diff --git a/doc/users/next_whats_new/2017-10-19_axes_legend_in_tightbbox.rst b/doc/users/next_whats_new/2017-10-19_axes_legend_in_tightbbox.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..3544fa3fe08a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/users/next_whats_new/2017-10-19_axes_legend_in_tightbbox.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+Axes legends now included in tight_bbox
+---------------------------------------
+
+Legends created via ``ax.legend()`` can sometimes overspill the limits of
+the axis.  Tools like ``fig.tight_layout()`` and
+``fig.savefig(bbox_inches='tight')`` would clip these legends.  A  change
+was made to include them in the ``tight`` calculations.
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py
index 79db8f9f4f1a..146f8c7596a8 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 import matplotlib.image as mimage
 from matplotlib.offsetbox import OffsetBox
 from matplotlib.artist import allow_rasterization
+from matplotlib.legend import Legend
 
 from matplotlib.rcsetup import cycler
 from matplotlib.rcsetup import validate_axisbelow
@@ -3969,6 +3970,8 @@ def get_tightbbox(self, renderer, call_axes_locator=True):
         for child in self.get_children():
             if isinstance(child, OffsetBox) and child.get_visible():
                 bb.append(child.get_window_extent(renderer))
+            elif isinstance(child, Legend) and child.get_visible():
+                bb.append(child._legend_box.get_window_extent(renderer))
 
         _bbox = mtransforms.Bbox.union(
             [b for b in bb if b.width != 0 or b.height != 0])