diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py
index b85275bce970..73f211a6998a 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py
@@ -645,6 +645,8 @@ def __init__(self, fig, rect,
         if yscale:
             self.set_yscale(yscale)
 
+        # remove when Axis3d deprecation expires and this kwarg is removed:
+        kwargs.pop('add', None)
         self.update(kwargs)
 
         for name, axis in self._get_axis_map().items():
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/figure.py b/lib/matplotlib/figure.py
index f4e5183e3838..2da7a460e735 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/figure.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/figure.py
@@ -579,6 +579,8 @@ def add_axes(self, *args, **kwargs):
             projection_class, kwargs = self._process_projection_requirements(
                 *args, **kwargs)
 
+            # remove this when deprecation for Axes3d(add=True) ends:
+            kwargs['add'] = False
             # create the new axes using the axes class given
             a = projection_class(self, rect, **kwargs)
         return self._add_axes_internal(a)
@@ -708,6 +710,10 @@ def add_subplot(self, *args, **kwargs):
                 args = tuple(map(int, str(args[0])))
             projection_class, kwargs = self._process_projection_requirements(
                 *args, **kwargs)
+
+            # remove this when deprecation for Axes3d(add=True) ends:
+            kwargs['add'] = False
+
             ax = subplot_class_factory(projection_class)(self, *args, **kwargs)
         return self._add_axes_internal(ax)
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_collections.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_collections.py
index 9fe73e3b892a..3523645ee999 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_collections.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_collections.py
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ def test_polycollection_close():
         [[3., 0.], [3., 1.], [4., 1.], [4., 0.]]]
 
     fig = plt.figure()
-    ax = fig.add_axes(Axes3D(fig))
+    ax = fig.add_axes(Axes3D(fig, add=False))
 
     colors = ['r', 'g', 'b', 'y', 'k']
     zpos = list(range(5))
diff --git a/lib/mpl_toolkits/mplot3d/axes3d.py b/lib/mpl_toolkits/mplot3d/axes3d.py
index 14d2b9f4a89d..75af7f07e4ca 100644
--- a/lib/mpl_toolkits/mplot3d/axes3d.py
+++ b/lib/mpl_toolkits/mplot3d/axes3d.py
@@ -97,6 +97,8 @@ def __init__(
             self._shared_z_axes.join(self, sharez)
             self._adjustable = 'datalim'
 
+        add = kwargs.pop("add", True)
+
         super().__init__(
             fig, rect, frameon=True, box_aspect=box_aspect, *args, **kwargs
         )
@@ -125,6 +127,14 @@ def __init__(
         pseudo_bbox = self.transLimits.inverted().transform([(0, 0), (1, 1)])
         self._pseudo_w, self._pseudo_h = pseudo_bbox[1] - pseudo_bbox[0]
 
+        if add:
+            _api.warn_deprecated(
+                "3.4", message="Axes3D(fig) adding itself "
+                "to the figure is deprecated since %(since)s and will "
+                "no longer work %(removal)s; this is consistent with "
+                "other axes classes.  Use fig.add_subplot(projection='3d')")
+            self.figure.add_axes(self)
+
         # mplot3d currently manages its own spines and needs these turned off
         # for bounding box calculations
         self.spines[:].set_visible(False)
diff --git a/lib/mpl_toolkits/tests/test_mplot3d.py b/lib/mpl_toolkits/tests/test_mplot3d.py
index c7d1818b9c40..66c61be873e3 100644
--- a/lib/mpl_toolkits/tests/test_mplot3d.py
+++ b/lib/mpl_toolkits/tests/test_mplot3d.py
@@ -725,7 +725,8 @@ def test_add_collection3d_zs_scalar():
 @mpl3d_image_comparison(['axes3d_labelpad.png'], remove_text=False)
 def test_axes3d_labelpad():
     fig = plt.figure()
-    ax = fig.add_axes(Axes3D(fig))
+    ax = Axes3D(fig, add=False)
+    fig.add_axes(ax)
     # labelpad respects rcParams
     assert ax.xaxis.labelpad == mpl.rcParams['axes.labelpad']
     # labelpad can be set in set_label
@@ -1132,7 +1133,7 @@ def test_inverted_cla():
 
 def test_ax3d_tickcolour():
     fig = plt.figure()
-    ax = Axes3D(fig)
+    ax = fig.add_subplot(projection="3d")
 
     ax.tick_params(axis='x', colors='red')
     ax.tick_params(axis='y', colors='red')