diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qt5.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qt5.py
index 823a50ddad6a..ca6c5ac64287 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qt5.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qt5.py
@@ -605,6 +605,7 @@ def __init__(self, canvas, parent, coordinates=True):
 
         self.coordinates = coordinates
         self._actions = {}  # mapping of toolitem method names to QActions.
+        self._subplot_dialog = None
 
         for text, tooltip_text, image_file, callback in self.toolitems:
             if text is None:
@@ -714,9 +715,10 @@ def remove_rubberband(self):
 
     def configure_subplots(self):
         image = str(cbook._get_data_path('images/matplotlib.png'))
-        dia = SubplotToolQt(self.canvas.figure, self.canvas.parent())
-        dia.setWindowIcon(QtGui.QIcon(image))
-        dia.exec_()
+        self._subplot_dialog = SubplotToolQt(
+            self.canvas.figure, self.canvas.parent())
+        self._subplot_dialog.setWindowIcon(QtGui.QIcon(image))
+        self._subplot_dialog.show()
 
     def save_figure(self, *args):
         filetypes = self.canvas.get_supported_filetypes_grouped()
@@ -800,13 +802,14 @@ def __init__(self, targetfig, parent):
         self._figure = targetfig
         self._defaults = {spinbox: vars(self._figure.subplotpars)[attr]
                           for attr, spinbox in self._spinboxes.items()}
+        self._export_values_dialog = None
 
     def _export_values(self):
         # Explicitly round to 3 decimals (which is also the spinbox precision)
         # to avoid numbers of the form 0.100...001.
-        dialog = QtWidgets.QDialog()
+        self._export_values_dialog = QtWidgets.QDialog()
         layout = QtWidgets.QVBoxLayout()
-        dialog.setLayout(layout)
+        self._export_values_dialog.setLayout(layout)
         text = QtWidgets.QPlainTextEdit()
         text.setReadOnly(True)
         layout.addWidget(text)
@@ -820,7 +823,7 @@ def _export_values(self):
             QtGui.QFontMetrics(text.document().defaultFont())
             .size(0, text.toPlainText()).height() + 20)
         text.setMaximumSize(size)
-        dialog.exec_()
+        self._export_values_dialog.show()
 
     def _on_value_changed(self):
         spinboxes = self._spinboxes
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/qt_editor/_formlayout.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/qt_editor/_formlayout.py
index 8aed078c0ddf..4ccc368c25f4 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/qt_editor/_formlayout.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/qt_editor/_formlayout.py
@@ -478,6 +478,7 @@ def update_buttons(self):
 
     def accept(self):
         self.data = self.formwidget.get()
+        self.apply_callback(self.data)
         super().accept()
 
     def reject(self):
@@ -526,8 +527,13 @@ def fedit(data, title="", comment="", icon=None, parent=None, apply=None):
     if QtWidgets.QApplication.startingUp():
         _app = QtWidgets.QApplication([])
     dialog = FormDialog(data, title, comment, icon, parent, apply)
-    if dialog.exec_():
-        return dialog.get()
+
+    if parent is not None:
+        if hasattr(parent, "_fedit_dialog"):
+            parent._fedit_dialog.close()
+        parent._fedit_dialog = dialog
+
+    dialog.show()
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/qt_editor/figureoptions.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/qt_editor/figureoptions.py
index 8fc02f4b141b..8b5295f1d7df 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/qt_editor/figureoptions.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/qt_editor/figureoptions.py
@@ -259,10 +259,8 @@ def apply_callback(data):
         if not (axes.get_xlim() == orig_xlim and axes.get_ylim() == orig_ylim):
             figure.canvas.toolbar.push_current()
 
-    data = _formlayout.fedit(
+    _formlayout.fedit(
         datalist, title="Figure options", parent=parent,
         icon=QtGui.QIcon(
             str(cbook._get_data_path('images', 'qt4_editor_options.svg'))),
         apply=apply_callback)
-    if data is not None:
-        apply_callback(data)