diff --git a/examples/pylab_examples/alignment_test.py b/examples/pylab_examples/alignment_test.py
index 52343b09ebd3..3173a9c97a71 100644
--- a/examples/pylab_examples/alignment_test.py
+++ b/examples/pylab_examples/alignment_test.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 layout text
 """
 
-from pylab import *
+import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
 from matplotlib.lines import Line2D
 from matplotlib.patches import Rectangle
 
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@
 bottom, height = .25, .5
 right = left + width
 top = bottom + height
-ax = gca()
-p = Rectangle((left, bottom), width, height,
+ax = plt.gca()
+p = plt.Rectangle((left, bottom), width, height,
               fill=False,
               )
 p.set_transform(ax.transAxes)
@@ -77,6 +77,6 @@
         rotation=45,
         transform=ax.transAxes)
 
-axis('off')
+plt.axis('off')
 
-show()
+plt.show()