diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py b/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py
index c5accc3c301f..8f1ee76efcef 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py
@@ -104,7 +104,10 @@
 import six
 
 import atexit
-from collections import MutableMapping
+try:
+    from collections.abc import MutableMapping
+except ImportError:
+    from collections import MutableMapping
 import contextlib
 import distutils.version
 import functools
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/cbook/__init__.py b/lib/matplotlib/cbook/__init__.py
index 188b56298c17..3af589131e76 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/cbook/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/cbook/__init__.py
@@ -11,6 +11,11 @@
 import six
 from six.moves import xrange, zip
 import collections
+try:
+    import collections.abc as cabc
+except ImportError:
+    import collections as cabc
+
 import contextlib
 import datetime
 import errno
@@ -2293,7 +2298,8 @@ def pts_to_midstep(x, *args):
         The x location of the steps. May be empty.
 
     y1, ..., yp : array
-        y arrays to be turned into steps; all must be the same length as ``x``.
+        y arrays to be turned into steps; all must be the same length as
+        ``x``.
 
     Returns
     -------
@@ -2352,7 +2358,7 @@ def index_of(y):
 
 
 def safe_first_element(obj):
-    if isinstance(obj, collections.Iterator):
+    if isinstance(obj, cabc.Iterator):
         # needed to accept `array.flat` as input.
         # np.flatiter reports as an instance of collections.Iterator
         # but can still be indexed via [].
@@ -2369,7 +2375,8 @@ def safe_first_element(obj):
 
 def sanitize_sequence(data):
     """Converts dictview object to list"""
-    return list(data) if isinstance(data, collections.MappingView) else data
+    return (list(data) if isinstance(data, cabc.MappingView)
+            else data)
 
 
 def normalize_kwargs(kw, alias_mapping=None, required=(), forbidden=(),
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/colors.py b/lib/matplotlib/colors.py
index 49722ff71fbf..d6cd04fdbc12 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/colors.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/colors.py
@@ -50,7 +50,10 @@
 import six
 from six.moves import zip
 
-from collections import Sized
+try:
+    from collections.abc import Sized
+except ImportError:
+    from collections import Sized
 import itertools
 import re
 import warnings
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/markers.py b/lib/matplotlib/markers.py
index ff27c4b253bf..3669922026f3 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/markers.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/markers.py
@@ -88,8 +88,10 @@
 
 import six
 from six.moves import xrange
-
-from collections import Sized
+try:
+    from collections.abc import Sized
+except ImportError:
+    from collections import Sized
 
 import numpy as np
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py b/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py
index f8d5ad5036d5..902db1c43ff7 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py
@@ -16,8 +16,10 @@
 from __future__ import absolute_import, division, print_function
 
 import six
-
-from collections import Iterable, Mapping
+try:
+    from collections.abc import Iterable, Mapping
+except ImportError:
+    from collections import Iterable, Mapping
 from functools import reduce
 import operator
 import os