diff --git a/doc/api/api_changes_3.3/behaviour.rst b/doc/api/api_changes_3.3/behaviour.rst
index b23b136f0d0e..ccdb72e2ec18 100644
--- a/doc/api/api_changes_3.3/behaviour.rst
+++ b/doc/api/api_changes_3.3/behaviour.rst
@@ -274,3 +274,9 @@ instead of ::
 
     <a list of 3 Lists of Patches objects>  # "bar", "barstacked"
     <a list of 3 Lists of Patches objects>  # "step", "stepfilled"
+
+Qt and wx backends no longer create a status bar by default
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+The coordinates information is now displayed in the toolbar, consistently with
+the other backends.  This is intended to simplify embedding of Matplotlib in
+larger GUIs, where Matplotlib may control the toolbar but not the status bar.
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py b/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py
index 6502eadb7d49..1a957b212e96 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py
@@ -2881,22 +2881,18 @@ def mouse_move(self, event):
             except (ValueError, OverflowError):
                 pass
             else:
+                s = s.rstrip()
                 artists = [a for a in event.inaxes._mouseover_set
                            if a.contains(event)[0] and a.get_visible()]
-
                 if artists:
                     a = cbook._topmost_artist(artists)
                     if a is not event.inaxes.patch:
                         data = a.get_cursor_data(event)
                         if data is not None:
-                            data_str = a.format_cursor_data(data)
-                            if data_str is not None:
-                                s = s + ' ' + data_str
-
-                if len(self.mode):
-                    self.set_message('%s, %s' % (self.mode, s))
-                else:
-                    self.set_message(s)
+                            data_str = a.format_cursor_data(data).rstrip()
+                            if data_str:
+                                s = s + '\n' + data_str
+                self.set_message(s)
         else:
             self.set_message(self.mode)
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qt5.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qt5.py
index be18180f8839..c2a7cadf220e 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qt5.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qt5.py
@@ -550,14 +550,12 @@ def __init__(self, canvas, num):
             if self.toolbar:
                 backend_tools.add_tools_to_container(self.toolbar)
                 self.statusbar = StatusbarQt(self.window, self.toolmanager)
+                sbs_height = self.statusbar.sizeHint().height()
+        else:
+            sbs_height = 0
 
         if self.toolbar is not None:
             self.window.addToolBar(self.toolbar)
-            if not self.toolmanager:
-                # add text label to status bar
-                statusbar_label = QtWidgets.QLabel()
-                self.window.statusBar().addWidget(statusbar_label)
-                self.toolbar.message.connect(statusbar_label.setText)
             tbs_height = self.toolbar.sizeHint().height()
         else:
             tbs_height = 0
@@ -565,8 +563,8 @@ def __init__(self, canvas, num):
         # resize the main window so it will display the canvas with the
         # requested size:
         cs = canvas.sizeHint()
-        sbs = self.window.statusBar().sizeHint()
-        height = cs.height() + tbs_height + sbs.height()
+        cs_height = cs.height()
+        height = cs_height + tbs_height + sbs_height
         self.window.resize(cs.width(), height)
 
         self.window.setCentralWidget(self.canvas)
@@ -599,7 +597,7 @@ def _get_toolbar(self, canvas, parent):
         # must be inited after the window, drawingArea and figure
         # attrs are set
         if matplotlib.rcParams['toolbar'] == 'toolbar2':
-            toolbar = NavigationToolbar2QT(canvas, parent, False)
+            toolbar = NavigationToolbar2QT(canvas, parent, True)
         elif matplotlib.rcParams['toolbar'] == 'toolmanager':
             toolbar = ToolbarQt(self.toolmanager, self.window)
         else:
@@ -679,7 +677,7 @@ def __init__(self, canvas, parent, coordinates=True):
         if self.coordinates:
             self.locLabel = QtWidgets.QLabel("", self)
             self.locLabel.setAlignment(
-                    QtCore.Qt.AlignRight | QtCore.Qt.AlignTop)
+                QtCore.Qt.AlignRight | QtCore.Qt.AlignVCenter)
             self.locLabel.setSizePolicy(
                 QtWidgets.QSizePolicy(QtWidgets.QSizePolicy.Expanding,
                                       QtWidgets.QSizePolicy.Ignored))
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_wx.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_wx.py
index a5ab3ca50f97..f57979366130 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_wx.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_wx.py
@@ -928,13 +928,11 @@ def __init__(self, num, fig):
 
         self.figmgr = FigureManagerWx(self.canvas, num, self)
 
-        statusbar = (StatusbarWx(self, self.toolmanager)
-                     if self.toolmanager else StatusBarWx(self))
-        self.SetStatusBar(statusbar)
         self.toolbar = self._get_toolbar()
 
-        if self.toolmanager:
-            backend_tools.add_tools_to_manager(self.toolmanager)
+        if self.figmgr.toolmanager:
+            self.SetStatusBar(StatusbarWx(self, self.figmgr.toolmanager))
+            backend_tools.add_tools_to_manager(self.figmgr.toolmanager)
             if self.toolbar:
                 backend_tools.add_tools_to_container(self.toolbar)
 
@@ -1122,6 +1120,10 @@ def __init__(self, canvas):
             self.Bind(wx.EVT_TOOL, getattr(self, callback),
                       id=self.wx_ids[text])
 
+        self.AddStretchableSpace()
+        self._label_text = wx.StaticText(self)
+        self.AddControl(self._label_text)
+
         self.Realize()
 
         NavigationToolbar2.__init__(self, canvas)
@@ -1300,9 +1302,7 @@ def statbar(self):
         return self.GetTopLevelParent().GetStatusBar()
 
     def set_message(self, s):
-        status_bar = self.GetTopLevelParent().GetStatusBar()
-        if status_bar is not None:
-            status_bar.set_function(s)
+        self._label_text.SetLabel(s)
 
     def set_history_buttons(self):
         can_backward = self._nav_stack._pos > 0