diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py
index 3f8c1b85c4e0..e43afda4e431 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py
@@ -481,7 +481,6 @@ def __init__(self, fig, rect,
         """ % {'scale': ' | '.join(
             [repr(x) for x in mscale.get_scale_names()])}
         martist.Artist.__init__(self)
-        self._in_init = True
         if isinstance(rect, mtransforms.Bbox):
             self._position = rect
         else:
@@ -579,8 +578,6 @@ def __init__(self, fig, rect,
             right=rcParams['ytick.right'] and rcParams['ytick.major.right'],
             which='major')
 
-        self._in_init = False
-
     def __getstate__(self):
         # The renderer should be re-created by the figure, and then cached at
         # that point.
@@ -612,11 +609,11 @@ def get_window_extent(self, *args, **kwargs):
     def _init_axis(self):
         "move this out of __init__ because non-separable axes don't use it"
         self.xaxis = maxis.XAxis(self)
-        self.spines['bottom'].register_axis(self.xaxis, _init=True)
-        self.spines['top'].register_axis(self.xaxis, _init=True)
+        self.spines['bottom'].register_axis(self.xaxis)
+        self.spines['top'].register_axis(self.xaxis)
         self.yaxis = maxis.YAxis(self)
-        self.spines['left'].register_axis(self.yaxis, _init=True)
-        self.spines['right'].register_axis(self.yaxis, _init=True)
+        self.spines['left'].register_axis(self.yaxis)
+        self.spines['right'].register_axis(self.yaxis)
         self._update_transScale()
 
     def set_figure(self, fig):
@@ -980,13 +977,10 @@ def cla(self):
         xaxis_visible = self.xaxis.get_visible()
         yaxis_visible = self.yaxis.get_visible()
 
-        # Don't clear during __init__ because they're already been cleared by
-        # their own __init__.
-        if not self._in_init:
-            self.xaxis.cla()
-            self.yaxis.cla()
-            for name, spine in six.iteritems(self.spines):
-                spine.cla()
+        self.xaxis.cla()
+        self.yaxis.cla()
+        for name, spine in six.iteritems(self.spines):
+            spine.cla()
 
         self.ignore_existing_data_limits = True
         self.callbacks = cbook.CallbackRegistry()
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/projections/polar.py b/lib/matplotlib/projections/polar.py
index adaf15ca2e31..6c519a01a1a6 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/projections/polar.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/projections/polar.py
@@ -761,10 +761,8 @@ def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
             kwargs.pop('rlabel_position', 22.5))
 
         Axes.__init__(self, *args, **kwargs)
-        self._in_init = True
         self.set_aspect('equal', adjustable='box', anchor='C')
         self.cla()
-        self._in_init = False
     __init__.__doc__ = Axes.__init__.__doc__
 
     def cla(self):
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/spines.py b/lib/matplotlib/spines.py
index c273f7783d85..d8f98fa13c0f 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/spines.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/spines.py
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ def _ensure_position_is_set(self):
             self._position = ('outward', 0.0)  # in points
             self.set_position(self._position)
 
-    def register_axis(self, axis, _init=False):
+    def register_axis(self, axis):
         """register an axis
 
         An axis should be registered with its corresponding spine from
@@ -172,9 +172,7 @@ def register_axis(self, axis, _init=False):
         properties when needed.
         """
         self.axis = axis
-        if not _init and self.axis is not None:
-            # Clear the axis when added, but *not* if the caller says it was
-            # just created.
+        if self.axis is not None:
             self.axis.cla()
         self.stale = True