diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qt5.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qt5.py
index 9b924ce8ecb1..4e5cd5b18e10 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qt5.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qt5.py
@@ -249,6 +249,15 @@ def __init__(self, figure):
         # Key auto-repeat enabled by default
         self._keyautorepeat = True
 
+        # In cases with mixed resolution displays, we need to be careful if the
+        # dpi_ratio changes - in this case we need to resize the canvas
+        # accordingly. We could watch for screenChanged events from Qt, but
+        # the issue is that we can't guarantee this will be emitted *before*
+        # the first paintEvent for the canvas, so instead we keep track of the
+        # dpi_ratio value here and in paintEvent we resize the canvas if
+        # needed.
+        self._dpi_ratio_prev = None
+
     @property
     def _dpi_ratio(self):
         # Not available on Qt4 or some older Qt5.
@@ -342,6 +351,10 @@ def keyAutoRepeat(self, val):
         self._keyautorepeat = bool(val)
 
     def resizeEvent(self, event):
+        # _dpi_ratio_prev will be set the first time the canvas is painted, and
+        # the rendered buffer is useless before anyways.
+        if self._dpi_ratio_prev is None:
+            return
         w = event.size().width() * self._dpi_ratio
         h = event.size().height() * self._dpi_ratio
         dpival = self.figure.dpi
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qt5agg.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qt5agg.py
index 78d9fdada4f6..bb5bd64396c7 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qt5agg.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qt5agg.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
 from .backend_agg import FigureCanvasAgg
 from .backend_qt5 import (
-    QtCore, QtGui, _BackendQT5, FigureCanvasQT, FigureManagerQT,
+    QtCore, QtGui, QtWidgets, _BackendQT5, FigureCanvasQT, FigureManagerQT,
     NavigationToolbar2QT, backend_version)
 from .qt_compat import QT_API
 
@@ -38,15 +38,6 @@ def __init__(self, figure):
         self._bbox_queue = []
         self._drawRect = None
 
-        # In cases with mixed resolution displays, we need to be careful if the
-        # dpi_ratio changes - in this case we need to resize the canvas
-        # accordingly. We could watch for screenChanged events from Qt, but
-        # the issue is that we can't guarantee this will be emitted *before*
-        # the first paintEvent for the canvas, so instead we keep track of the
-        # dpi_ratio value here and in paintEvent we resize the canvas if
-        # needed.
-        self._dpi_ratio_prev = None
-
     def drawRectangle(self, rect):
         if rect is not None:
             self._drawRect = [pt / self._dpi_ratio for pt in rect]
@@ -66,18 +57,13 @@ def paintEvent(self, e):
         shown onscreen.
         """
 
-        # if the canvas does not have a renderer, then give up and wait for
-        # FigureCanvasAgg.draw(self) to be called
-        if not hasattr(self, 'renderer'):
-            return
-
         # As described in __init__ above, we need to be careful in cases with
         # mixed resolution displays if dpi_ratio is changing between painting
         # events.
-        if (self._dpi_ratio_prev is None or
-            self._dpi_ratio != self._dpi_ratio_prev):
+        if self._dpi_ratio != self._dpi_ratio_prev:
             # We need to update the figure DPI
             self._update_figure_dpi()
+            self._dpi_ratio_prev = self._dpi_ratio
             # The easiest way to resize the canvas is to emit a resizeEvent
             # since we implement all the logic for resizing the canvas for
             # that event.
@@ -86,7 +72,14 @@ def paintEvent(self, e):
             # since the latter doesn't guarantee that the event will be emitted
             # straight away, and this causes visual delays in the changes.
             self.resizeEvent(event)
-            self._dpi_ratio_prev = self._dpi_ratio
+            QtWidgets.QApplication.instance().processEvents()
+            # resizeEvent triggers a paintEvent itself, so we exit this one.
+            return
+
+        # if the canvas does not have a renderer, then give up and wait for
+        # FigureCanvasAgg.draw(self) to be called
+        if not hasattr(self, 'renderer'):
+            return
 
         painter = QtGui.QPainter(self)