diff --git a/examples/pylab_examples/demo_tight_labels.py b/examples/pylab_examples/demo_tight_labels.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..d745e12169ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/pylab_examples/demo_tight_labels.py
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
+
+for n in [1, 2, 3, 5]:
+    fig, axes_list = plt.subplots(n, n)
+    plt.tight_labels(0.5, 0.3)
+    plt.tight_layout()
+
+plt.show()
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axes.py b/lib/matplotlib/axes.py
index a5418abbff90..5bbf8b0bc69a 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axes.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axes.py
@@ -8435,6 +8435,14 @@ def triplot(self, *args, **kwargs):
         mtri.triplot(self, *args, **kwargs)
     triplot.__doc__ = mtri.triplot.__doc__
 
+    def optimize_ticker_nbin(self,
+                             max_label_fraction_x, max_label_fraction_y,
+                             renderer):
+        if max_label_fraction_x:
+            self.xaxis.optimize_ticker_nbin(max_label_fraction_x, renderer)
+        if max_label_fraction_y:
+            self.yaxis.optimize_ticker_nbin(max_label_fraction_y, renderer)
+
 
 from matplotlib.gridspec import GridSpec, SubplotSpec
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axis.py b/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
index 43db8b9b7f9f..aa2dbe68adf3 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
@@ -1528,6 +1528,40 @@ def axis_date(self, tz=None):
             tz = pytz.timezone(tz)
         self.update_units(datetime.datetime(2009,1,1,0,0,0,0,tz))
 
+    def optimize_ticker_nbin(self, max_label_fraction, renderer):
+        """
+        update the _nbin attribute of the major ticker so it is the maximum integer
+        that the occupy fraction of labels are less than the *max_label_fraction*.
+        """
+
+        if not self.get_visible(): return
+
+        if not 0. <= max_label_fraction <= 1.:
+            raise ValueError()
+
+        min_nbin = self.major.locator._nbins
+
+        while self._get_label_occupy_fraction(renderer) < max_label_fraction:
+            self.major.locator._nbins *= 2
+        else:
+            max_nbin = self.major.locator._nbins
+
+        if min_nbin == max_nbin:
+            min_nbin=1
+
+        while True:
+            if max_nbin - min_nbin <= 1:
+                break
+            new_nbin = int(0.5*(min_nbin+max_nbin))
+            self.major.locator._nbins = new_nbin
+            if self._get_label_occupy_fraction(renderer) < max_label_fraction:
+                min_nbin = new_nbin
+            else:
+                max_nbin = new_nbin
+
+        self.major.locator._nbins = min_nbin
+
+
 
 class XAxis(Axis):
     __name__ = 'xaxis'
@@ -1786,6 +1820,22 @@ def set_default_intervals(self):
                 self.axes.viewLim.intervalx = xmin, xmax
 
 
+    def _get_label_occupy_fraction(self, renderer):
+        """
+        Return label_total_length / axis_length
+        """
+        ticks_to_draw = self._update_ticks(renderer)
+        ticklabelBoxes, ticklabelBoxes2 = self._get_tick_bboxes(ticks_to_draw, renderer)
+
+        if not ticklabelBoxes:
+            ticklabelBoxes = ticklabelBoxes2
+
+        label_total_length = sum([bb.width for bb in ticklabelBoxes])
+
+        axis_length = self.axes.bbox.width
+
+        return label_total_length / axis_length
+
 
 class YAxis(Axis):
     __name__ = 'yaxis'
@@ -2049,3 +2099,20 @@ def set_default_intervals(self):
                 self.axes.dataLim.intervaly = ymin, ymax
             if not viewMutated:
                 self.axes.viewLim.intervaly = ymin, ymax
+
+
+    def _get_label_occupy_fraction(self, renderer):
+        """
+        Return label_total_length / axis_length
+        """
+        ticks_to_draw = self._update_ticks(renderer)
+        ticklabelBoxes, ticklabelBoxes2 = self._get_tick_bboxes(ticks_to_draw, renderer)
+
+        if not ticklabelBoxes:
+            ticklabelBoxes = ticklabelBoxes2
+
+        label_total_length = sum([bb.height for bb in ticklabelBoxes])
+
+        axis_length = self.axes.bbox.height
+
+        return label_total_length / axis_length
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/figure.py b/lib/matplotlib/figure.py
index 467fd009eb8c..fcbf246fa9c1 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/figure.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/figure.py
@@ -1417,6 +1417,18 @@ def tight_layout(self, renderer=None, pad=1.2, h_pad=None, w_pad=None):
         self.subplots_adjust(**kwargs)
 
 
+    def tight_labels(self, renderer=None, label_fraction_x=0.5, label_fraction_y=0.3):
+        """
+        """
+
+        from tight_layout import get_renderer
+
+        if renderer is None:
+            renderer = get_renderer(self)
+
+        for ax in self.axes:
+            ax.optimize_ticker_nbin( label_fraction_x, label_fraction_y, renderer)
+
 
 def figaspect(arg):
     """
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py b/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py
index e174b0cb015e..c4fc8f62bbeb 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py
@@ -1057,6 +1057,15 @@ def tight_layout(pad=1.2, h_pad=None, w_pad=None):
     draw_if_interactive()
 
 
+def tight_labels(label_fraction_x=0.5, label_fraction_y=0.3):
+    """
+    """
+
+    fig = gcf()
+    fig.tight_labels(None, label_fraction_x, label_fraction_y)
+    draw_if_interactive()
+
+
 
 def box(on=None):
     """