diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_ticker.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_ticker.py
index dfd8f429bb2c..aaf73fd5ed47 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_ticker.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_ticker.py
@@ -94,11 +94,11 @@ def test_LogLocator_set_params():
     Should not exception.
     """
     loc = mticker.LogLocator()
-    loc.set_params(numticks=8, numdecs=8, subs=[2.0], base=8)
-    nose.tools.assert_equal(loc.numticks, 8)
+    loc.set_params(numticks=7, numdecs=8, subs=[2.0], base=4)
+    nose.tools.assert_equal(loc.numticks, 7)
     nose.tools.assert_equal(loc.numdecs, 8)
-    nose.tools.assert_equal(loc.base, 8)
-    nose.tools.assert_equal(loc.subs, [2.0])
+    nose.tools.assert_equal(loc._base, 4)
+    nose.tools.assert_equal(list(loc._subs), [2.0])
 
 
 def test_NullLocator_set_params():
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/ticker.py b/lib/matplotlib/ticker.py
index 4aff074e5503..02109e8bd991 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/ticker.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/ticker.py
@@ -1757,7 +1757,7 @@ class LogLocator(Locator):
     Determine the tick locations for log axes
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, base=10.0, subs=[1.0], numdecs=4, numticks=15):
+    def __init__(self, base=10.0, subs=(1.0,), numdecs=4, numticks=15):
         """
         place ticks on the location= base**i*subs[j]
         """
@@ -1770,9 +1770,9 @@ def __init__(self, base=10.0, subs=[1.0], numdecs=4, numticks=15):
     def set_params(self, base=None, subs=None, numdecs=None, numticks=None):
         """Set parameters within this locator."""
         if base is not None:
-            self.base = base
+            self.base(base)
         if subs is not None:
-            self.subs = subs
+            self.subs(subs)
         if numdecs is not None:
             self.numdecs = numdecs
         if numticks is not None:
@@ -1782,7 +1782,7 @@ def base(self, base):
         """
         set the base of the log scaling (major tick every base**i, i integer)
         """
-        self._base = base + 0.0
+        self._base = float(base)
 
     def subs(self, subs):
         """
@@ -1791,7 +1791,7 @@ def subs(self, subs):
         if subs is None:
             self._subs = None  # autosub
         else:
-            self._subs = np.asarray(subs) + 0.0
+            self._subs = np.asarray(subs, dtype=float)
 
     def __call__(self):
         'Return the locations of the ticks'
@@ -1839,6 +1839,7 @@ def tick_values(self, vmin, vmax):
         if not self.numticks > 1:
             raise RuntimeError('The number of ticks must be greater than 1 '
                                'for LogLocator.')
+        # FIXME: The following was designed for integer division in py2.
         while numdec / stride + 1 > self.numticks:
             stride += 1