diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axes.py b/lib/matplotlib/axes.py
index c6dd94a9c47e..81d043f6d7a5 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axes.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axes.py
@@ -2777,7 +2777,13 @@ def format_coord(self, x, y):
 
     def can_zoom(self):
         """
-        Return *True* if this axes support the zoom box
+        Return *True* if this axes supports the zoom box button functionality.
+        """
+        return True
+
+    def can_pan(self) :
+        """
+        Return *True* if this axes supports any pan/zoom button functionality.
         """
         return True
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py b/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py
index aedb15abe2b4..4d7bcd43a35b 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py
@@ -2512,11 +2512,13 @@ def press_pan(self, event):
 
         self._xypress=[]
         for i, a in enumerate(self.canvas.figure.get_axes()):
-            if x is not None and y is not None and a.in_axes(event) and a.get_navigate():
+            if (x is not None and y is not None and a.in_axes(event) and
+                a.get_navigate() and a.can_pan()) :
                 a.start_pan(x, y, event.button)
                 self._xypress.append((a, i))
                 self.canvas.mpl_disconnect(self._idDrag)
-                self._idDrag=self.canvas.mpl_connect('motion_notify_event', self.drag_pan)
+                self._idDrag=self.canvas.mpl_connect('motion_notify_event',
+                                                     self.drag_pan)
 
         self.press(event)
 
@@ -2537,9 +2539,10 @@ def press_zoom(self, event):
 
         self._xypress=[]
         for i, a in enumerate(self.canvas.figure.get_axes()):
-            if x is not None and y is not None and a.in_axes(event) \
-                    and a.get_navigate() and a.can_zoom():
-                self._xypress.append(( x, y, a, i, a.viewLim.frozen(), a.transData.frozen()))
+            if (x is not None and y is not None and a.in_axes(event) and
+                a.get_navigate() and a.can_zoom()) :
+                self._xypress.append(( x, y, a, i, a.viewLim.frozen(),
+                                       a.transData.frozen() ))
 
         id1 = self.canvas.mpl_connect('motion_notify_event', self.drag_zoom)
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/projections/geo.py b/lib/matplotlib/projections/geo.py
index 84a21c947060..8a20f5c2768d 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/projections/geo.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/projections/geo.py
@@ -218,7 +218,17 @@ def get_data_ratio(self):
 
     def can_zoom(self):
         """
-        Return True if this axes support the zoom box
+        Return *True* if this axes supports the zoom box button functionality.
+
+        This axes object does not support interactive zoom box.
+        """
+        return False
+
+    def can_pan(self) :
+        """
+        Return *True* if this axes supports the pan/zoom button functionality.
+
+        This axes object does not support interactive pan/zoom.
         """
         return False
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/projections/polar.py b/lib/matplotlib/projections/polar.py
index c4589040574a..ec5526cddcb1 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/projections/polar.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/projections/polar.py
@@ -572,10 +572,22 @@ def get_data_ratio(self):
 
     def can_zoom(self):
         """
-        Return True if this axes support the zoom box
+        Return *True* if this axes supports the zoom box button functionality.
+
+        Polar axes do not support zoom boxes.
         """
         return False
 
+    def can_pan(self) :
+        """
+        Return *True* if this axes supports the pan/zoom button functionality.
+
+        For polar axes, this is slightly misleading. Both panning and
+        zooming are performed by the same button. Panning is performed
+        in azimuth while zooming is done along the radial.
+        """
+        return True
+
     def start_pan(self, x, y, button):
         angle = self._r_label1_position.to_values()[4] / 180.0 * np.pi
         mode = ''
diff --git a/lib/mpl_toolkits/mplot3d/axes3d.py b/lib/mpl_toolkits/mplot3d/axes3d.py
index 267beb9f9f24..65be58e1dd16 100644
--- a/lib/mpl_toolkits/mplot3d/axes3d.py
+++ b/lib/mpl_toolkits/mplot3d/axes3d.py
@@ -806,6 +806,19 @@ def mouse_init(self, rotate_btn=1, zoom_btn=3):
         self._zoom_btn = np.atleast_1d(zoom_btn)
 
     def can_zoom(self) :
+        """
+        Return *True* if this axes supports the zoom box button functionality.
+
+        3D axes objects do not use the zoom box button.
+        """
+        return False
+
+    def can_pan(self) :
+        """
+        Return *True* if this axes supports the pan/zoom button functionality.
+
+        3D axes objects do not use the pan/zoom button.
+        """
         return False
 
     def cla(self):