diff --git a/doc/api/api_changes/2017-12-15-AL.rst b/doc/api/api_changes/2017-12-15-AL.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..eb317c0a5de2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/api/api_changes/2017-12-15-AL.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+Deprecation of the ``nbagg.transparent`` rcParam
+````````````````````````````````````````````````
+
+To control transparency of figure patches in the nbagg (or any other) backend,
+directly set ``figure.patch.facecolor``, or the ``figure.facecolor`` rcParam.
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py b/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py
index 846c08d1c32f..8340cdb061b4 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py
@@ -857,7 +857,7 @@ def gen_candidates():
     'svg.image_noscale': ('image.interpolation', None, None),
     }
 
-_deprecated_ignore_map = {}
+_deprecated_ignore_map = {'nbagg.transparent': 'figure.facecolor'}
 
 _obsolete_set = {'text.dvipnghack', 'legend.isaxes'}
 
@@ -883,7 +883,7 @@ class RcParams(MutableMapping, dict):
     msg_depr = "%s is deprecated and replaced with %s; please use the latter."
     msg_depr_set = ("%s is deprecated. Please remove it from your "
                     "matplotlibrc and/or style files.")
-    msg_depr_ignore = "%s is deprecated and ignored. Use %s"
+    msg_depr_ignore = "%s is deprecated and ignored. Use %s instead."
     msg_obsolete = ("%s is obsolete. Please remove it from your matplotlibrc "
                     "and/or style files.")
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/web_backend/nbagg_uat.ipynb b/lib/matplotlib/backends/web_backend/nbagg_uat.ipynb
index dedefb2d540f..83e8235d187b 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/web_backend/nbagg_uat.ipynb
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/web_backend/nbagg_uat.ipynb
@@ -399,7 +399,7 @@
     "\n",
     "### UAT 15 - Figure face colours\n",
     "\n",
-    "The nbagg honours all colours appart from that of the figure.patch. The two plots below should produce a figure with a transparent background and a red background respectively (check the transparency by closing the figure, and dragging the resulting image over other content). There should be no yellow figure."
+    "The nbagg honours all colours appart from that of the figure.patch. The two plots below should produce a figure with a red background. There should be no yellow figure."
    ]
   },
   {
@@ -416,10 +416,6 @@
     "plt.figure()\n",
     "plt.plot([3, 2, 1])\n",
     "\n",
-    "with matplotlib.rc_context({'nbagg.transparent': False}):\n",
-    "    plt.figure()\n",
-    "\n",
-    "plt.plot([3, 2, 1])\n",
     "plt.show()"
    ]
   },
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/stylelib/_classic_test.mplstyle b/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/stylelib/_classic_test.mplstyle
index 2afebaa318a6..fc918feb953b 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/stylelib/_classic_test.mplstyle
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/stylelib/_classic_test.mplstyle
@@ -423,8 +423,6 @@ savefig.transparent : False    # setting that controls whether figures are saved
 savefig.frameon : True
 savefig.orientation : portrait
 
-nbagg.transparent: True
-
 # ps backend params
 ps.papersize      : letter   # auto, letter, legal, ledger, A0-A10, B0-B10
 ps.useafm         : False    # use of afm fonts, results in small files
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/stylelib/classic.mplstyle b/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/stylelib/classic.mplstyle
index 663d6de2cecf..ac48c0a66e56 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/stylelib/classic.mplstyle
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/stylelib/classic.mplstyle
@@ -425,8 +425,6 @@ savefig.transparent : False    # setting that controls whether figures are saved
 savefig.frameon : True
 savefig.orientation : portrait
 
-nbagg.transparent: True
-
 # ps backend params
 ps.papersize      : letter   # auto, letter, legal, ledger, A0-A10, B0-B10
 ps.useafm         : False    # use of afm fonts, results in small files
diff --git a/matplotlibrc.template b/matplotlibrc.template
index 22fb2cfef5a1..45c07e19a5ee 100644
--- a/matplotlibrc.template
+++ b/matplotlibrc.template
@@ -63,10 +63,6 @@ backend      : $TEMPLATE_BACKEND
 # When True, open the webbrowser to the plot that is shown
 # webagg.open_in_browser : True
 
-# When True, the figures rendered in the nbagg backend are created with
-# a transparent background.
-# nbagg.transparent : False
-
 # if you are running pyplot inside a GUI and your backend choice
 # conflicts, we will automatically try to find a compatible one for
 # you if backend_fallback is True