diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e021678..b309e72 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ to the list.
 ## Dependencies
 [Py-ART](https://github.com/ARM-DOE/pyart) >= 1.6
 
-[matplotlib](http://matplotlib.org) >= 1.1.0
+[matplotlib](http://matplotlib.org) >= 2.0.0
 
 [Basemap](http://matplotlib.org/basemap) >= 0.99
 
diff --git a/artview/__init__.py b/artview/__init__.py
index f355719..70fad31 100644
--- a/artview/__init__.py
+++ b/artview/__init__.py
@@ -51,10 +51,8 @@
     import matplotlib
     if core.QtCore.__name__ == 'PyQt4.QtCore':
         matplotlib.use('Qt4Agg')
-        matplotlib.rcParams['backend.qt4'] = 'PyQt4'
     elif core.QtCore.__name__ == 'PyQt5.QtCore':
         matplotlib.use('Qt5Agg')
-        matplotlib.rcParams['backend.qt5'] = 'PyQt5'
 
     from . import components
     from . import plugins
diff --git a/artview/components/cmap.py b/artview/components/cmap.py
index 6217d99..2a0ff9d 100644
--- a/artview/components/cmap.py
+++ b/artview/components/cmap.py
@@ -8,9 +8,12 @@
 
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
 from matplotlib.figure import Figure
-from matplotlib.backends import pylab_setup
-FigureCanvasQTAgg = pylab_setup()[0].FigureCanvasQTAgg
-#from matplotlib.backends.backend_qt4agg import FigureCanvasQTAgg
+from matplotlib.backends.qt_compat import is_pyqt5
+if is_pyqt5():
+    from matplotlib.backends.backend_qt5agg import FigureCanvas
+else:
+    from matplotlib.backends.backend_qt4agg import FigureCanvas
+
 from matplotlib import colors
 
 import pyart
@@ -288,4 +291,4 @@ def NewColormap(self, variable, strong):
             self.cmap = cmap
         self.plot()
 
-_plugins = [ColormapEdit]
\ No newline at end of file
+_plugins = [ColormapEdit]
diff --git a/artview/components/correlation.py b/artview/components/correlation.py
index 58d1477..08f02fc 100644
--- a/artview/components/correlation.py
+++ b/artview/components/correlation.py
@@ -9,13 +9,14 @@
 import os
 import pyart
 
-from matplotlib.backends import pylab_setup
-backend = pylab_setup()[0]
-FigureCanvasQTAgg = backend.FigureCanvasQTAgg
-NavigationToolbar = backend.NavigationToolbar2QT
-#from matplotlib.backends.backend_qt4agg import FigureCanvasQTAgg
-#from matplotlib.backends.backend_qt4agg import NavigationToolbar2QT as \
-#    NavigationToolbar
+from matplotlib.backends.qt_compat import is_pyqt5
+if is_pyqt5():
+    from matplotlib.backends.backend_qt5agg import (
+        FigureCanvas, NavigationToolbar2QT as NavigationToolbar)
+else:
+    from matplotlib.backends.backend_qt4agg import (
+        FigureCanvas, NavigationToolbar2QT as NavigationToolbar)
+
 from matplotlib.figure import Figure
 from matplotlib.colors import Normalize as mlabNormalize
 from matplotlib.colorbar import ColorbarBase as mlabColorbarBase
diff --git a/artview/components/plot_grid.py b/artview/components/plot_grid.py
index f3826db..1ab2164 100644
--- a/artview/components/plot_grid.py
+++ b/artview/components/plot_grid.py
@@ -8,13 +8,14 @@
 import os
 import pyart
 
-from matplotlib.backends import pylab_setup
-backend = pylab_setup()[0]
-FigureCanvasQTAgg = backend.FigureCanvasQTAgg
-NavigationToolbar = backend.NavigationToolbar2QT
-#from matplotlib.backends.backend_qt4agg import FigureCanvasQTAgg
-#from matplotlib.backends.backend_qt4agg import NavigationToolbar2QT as \
-#    NavigationToolbar
+from matplotlib.backends.qt_compat import is_pyqt5
+if is_pyqt5():
+    from matplotlib.backends.backend_qt5agg import (
+        FigureCanvas, NavigationToolbar2QT as NavigationToolbar)
+else:
+    from matplotlib.backends.backend_qt4agg import (
+        FigureCanvas, NavigationToolbar2QT as NavigationToolbar)
+
 from matplotlib.figure import Figure
 from matplotlib.colors import Normalize as mlabNormalize
 from matplotlib.colorbar import ColorbarBase as mlabColorbarBase
diff --git a/artview/components/plot_grid_legacy.py b/artview/components/plot_grid_legacy.py
index 3f9b09d..38f6d88 100644
--- a/artview/components/plot_grid_legacy.py
+++ b/artview/components/plot_grid_legacy.py
@@ -8,13 +8,14 @@
 import os
 import pyart
 
-from matplotlib.backends import pylab_setup
-backend = pylab_setup()[0]
-FigureCanvasQTAgg = backend.FigureCanvasQTAgg
-NavigationToolbar = backend.NavigationToolbar2QT
-#from matplotlib.backends.backend_qt4agg import FigureCanvasQTAgg
-#from matplotlib.backends.backend_qt4agg import NavigationToolbar2QT as \
-#    NavigationToolbar
+from matplotlib.backends.qt_compat import is_pyqt5
+if is_pyqt5():
+    from matplotlib.backends.backend_qt5agg import (
+        FigureCanvas, NavigationToolbar2QT as NavigationToolbar)
+else:
+    from matplotlib.backends.backend_qt4agg import (
+        FigureCanvas, NavigationToolbar2QT as NavigationToolbar)
+
 from matplotlib.figure import Figure
 from matplotlib.colors import Normalize as mlabNormalize
 from matplotlib.colorbar import ColorbarBase as mlabColorbarBase
diff --git a/artview/components/plot_points.py b/artview/components/plot_points.py
index 15fdb73..abadd0b 100644
--- a/artview/components/plot_points.py
+++ b/artview/components/plot_points.py
@@ -8,13 +8,14 @@
 import os
 import pyart
 
-from matplotlib.backends import pylab_setup
-backend = pylab_setup()[0]
-FigureCanvasQTAgg = backend.FigureCanvasQTAgg
-NavigationToolbar = backend.NavigationToolbar2QT
-#from matplotlib.backends.backend_qt4agg import FigureCanvasQTAgg
-#from matplotlib.backends.backend_qt4agg import NavigationToolbar2QT as \
-#    NavigationToolbar
+from matplotlib.backends.qt_compat import is_pyqt5
+if is_pyqt5():
+    from matplotlib.backends.backend_qt5agg import (
+        FigureCanvas, NavigationToolbar2QT as NavigationToolbar)
+else:
+    from matplotlib.backends.backend_qt4agg import (
+        FigureCanvas, NavigationToolbar2QT as NavigationToolbar)
+
 from matplotlib.figure import Figure
 from matplotlib.colors import Normalize as mlabNormalize
 from matplotlib.colorbar import ColorbarBase as mlabColorbarBase
diff --git a/artview/components/plot_radar.py b/artview/components/plot_radar.py
index 8553dfb..7db3e37 100644
--- a/artview/components/plot_radar.py
+++ b/artview/components/plot_radar.py
@@ -9,13 +9,14 @@
 import os
 import pyart
 
-from matplotlib.backends import pylab_setup
-backend = pylab_setup()[0]
-FigureCanvasQTAgg = backend.FigureCanvasQTAgg
-NavigationToolbar = backend.NavigationToolbar2QT
-#from matplotlib.backends.backend_qt4agg import FigureCanvasQTAgg
-#from matplotlib.backends.backend_qt4agg import NavigationToolbar2QT as \
-#    NavigationToolbar
+from matplotlib.backends.qt_compat import is_pyqt5
+if is_pyqt5():
+    from matplotlib.backends.backend_qt5agg import (
+        FigureCanvas, NavigationToolbar2QT as NavigationToolbar, FigureCanvasQTAgg)
+else:
+    from matplotlib.backends.backend_qt4agg import (
+        FigureCanvas, NavigationToolbar2QT as NavigationToolbar)
+
 from matplotlib.figure import Figure
 from matplotlib.colors import Normalize as mlabNormalize
 from matplotlib.colorbar import ColorbarBase as mlabColorbarBase
diff --git a/artview/components/plot_simple.py b/artview/components/plot_simple.py
index f1a2fee..ae16868 100644
--- a/artview/components/plot_simple.py
+++ b/artview/components/plot_simple.py
@@ -8,13 +8,15 @@
 import os
 import pyart
 
-from matplotlib.backends import pylab_setup
-backend = pylab_setup()[0]
-FigureCanvasQTAgg = backend.FigureCanvasQTAgg
-NavigationToolbar = backend.NavigationToolbar2QT
-#from matplotlib.backends.backend_qt4agg import FigureCanvasQTAgg
-#from matplotlib.backends.backend_qt4agg import NavigationToolbar2QT as \
-#    NavigationToolbar
+
+from matplotlib.backends.qt_compat import is_pyqt5
+if is_pyqt5():
+    from matplotlib.backends.backend_qt5agg import (
+        FigureCanvas, NavigationToolbar2QT as NavigationToolbar)
+else:
+    from matplotlib.backends.backend_qt4agg import (
+        FigureCanvas, NavigationToolbar2QT as NavigationToolbar)
+
 from matplotlib.figure import Figure
 from matplotlib.colors import Normalize as mlabNormalize
 from matplotlib.colorbar import ColorbarBase as mlabColorbarBase
diff --git a/artview/core/core.py b/artview/core/core.py
index e6dd8ba..0c46f21 100644
--- a/artview/core/core.py
+++ b/artview/core/core.py
@@ -7,11 +7,7 @@
 
 # Load the needed packages
 # this should the only place with reference to PyQt4
-try:
-    from PyQt4 import QtGui, QtCore
-    QtWidgets = QtGui
-except:
-    from PyQt5 import QtWidgets, QtCore, QtGui
+from matplotlib.backends.qt_compat import QtCore, QtWidgets, QtGui
 import sys
 
 # lets add some magic for the documentation