diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/dates.py b/lib/matplotlib/dates.py
index 023fb16fdfa8..45063b835886 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/dates.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/dates.py
@@ -711,6 +711,8 @@ def set(self, **kwargs):
         self._rrule = rrule(**self._construct)
 
     def __getattr__(self, name):
+        if name in ['__getstate__', '__setstate__']:
+            return object.__getattr__(self, name)
         if name in self.__dict__:
             return self.__dict__[name]
         return getattr(self._rrule, name)
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_pickle.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_pickle.py
index 7d43553b8617..52d63c16b19e 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_pickle.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_pickle.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 import numpy as np
 
 from matplotlib.testing.decorators import cleanup, image_comparison
+from matplotlib.dates import rrulewrapper
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
 import matplotlib.transforms as mtransforms
 
@@ -270,6 +271,15 @@ def test_transform():
     assert_equal(obj.wrapper.output_dims, obj.composite.output_dims)
 
 
+def test_rrulewrapper():
+    r = rrulewrapper(2)
+    try:
+        pickle.loads(pickle.dumps(r))
+    except RecursionError:
+        print('rrulewrapper pickling test failed')
+        raise
+
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     import nose
     nose.runmodule(argv=['-s'])