diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/gridspec.py b/lib/matplotlib/gridspec.py
index 1045aa596bcb..b31aa70c6787 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/gridspec.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/gridspec.py
@@ -62,20 +62,24 @@ def new_subplotspec(self, loc, rowspan=1, colspan=1):
         subplotspec = self[loc1:loc1+rowspan, loc2:loc2+colspan]
         return subplotspec
 
-
     def set_width_ratios(self, width_ratios):
+        if width_ratios is not None and len(width_ratios) != self._ncols:
+            raise ValueError('Expected the given number of width ratios to '
+                             'match the number of columns of the grid')
         self._col_width_ratios = width_ratios
 
     def get_width_ratios(self):
         return self._col_width_ratios
 
     def set_height_ratios(self, height_ratios):
+        if height_ratios is not None and len(height_ratios) != self._nrows:
+            raise ValueError('Expected the given number of height ratios to '
+                             'match the number of rows of the grid')
         self._row_height_ratios = height_ratios
 
     def get_height_ratios(self):
         return self._row_height_ratios
 
-
     def get_grid_positions(self, fig):
         """
         return lists of bottom and top position of rows, left and
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_gridspec.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_gridspec.py
index 57616397f5e3..55ad16b42558 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_gridspec.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_gridspec.py
@@ -1,8 +1,26 @@
 import matplotlib.gridspec as gridspec
-from nose.tools import assert_equal
+from nose.tools import assert_raises, assert_equal
 
 
 def test_equal():
     gs = gridspec.GridSpec(2, 1)
     assert_equal(gs[0, 0], gs[0, 0])
     assert_equal(gs[:, 0], gs[:, 0])
+
+
+def test_width_ratios():
+    """
+    Addresses issue #5835.
+    See at https://github.com/matplotlib/matplotlib/issues/5835.
+    """
+    assert_raises(ValueError, gridspec.GridSpec,
+                  1, 1, width_ratios=[2, 1, 3])
+
+
+def test_height_ratios():
+    """
+    Addresses issue #5835.
+    See at https://github.com/matplotlib/matplotlib/issues/5835.
+    """
+    assert_raises(ValueError, gridspec.GridSpec,
+                  1, 1, height_ratios=[2, 1, 3])