diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/cbook.py b/lib/matplotlib/cbook.py
index 18ef6b793c2b..da870a7f421e 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/cbook.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/cbook.py
@@ -1669,7 +1669,7 @@ class Grouper(object):
         False
 
     """
-    def __init__(self, init=[]):
+    def __init__(self, init=()):
         mapping = self._mapping = {}
         for x in init:
             mapping[ref(x)] = [ref(x)]
@@ -1721,6 +1721,14 @@ def joined(self, a, b):
         except KeyError:
             return False
 
+    def remove(self, a):
+        self.clean()
+
+        mapping = self._mapping
+        seta = mapping.pop(ref(a), None)
+        if seta is not None:
+            seta.remove(ref(a))
+
     def __iter__(self):
         """
         Iterate over each of the disjoint sets as a list.
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/figure.py b/lib/matplotlib/figure.py
index 0de748cf7a78..547df4e3ca17 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/figure.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/figure.py
@@ -916,7 +916,7 @@ def add_axes(self, *args, **kwargs):
 
         self._axstack.add(key, a)
         self.sca(a)
-        a._remove_method = lambda ax: self.delaxes(ax)
+        a._remove_method = self.__remove_ax
         self.stale = True
         a.stale_callback = _stale_figure_callback
         return a
@@ -1006,11 +1006,37 @@ def add_subplot(self, *args, **kwargs):
 
         self._axstack.add(key, a)
         self.sca(a)
-        a._remove_method = lambda ax: self.delaxes(ax)
+        a._remove_method = self.__remove_ax
         self.stale = True
         a.stale_callback = _stale_figure_callback
         return a
 
+    def __remove_ax(self, ax):
+        def _reset_loc_form(axis):
+            axis.set_major_formatter(axis.get_major_formatter())
+            axis.set_major_locator(axis.get_major_locator())
+            axis.set_minor_formatter(axis.get_minor_formatter())
+            axis.set_minor_locator(axis.get_minor_locator())
+
+        def _break_share_link(ax, grouper):
+            siblings = grouper.get_siblings(ax)
+            if len(siblings) > 1:
+                grouper.remove(ax)
+                for last_ax in siblings:
+                    if ax is last_ax:
+                        continue
+                    return last_ax
+            return None
+
+        self.delaxes(ax)
+        last_ax = _break_share_link(ax, ax._shared_y_axes)
+        if last_ax is not None:
+            _reset_loc_form(last_ax.yaxis)
+
+        last_ax = _break_share_link(ax, ax._shared_x_axes)
+        if last_ax is not None:
+            _reset_loc_form(last_ax.xaxis)
+
     def clf(self, keep_observers=False):
         """
         Clear the figure.
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py
index a3a161d39f80..de2f51bf3a14 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py
@@ -4086,11 +4086,57 @@ def test_shared_scale():
         assert_equal(ax.get_yscale(), 'linear')
         assert_equal(ax.get_xscale(), 'linear')
 
+
 @cleanup
 def test_violin_point_mass():
     """Violin plot should handle point mass pdf gracefully."""
     plt.violinplot(np.array([0, 0]))
 
+
+@cleanup
+def test_remove_shared_axes():
+
+    def _helper_x(ax):
+        ax2 = ax.twinx()
+        ax2.remove()
+        ax.set_xlim(0, 15)
+        r = ax.xaxis.get_major_locator()()
+        assert r[-1] > 14
+
+    def _helper_y(ax):
+        ax2 = ax.twiny()
+        ax2.remove()
+        ax.set_ylim(0, 15)
+        r = ax.yaxis.get_major_locator()()
+        assert r[-1] > 14
+
+    # test all of the ways to get fig/ax sets
+    fig = plt.figure()
+    ax = fig.gca()
+    yield _helper_x, ax
+    yield _helper_y, ax
+
+    fig, ax = plt.subplots()
+    yield _helper_x, ax
+    yield _helper_y, ax
+
+    fig, ax_lst = plt.subplots(2, 2, sharex='all', sharey='all')
+    ax = ax_lst[0][0]
+    yield _helper_x, ax
+    yield _helper_y, ax
+
+    fig = plt.figure()
+    ax = fig.add_axes([.1, .1, .8, .8])
+    yield _helper_x, ax
+    yield _helper_y, ax
+
+    fig, ax_lst = plt.subplots(2, 2, sharex='all', sharey='all')
+    ax = ax_lst[0][0]
+    orig_xlim = ax_lst[0][1].get_xlim()
+    ax.remove()
+    ax.set_xlim(0, 5)
+    assert assert_array_equal(ax_lst[0][1].get_xlim(), orig_xlim)
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     import nose
     import sys
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_cbook.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_cbook.py
index 2b916b08566f..1b11fe026120 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_cbook.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_cbook.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 from __future__ import (absolute_import, division, print_function,
                         unicode_literals)
+import itertools
+from weakref import ref
 
 from matplotlib.externals import six
 
@@ -376,3 +378,40 @@ def test_step_fails():
                   np.arange(12))
     assert_raises(ValueError, cbook._step_validation,
                   np.arange(12), np.arange(3))
+
+
+def test_grouper():
+    class dummy():
+        pass
+    a, b, c, d, e = objs = [dummy() for j in range(5)]
+    g = cbook.Grouper()
+    g.join(*objs)
+    assert set(list(g)[0]) == set(objs)
+    assert set(g.get_siblings(a)) == set(objs)
+
+    for other in objs[1:]:
+        assert g.joined(a, other)
+
+    g.remove(a)
+    for other in objs[1:]:
+        assert not g.joined(a, other)
+
+    for A, B in itertools.product(objs[1:], objs[1:]):
+        assert g.joined(A, B)
+
+
+def test_grouper_private():
+    class dummy():
+        pass
+    objs = [dummy() for j in range(5)]
+    g = cbook.Grouper()
+    g.join(*objs)
+    # reach in and touch the internals !
+    mapping = g._mapping
+
+    for o in objs:
+        assert ref(o) in mapping
+
+    base_set = mapping[ref(objs[0])]
+    for o in objs[1:]:
+        assert mapping[ref(o)] is base_set