diff --git a/doc/users/whats_new.rst b/doc/users/whats_new.rst
index bbc9c0c041ee..64ec7fe5892f 100644
--- a/doc/users/whats_new.rst
+++ b/doc/users/whats_new.rst
@@ -24,6 +24,21 @@ revision, see the :ref:`github-stats`.
 .. contents:: Table of Contents
    :depth: 3
 
+.. _whats-new-1-5:
+
+new in matplotlib-1.5
+=====================
+
+Widgets
+-------
+
+Active state of Selectors
+`````````````````````````
+
+All selectors now implement ``set_active`` and ``get_active`` methods (also
+called when accessing the ``active`` property) to properly update and query
+whether they are active.
+
 .. _whats-new-1-4:
 
 new in matplotlib-1.4
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/widgets.py b/lib/matplotlib/widgets.py
index bef623bb64e0..5cc66dbb7303 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/widgets.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/widgets.py
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ def __init__(self, ax):
         self.ax = ax
         self.canvas = ax.figure.canvas
         self.cids = []
-        self.active = True
+        self._active = True
 
     def connect_event(self, event, callback):
         """Connect callback with an event.
@@ -111,6 +111,20 @@ def disconnect_events(self):
         for c in self.cids:
             self.canvas.mpl_disconnect(c)
 
+    def set_active(self, active):
+        """Set whether the widget is active.
+        """
+        self._active = active
+
+    def get_active(self):
+        """Get whether the widget is active.
+        """
+        return self._active
+
+    # set_active is overriden by SelectorWidgets.
+    active = property(get_active, lambda self, active: self.set_active(active),
+                      doc="Is the widget active?")
+
     def ignore(self, event):
         """Return True if event should be ignored.
 
@@ -1081,7 +1095,21 @@ def _update(self):
             self.canvas.draw_idle()
 
 
-class SpanSelector(AxesWidget):
+class _SelectorWidget(AxesWidget):
+    def set_active(self, active):
+        AxesWidget.set_active(self, active)
+        if active:
+            self.update_background(None)
+
+    def update_background(self, event):
+        """force an update of the background"""
+        # If you add a call to `ignore` here, you'll want to check edge case:
+        # `release` can call a draw event even when `ignore` is True.
+        if self.useblit:
+            self.background = self.canvas.copy_from_bbox(self.ax.bbox)
+
+
+class SpanSelector(_SelectorWidget):
     """
     Select a min/max range of the x or y axes for a matplotlib Axes.
 
@@ -1189,13 +1217,6 @@ def new_axes(self, ax):
         if not self.useblit:
             self.ax.add_patch(self.rect)
 
-    def update_background(self, event):
-        """force an update of the background"""
-        # If you add a call to `ignore` here, you'll want to check edge case:
-        # `release` can call a draw event even when `ignore` is True.
-        if self.useblit:
-            self.background = self.canvas.copy_from_bbox(self.ax.bbox)
-
     def ignore(self, event):
         """return *True* if *event* should be ignored"""
         widget_off = not self.visible or not self.active
@@ -1302,7 +1323,7 @@ def onmove(self, event):
         return False
 
 
-class RectangleSelector(AxesWidget):
+class RectangleSelector(_SelectorWidget):
     """
     Select a rectangular region of an axes.
 
@@ -1393,7 +1414,6 @@ def __init__(self, ax, onselect, drawtype='box',
         self.connect_event('button_release_event', self.release)
         self.connect_event('draw_event', self.update_background)
 
-        self.active = True                    # for activation / deactivation
         self.to_draw = None
         self.background = None
 
@@ -1437,11 +1457,6 @@ def __init__(self, ax, onselect, drawtype='box',
         # will save the data (pos. at mouserelease)
         self.eventrelease = None
 
-    def update_background(self, event):
-        """force an update of the background"""
-        if self.useblit:
-            self.background = self.canvas.copy_from_bbox(self.ax.bbox)
-
     def ignore(self, event):
         """return *True* if *event* should be ignored"""
         if not self.active:
@@ -1575,19 +1590,8 @@ def onmove(self, event):
             self.update()
             return False
 
-    def set_active(self, active):
-        """
-        Use this to activate / deactivate the RectangleSelector
-        from your program with an boolean parameter *active*.
-        """
-        self.active = active
-
-    def get_active(self):
-        """ Get status of active mode (boolean variable)"""
-        return self.active
 
-
-class LassoSelector(AxesWidget):
+class LassoSelector(_SelectorWidget):
     """Selection curve of an arbitrary shape.
 
     For the selector to remain responsive you much keep a reference to
@@ -1679,12 +1683,6 @@ def onmove(self, event):
         else:
             self.canvas.draw_idle()
 
-    def update_background(self, event):
-        if self.ignore(event):
-            return
-        if self.useblit:
-            self.background = self.canvas.copy_from_bbox(self.ax.bbox)
-
 
 class Lasso(AxesWidget):
     """Selection curve of an arbitrary shape.