
         if not self.get_visible():
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/figure.py b/lib/matplotlib/figure.py
index f86c0c78936c..ddd4d7eec4f1 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/figure.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/figure.py
@@ -656,7 +656,7 @@ def contains(self, mouseevent):
         -------
             bool, {}
         """
-        if callable(self._contains):
+        if self._contains is not None:
             return self._contains(self, mouseevent)
         inside = self.bbox.contains(mouseevent.x, mouseevent.y)
         return inside, {}
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/image.py b/lib/matplotlib/image.py
index f1970a356536..2ec7eee423ec 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/image.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/image.py
@@ -613,7 +613,7 @@ def contains(self, mouseevent):
         """
         Test whether the mouse event occurred within the image.
         """
-        if callable(self._contains):
+        if self._contains is not None:
             return self._contains(self, mouseevent)
         # TODO: make sure this is consistent with patch and patch
         # collection on nonlinear transformed coordinates.
@@ -1310,7 +1310,7 @@ def get_window_extent(self, renderer=None):
 
     def contains(self, mouseevent):
         """Test whether the mouse event occurred within the image."""
-        if callable(self._contains):
+        if self._contains is not None:
             return self._contains(self, mouseevent)
 
         if not self.get_visible():  # or self.get_figure()._renderer is None:
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/patches.py b/lib/matplotlib/patches.py
index 0a025ed2f96a..7d7945efe118 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/patches.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/patches.py
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ def contains(self, mouseevent, radius=None):
 
         Returns T/F, {}
         """
-        if callable(self._contains):
+        if self._contains is not None:
             return self._contains(self, mouseevent)
         radius = self._process_radius(radius)
         inside = self.get_path().contains_point(
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/table.py b/lib/matplotlib/table.py
index 33827fc726fe..55eadc51b0c1 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/table.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/table.py
@@ -438,7 +438,7 @@ def _get_grid_bbox(self, renderer):
 
     def contains(self, mouseevent):
         # docstring inherited
-        if callable(self._contains):
+        if self._contains is not None:
             return self._contains(self, mouseevent)
 
         # TODO: Return index of the cell containing the cursor so that the user
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/text.py b/lib/matplotlib/text.py
index 6f036c5ae6e8..5fbe603d84c8 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/text.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/text.py
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ def contains(self, mouseevent):
         -------
         bool : bool
         """
-        if callable(self._contains):
+        if self._contains is not None:
             return self._contains(self, mouseevent)
 
         if not self.get_visible() or self._renderer is None: