diff --git a/doc/users/whats_new/rcparams.rst b/doc/users/whats_new/rcparams.rst
index fc58c7b38016..a19cb4c3a54a 100644
--- a/doc/users/whats_new/rcparams.rst
+++ b/doc/users/whats_new/rcparams.rst
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ Configuration (rcParams)
 +----------------------------+--------------------------------------------------+
 |`date.autoformatter.second` | format string for 'second' scale times           |
 +----------------------------+--------------------------------------------------+
+|`scatter.marker`            | default marker for scatter plot                  |
++----------------------------+--------------------------------------------------+
 |`svg.hashsalt`              | see note                                         |
 +----------------------------+--------------------------------------------------+
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
index 3ea8f26dcd61..790f41ceb4f3 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
@@ -3726,7 +3726,7 @@ def dopatch(xs, ys, **kwargs):
                                         'facecolors', 'color'],
                          label_namer="y")
     @docstring.dedent_interpd
-    def scatter(self, x, y, s=None, c=None, marker='o', cmap=None, norm=None,
+    def scatter(self, x, y, s=None, c=None, marker=None, cmap=None, norm=None,
                 vmin=None, vmax=None, alpha=None, linewidths=None,
                 verts=None, edgecolors=None,
                 **kwargs):
@@ -3895,6 +3895,10 @@ def scatter(self, x, y, s=None, c=None, marker='o', cmap=None, norm=None,
 
         scales = s   # Renamed for readability below.
 
+        # load default marker from rcParams
+        if marker is None:
+            marker = rcParams['scatter.marker']
+
         # to be API compatible
         if marker is None and not (verts is None):
             marker = (verts, 0)
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/stylelib/classic.mplstyle b/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/stylelib/classic.mplstyle
index 2ba86163b8cb..800cda75f5de 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/stylelib/classic.mplstyle
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/stylelib/classic.mplstyle
@@ -325,6 +325,9 @@ contour.corner_mask : True
 # errorbar props
 errorbar.capsize: 3
 
+# scatter props
+scatter.marker: o
+
 ### Boxplots
 boxplot.bootstrap: None
 boxplot.boxprops.color: b
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py b/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py
index 9b3dd9ea81b5..c195804daadf 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py
@@ -3138,7 +3138,7 @@ def quiverkey(*args, **kw):
 # This function was autogenerated by boilerplate.py.  Do not edit as
 # changes will be lost
 @_autogen_docstring(Axes.scatter)
-def scatter(x, y, s=None, c=None, marker='o', cmap=None, norm=None, vmin=None,
+def scatter(x, y, s=None, c=None, marker=None, cmap=None, norm=None, vmin=None,
             vmax=None, alpha=None, linewidths=None, verts=None, edgecolors=None,
             hold=None, data=None, **kwargs):
     ax = gca()
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py b/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py
index e33a015a66d1..5bc8c2b9d909 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py
@@ -1065,6 +1065,10 @@ def validate_animation_writer_path(p):
     'polaraxes.grid': [True, validate_bool],  # display polar grid or
                                                      # not
     'axes3d.grid': [True, validate_bool],  # display 3d grid
+
+    # scatter props
+    'scatter.marker': ['o', six.text_type],
+
     # TODO validate that these are valid datetime format strings
     'date.autoformatter.year': ['%Y', six.text_type],
     'date.autoformatter.month': ['%Y-%m', six.text_type],
diff --git a/matplotlibrc.template b/matplotlibrc.template
index f7aa486f0914..8463a4f26055 100644
--- a/matplotlibrc.template
+++ b/matplotlibrc.template
@@ -461,6 +461,9 @@ backend      : $TEMPLATE_BACKEND
                                   # If Numpy 1.11 or later is
                                   # installed, may also be `auto`
 
+### SCATTER PLOTS
+#scatter.marker : o               # The default marker type for scatter plots.
+
 ### Agg rendering
 ### Warning: experimental, 2008/10/10
 #agg.path.chunksize : 0           # 0 to disable; values in the range