diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axis.py b/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
index b3a7ffcc3ca3..adb6dbc45a58 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
@@ -1760,6 +1760,11 @@ def get_minpos(self):
         raise NotImplementedError()
 
 
+def tick_space_heuristic(axis_length, label_fontsize, label_fontsize_factor):
+    size = label_fontsize * label_fontsize_factor
+    return int(np.floor(axis_length / size))
+
+
 class XAxis(Axis):
     __name__ = 'xaxis'
     axis_name = 'x'
@@ -2117,15 +2122,16 @@ def set_default_intervals(self):
                 self.axes.viewLim.intervalx = xmin, xmax
         self.stale = True
 
-    def get_tick_space(self):
+    def get_tick_space(self,
+                       heuristic=lambda x, y: tick_space_heuristic(x, y, 3)):
         ends = self.axes.transAxes.transform([[0, 0], [1, 0]])
         length = ((ends[1][0] - ends[0][0]) / self.axes.figure.dpi) * 72
         tick = self._get_tick(True)
         # There is a heuristic here that the aspect ratio of tick text
         # is no more than 3:1
-        size = tick.label1.get_size() * 3
-        if size > 0:
-            return int(np.floor(length / size))
+        label_fontsize = tick.label1.get_size()
+        if label_fontsize > 0:
+            return heuristic(length, label_fontsize)
         else:
             return 2**31 - 1
 
@@ -2496,13 +2502,14 @@ def set_default_intervals(self):
                 self.axes.viewLim.intervaly = ymin, ymax
         self.stale = True
 
-    def get_tick_space(self):
+    def get_tick_space(self,
+                       heuristic=lambda x, y: tick_space_heuristic(x, y, 2.0)):
         ends = self.axes.transAxes.transform([[0, 0], [0, 1]])
         length = ((ends[1][1] - ends[0][1]) / self.axes.figure.dpi) * 72
         tick = self._get_tick(True)
         # Having a spacing of at least 2 just looks good.
-        size = tick.label1.get_size() * 2.0
-        if size > 0:
-            return int(np.floor(length / size))
+        label_fontsize = tick.label1.get_size()
+        if label_fontsize > 0:
+            return heuristic(length, label_fontsize)
         else:
             return 2**31 - 1
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_ticker.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_ticker.py
index 201d81b0f9d7..905f5abc3b7f 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_ticker.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_ticker.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 import matplotlib
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
 import matplotlib.ticker as mticker
+import matplotlib.axis as maxis
 
 
 class TestMaxNLocator(object):
@@ -22,6 +23,13 @@ class TestMaxNLocator(object):
         (1, 55, [1, 1.5, 5, 6, 10], np.array([0, 15, 30, 45, 60])),
     ]
 
+    heuristic_data = [
+        (-0.5, 9.5, None, np.array([-5.,  0.,  5., 10.])),
+        (-0.5, 9.5,
+         lambda x, y: maxis.tick_space_heuristic(x, y, 2.),
+         np.array([-4.,  0.,  4.,  8., 12.]))
+    ]
+
     @pytest.mark.parametrize('vmin, vmax, expected', basic_data)
     def test_basic(self, vmin, vmax, expected):
         loc = mticker.MaxNLocator(nbins=5)
@@ -32,6 +40,13 @@ def test_integer(self, vmin, vmax, steps, expected):
         loc = mticker.MaxNLocator(nbins=5, integer=True, steps=steps)
         assert_almost_equal(loc.tick_values(vmin, vmax), expected)
 
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize('vmin, vmax, heuristic, expected', heuristic_data)
+    def test_tick_space(self, vmin, vmax, heuristic, expected):
+        fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize=(2, 2))
+        loc = mticker.MaxNLocator(nbins='auto', tick_space_heuristic=heuristic)
+        loc.set_axis(ax.xaxis)
+        assert_almost_equal(loc.tick_values(vmin, vmax), expected)
+
 
 class TestLinearLocator(object):
     def test_basic(self):
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/ticker.py b/lib/matplotlib/ticker.py
index 47de3e105ebe..2815a1414b2c 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/ticker.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/ticker.py
@@ -1779,7 +1779,8 @@ class MaxNLocator(Locator):
                           integer=False,
                           symmetric=False,
                           prune=None,
-                          min_n_ticks=2)
+                          min_n_ticks=2,
+                          tick_space_heuristic=None)
 
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         """
@@ -1821,6 +1822,12 @@ def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
             Relax `nbins` and `integer` constraints if necessary to
             obtain this minimum number of ticks.
 
+        *tick_space_heuristic*
+            Controls spacing of ticks through `axis.get_tick_space`. This must
+            be a callable object that takes two parameters, the axis length and
+            the label font size, both in pt units. Default value `None` will
+            use the default x- or y-axis heuristic.
+
         """
         if args:
             kwargs['nbins'] = args[0]
@@ -1882,11 +1889,17 @@ def set_params(self, **kwargs):
             self._extended_steps = self._staircase(self._steps)
         if 'integer' in kwargs:
             self._integer = kwargs['integer']
+        if 'tick_space_heuristic' in kwargs:
+            tick_space_heuristic = kwargs['tick_space_heuristic']
+            if tick_space_heuristic is not None:
+                self._tickspace_kw = {'heuristic': tick_space_heuristic}
+            else:
+                self._tickspace_kw = {}
 
     def _raw_ticks(self, vmin, vmax):
         if self._nbins == 'auto':
             if self.axis is not None:
-                nbins = np.clip(self.axis.get_tick_space(),
+                nbins = np.clip(self.axis.get_tick_space(**self._tickspace_kw),
                                 max(1, self._min_n_ticks - 1), 9)
             else:
                 nbins = 9