diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py b/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py
index 3aae2d5972ed..37d7d276ea93 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py
@@ -2818,8 +2818,12 @@ class NavigationToolbar2:
         ('Back', 'Back to previous view', 'back', 'back'),
         ('Forward', 'Forward to next view', 'forward', 'forward'),
         (None, None, None, None),
-        ('Pan', 'Pan axes with left mouse, zoom with right', 'move', 'pan'),
-        ('Zoom', 'Zoom to rectangle', 'zoom_to_rect', 'zoom'),
+        ('Pan',
+         'Left button pans, Right button zooms\n'
+         'x/y fixes axis, CTRL fixes aspect',
+         'move', 'pan'),
+        ('Zoom', 'Zoom to rectangle\nx/y fixes axis, CTRL fixes aspect',
+         'zoom_to_rect', 'zoom'),
         ('Subplots', 'Configure subplots', 'subplots', 'configure_subplots'),
         (None, None, None, None),
         ('Save', 'Save the figure', 'filesave', 'save_figure'),
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_macosx.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_macosx.py
index 9558c5e6899f..609f89c99c05 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_macosx.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_macosx.py
@@ -113,8 +113,13 @@ class NavigationToolbar2Mac(_macosx.NavigationToolbar2, NavigationToolbar2):
 
     def __init__(self, canvas):
         self.canvas = canvas  # Needed by the _macosx __init__.
+        data_path = cbook._get_data_path('images')
+        _, tooltips, image_names, _ = zip(*NavigationToolbar2.toolitems)
         _macosx.NavigationToolbar2.__init__(
-            self, str(cbook._get_data_path('images')))
+            self,
+            tuple(str(data_path / image_name) + ".pdf"
+                  for image_name in image_names if image_name is not None),
+            tuple(tooltip for tooltip in tooltips if tooltip is not None))
         NavigationToolbar2.__init__(self, canvas)
 
     def draw_rubberband(self, event, x0, y0, x1, y1):
diff --git a/src/_macosx.m b/src/_macosx.m
index 72fb8e4852f1..5ce5d203ea67 100755
--- a/src/_macosx.m
+++ b/src/_macosx.m
@@ -1108,8 +1108,6 @@ -(void)save_figure:(id)sender
 
     self->height = height;
 
-    const char* basedir;
-
     obj = PyObject_GetAttrString((PyObject*)self, "canvas");
     if (obj==NULL)
     {
@@ -1130,8 +1128,6 @@ -(void)save_figure:(id)sender
         return -1;
     }
 
-    if(!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "s", &basedir)) return -1;
-
     NSRect bounds = [view bounds];
     NSWindow* window = [view window];
 
@@ -1141,27 +1137,17 @@ -(void)save_figure:(id)sender
     bounds.size.height += height;
     [window setContentSize: bounds.size];
 
-    NSString* dir = [NSString stringWithCString: basedir
-                                       encoding: NSASCIIStringEncoding];
+    const char* images[7];
+    const char* tooltips[7];
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "(sssssss)(sssssss)",
+                &images[0], &images[1], &images[2], &images[3],
+                &images[4], &images[5], &images[6],
+                &tooltips[0], &tooltips[1], &tooltips[2], &tooltips[3],
+                &tooltips[4], &tooltips[5], &tooltips[6])) {
+        return -1;
+    }
 
     NSButton* buttons[7];
-
-    NSString* images[7] = {@"home.pdf",
-                           @"back.pdf",
-                           @"forward.pdf",
-                           @"move.pdf",
-                           @"zoom_to_rect.pdf",
-                           @"subplots.pdf",
-                           @"filesave.pdf"};
-
-    NSString* tooltips[7] = {@"Reset original view",
-                             @"Back to  previous view",
-                             @"Forward to next view",
-                             @"Pan axes with left mouse, zoom with right",
-                             @"Zoom to rectangle",
-                             @"Configure subplots",
-                             @"Save the figure"};
-
     SEL actions[7] = {@selector(home:),
                       @selector(back:),
                       @selector(forward:),
@@ -1169,7 +1155,6 @@ -(void)save_figure:(id)sender
                       @selector(zoom:),
                       @selector(configure_subplots:),
                       @selector(save_figure:)};
-
     NSButtonType buttontypes[7] = {NSMomentaryLightButton,
                                    NSMomentaryLightButton,
                                    NSMomentaryLightButton,
@@ -1194,9 +1179,11 @@ -(void)save_figure:(id)sender
     rect.origin.x = gap;
     rect.origin.y = 0.5*(height - rect.size.height);
 
-    for (i = 0; i < 7; i++)
-    {
-        NSString* filename = [dir stringByAppendingPathComponent: images[i]];
+    for (i = 0; i < 7; i++) {
+        NSString* filename = [NSString stringWithCString: images[i]
+                                                encoding: NSUTF8StringEncoding];
+        NSString* tooltip = [NSString stringWithCString: tooltips[i]
+                                               encoding: NSUTF8StringEncoding];
         NSImage* image = [[NSImage alloc] initWithContentsOfFile: filename];
         buttons[i] = [[NSButton alloc] initWithFrame: rect];
         [image setSize: size];
@@ -1205,7 +1192,7 @@ -(void)save_figure:(id)sender
         [buttons[i] setImage: image];
         [buttons[i] scaleUnitSquareToSize: scale];
         [buttons[i] setImagePosition: NSImageOnly];
-        [buttons[i] setToolTip: tooltips[i]];
+        [buttons[i] setToolTip: tooltip];
         [[window contentView] addSubview: buttons[i]];
         [buttons[i] release];
         [image release];