diff --git a/doc/api/next_api_changes/2019-04-29-AL.rst b/doc/api/next_api_changes/2019-04-29-AL.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..44f24d59779f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/api/next_api_changes/2019-04-29-AL.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+Deprecations
+````````````
+
+``FigureCanvasBase.draw_cursor`` (which has never done anything and has never
+been overridden in any backend) is deprecated.
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py b/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py
index 123ad09481d0..392970fce518 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py
@@ -1902,6 +1902,7 @@ def draw_idle(self, *args, **kwargs):
             with self._idle_draw_cntx():
                 self.draw(*args, **kwargs)
 
+    @cbook.deprecated("3.2")
     def draw_cursor(self, event):
         """
         Draw a cursor in the event.axes if inaxes is not None.  Use