diff --git a/kwant/plotter.py b/kwant/plotter.py
index 03201259b96164ed1978ec3c9df8b518b7d3cd3c..ae9cb73bd53acdaed3b2f6ac0ef78fdef7afb209 100644
--- a/kwant/plotter.py
+++ b/kwant/plotter.py
@@ -1253,12 +1253,12 @@ def plot(sys, num_lead_cells=2, unit='nn',
             fig.set_figheight(fig_size[1])
 
         if dim == 2:
-            ax = fig.add_subplot(111, aspect='equal', adjustable='datalim')
+            ax = fig.add_subplot(1, 1, 1, aspect='equal', adjustable='datalim')
             ax.set_xmargin(0.05)
             ax.set_ymargin(0.05)
         else:
             warnings.filterwarnings('ignore', message=r'.*rotation.*')
-            ax = fig.add_subplot(111, projection='3d')
+            ax = fig.add_subplot(1, 1, 1, projection='3d')
             warnings.resetwarnings()
     else:
         fig = None
@@ -1472,7 +1472,7 @@ def map(sys, value, colorbar=True, cmap=None, vmin=None, vmax=None, a=None,
     if fig_size is not None:
         fig.set_figwidth(fig_size[0])
         fig.set_figheight(fig_size[1])
-    ax = fig.add_subplot(111, aspect='equal', adjustable='datalim')
+    ax = fig.add_subplot(1, 1, 1, aspect='equal', adjustable='datalim')
 
     # Note that we tell imshow to show the array created by mask_interpolate
     # faithfully and not to interpolate by itself another time.
@@ -1536,7 +1536,7 @@ def bands(sys, momenta=65, args=(), file=None, show=True, dpi=None,
     if fig_size is not None:
         fig.set_figwidth(fig_size[0])
         fig.set_figheight(fig_size[1])
-    ax = fig.add_subplot(111)
+    ax = fig.add_subplot(1, 1, 1)
     ax.plot(momenta, energies)
     return output_fig(fig, file=file, show=show)