diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
index eaf94407e1ea..251cc32f362a 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
@@ -5291,9 +5291,7 @@ def get_interp_point(idx):
                             np.column_stack([ind[where], dep2[where]])])
         if ind_dir == "y":
             pts = pts[:, ::-1]
-        self.dataLim.update_from_data_xy(pts, self.ignore_existing_data_limits,
-                                         updatex=True, updatey=True)
-        self.ignore_existing_data_limits = False
+        self.update_datalim(pts, updatex=True, updatey=True)
         self.add_collection(collection, autolim=False)
         self._request_autoscale_view()
         return collection
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py
index e83f69f54445..90e14580bfc2 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py
@@ -2144,7 +2144,7 @@ def update_datalim(self, xys, updatex=True, updatey=True):
             Whether to update the x/y limits.
         """
         xys = np.asarray(xys)
-        if not len(xys):
+        if not np.any(np.isfinite(xys)):
             return
         self.dataLim.update_from_data_xy(xys, self.ignore_existing_data_limits,
                                          updatex=updatex, updatey=updatey)
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py
index 33a4fe2914f9..1d50b1bf2cf0 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py
@@ -779,6 +779,23 @@ def test_nonfinite_limits():
     ax.plot(x, y)
 
 
+@pytest.mark.style('default')
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('plot_fun',
+                         ['scatter', 'plot', 'fill_between'])
+@check_figures_equal(extensions=["png"])
+def test_limits_empty_data(plot_fun, fig_test, fig_ref):
+    # Check that plotting empty data doesn't change autoscaling of dates
+    x = np.arange("2010-01-01", "2011-01-01", dtype="datetime64[D]")
+
+    ax_test = fig_test.subplots()
+    ax_ref = fig_ref.subplots()
+
+    getattr(ax_test, plot_fun)([], [])
+
+    for ax in [ax_test, ax_ref]:
+        getattr(ax, plot_fun)(x, range(len(x)), color='C0')
+
+
 @image_comparison(['imshow', 'imshow'], remove_text=True, style='mpl20')
 def test_imshow():
     # use former defaults to match existing baseline image