diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 6e773768ce02..57e6a2789817 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -13,10 +13,14 @@ addons:
       - gdb
       - mencoder
       - dvipng
+      - pgf
+      - lmodern
+      - cm-super
       - texlive-latex-base
       - texlive-latex-extra
       - texlive-fonts-recommended
       - texlive-latex-recommended
+      - texlive-xetex
       - graphviz
 #     - fonts-humor-sans
 #    sources:
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_bbox_inches.pdf b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_bbox_inches.pdf
index dcd7455e718b..dd9e2be23674 100644
Binary files a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_bbox_inches.pdf and b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_bbox_inches.pdf differ
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_mixedmode.pdf b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_mixedmode.pdf
index 8f510ea867d9..1a026b6a4aeb 100644
Binary files a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_mixedmode.pdf and b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_mixedmode.pdf differ
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_pdflatex.pdf b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_pdflatex.pdf
index 3820562f9ee5..f8232f92a8ea 100644
Binary files a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_pdflatex.pdf and b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_pdflatex.pdf differ
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_rcupdate1.pdf b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_rcupdate1.pdf
index 40e903070df1..0285ffd7ea04 100644
Binary files a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_rcupdate1.pdf and b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_rcupdate1.pdf differ
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_rcupdate2.pdf b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_rcupdate2.pdf
index 21cd4af4a942..3e14fc83dcc3 100644
Binary files a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_rcupdate2.pdf and b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_rcupdate2.pdf differ
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_xelatex.pdf b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_xelatex.pdf
index dbbacdb693ee..88932008aee7 100644
Binary files a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_xelatex.pdf and b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_xelatex.pdf differ
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_backend_pgf.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_backend_pgf.py
index 28be98c8f3cb..02534fa94b8e 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_backend_pgf.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_backend_pgf.py
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ def check_for(texsystem):
     \\@@end
     """
     try:
-        latex = subprocess.Popen(["xelatex", "-halt-on-error"],
+        latex = subprocess.Popen([texsystem, "-halt-on-error"],
                                  stdin=subprocess.PIPE,
                                  stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
         stdout, stderr = latex.communicate(header.encode("utf8"))
@@ -41,16 +41,15 @@ def check_for(texsystem):
     return latex.returncode == 0
 
 
-def compare_figure(fname, savefig_kwargs={}):
+def compare_figure(fname, savefig_kwargs={}, tol=0):
     actual = os.path.join(result_dir, fname)
     plt.savefig(actual, **savefig_kwargs)
 
     expected = os.path.join(result_dir, "expected_%s" % fname)
     shutil.copyfile(os.path.join(baseline_dir, fname), expected)
-    err = compare_images(expected, actual, tol=14)
+    err = compare_images(expected, actual, tol=tol)
     if err:
-        raise ImageComparisonFailure('images not close: %s vs. '
-                                     '%s' % (actual, expected))
+        raise ImageComparisonFailure(err)
 
 
 def create_figure():
@@ -89,7 +88,7 @@ def test_xelatex():
                   'pgf.rcfonts': False}
     mpl.rcParams.update(rc_xelatex)
     create_figure()
-    compare_figure('pgf_xelatex.pdf')
+    compare_figure('pgf_xelatex.pdf', tol=0)
 
 
 # test compiling a figure to pdf with pdflatex
@@ -105,7 +104,7 @@ def test_pdflatex():
                                     '\\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}']}
     mpl.rcParams.update(rc_pdflatex)
     create_figure()
-    compare_figure('pgf_pdflatex.pdf')
+    compare_figure('pgf_pdflatex.pdf', tol=0)
 
 
 # test updating the rc parameters for each figure
@@ -130,11 +129,11 @@ def test_rcupdate():
                     'pgf.preamble': ['\\usepackage[utf8x]{inputenc}',
                                      '\\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}',
                                      '\\usepackage{sfmath}']})
-
+    tol = (4, 0)
     for i, rc_set in enumerate(rc_sets):
         mpl.rcParams.update(rc_set)
         create_figure()
-        compare_figure('pgf_rcupdate%d.pdf' % (i + 1))
+        compare_figure('pgf_rcupdate%d.pdf' % (i + 1), tol=tol[i])
 
 
 # test backend-side clipping, since large numbers are not supported by TeX
@@ -168,7 +167,7 @@ def test_mixedmode():
     Y, X = np.ogrid[-1:1:40j, -1:1:40j]
     plt.figure()
     plt.pcolor(X**2 + Y**2).set_rasterized(True)
-    compare_figure('pgf_mixedmode.pdf')
+    compare_figure('pgf_mixedmode.pdf', tol=0)
 
 
 # test bbox_inches clipping
@@ -190,7 +189,8 @@ def test_bbox_inches():
     plt.tight_layout()
 
     bbox = ax1.get_window_extent().transformed(fig.dpi_scale_trans.inverted())
-    compare_figure('pgf_bbox_inches.pdf', savefig_kwargs={'bbox_inches': bbox})
+    compare_figure('pgf_bbox_inches.pdf', savefig_kwargs={'bbox_inches': bbox},
+                   tol=0)
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':