diff --git a/skimage/viewer/plugins/plotplugin.py b/skimage/viewer/plugins/plotplugin.py
index 0c298381..fa06088d 100644
--- a/skimage/viewer/plugins/plotplugin.py
+++ b/skimage/viewer/plugins/plotplugin.py
@@ -2,12 +2,12 @@ import numpy as np
 from PyQt4 import QtGui
 
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
-from matplotlib.backends.backend_qt4agg import FigureCanvasQTAgg
 
+from ..utils import MatplotlibCanvas
 from .base import Plugin
 
 
-class PlotCanvas(FigureCanvasQTAgg):
+class PlotCanvas(MatplotlibCanvas):
     """Canvas for displaying images.
 
     This canvas derives from Matplotlib, and has attributes `fig` and `ax`,
@@ -15,17 +15,9 @@ class PlotCanvas(FigureCanvasQTAgg):
     """
     def __init__(self, parent, height, width, **kwargs):
         self.fig, self.ax = plt.subplots(figsize=(height, width), **kwargs)
-
-        FigureCanvasQTAgg.__init__(self, self.fig)
-        FigureCanvasQTAgg.setSizePolicy(self,
-                                        QtGui.QSizePolicy.Expanding,
-                                        QtGui.QSizePolicy.Expanding)
-        FigureCanvasQTAgg.updateGeometry(self)
-        # Note: `setParent` must be called after `FigureCanvasQTAgg.__init__`.
-        self.setParent(parent)
+        super(PlotCanvas, self).__init__(parent, self.fig, **kwargs)
         self.setMinimumHeight(150)
 
-
 class PlotPlugin(Plugin):
     """Plugin for ImageViewer that contains a plot canvas.
 
diff --git a/skimage/viewer/utils/core.py b/skimage/viewer/utils/core.py
index cdcc10bf..81d66183 100644
--- a/skimage/viewer/utils/core.py
+++ b/skimage/viewer/utils/core.py
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 import numpy as np
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
 from matplotlib.colors import LinearSegmentedColormap
+from matplotlib.backends.backend_qt4agg import FigureCanvasQTAgg
+from PyQt4 import QtGui
 
 
-__all__ = ['figimage', 'LinearColormap', 'ClearColormap']
+__all__ = ['figimage', 'LinearColormap', 'ClearColormap', 'MatplotlibCanvas']
 
 
 def figimage(image, scale=1, dpi=None, **kwargs):
@@ -72,3 +74,16 @@ class ClearColormap(LinearColormap):
                    'red':   [(0.0, r), (1.0, r)],
                    'alpha': [(0.0, 0.0), (1.0, max_alpha)]}
         LinearColormap.__init__(self, name, cg_speq)
+
+
+class MatplotlibCanvas(FigureCanvasQTAgg):
+    """Canvas for displaying images."""
+    def __init__(self, parent, figure, **kwargs):
+        self.fig = figure
+        FigureCanvasQTAgg.__init__(self, self.fig)
+        FigureCanvasQTAgg.setSizePolicy(self,
+                                        QtGui.QSizePolicy.Expanding,
+                                        QtGui.QSizePolicy.Expanding)
+        FigureCanvasQTAgg.updateGeometry(self)
+        # Note: `setParent` must be called after `FigureCanvasQTAgg.__init__`.
+        self.setParent(parent)
diff --git a/skimage/viewer/viewers/core.py b/skimage/viewer/viewers/core.py
index 1046ca7c..dc38b422 100644
--- a/skimage/viewer/viewers/core.py
+++ b/skimage/viewer/viewers/core.py
@@ -4,26 +4,18 @@ ImageViewer class for viewing and interacting with images.
 import sys
 
 from PyQt4 import QtGui, QtCore
-from matplotlib.backends.backend_qt4agg import FigureCanvasQTAgg
 
-from skimage.viewer.utils import figimage
+from ..utils import figimage, MatplotlibCanvas
 
 
 qApp = None
 
 
-class ImageCanvas(FigureCanvasQTAgg):
+class ImageCanvas(MatplotlibCanvas):
     """Canvas for displaying images."""
     def __init__(self, parent, image, **kwargs):
         self.fig, self.ax = figimage(image, **kwargs)
-
-        FigureCanvasQTAgg.__init__(self, self.fig)
-        FigureCanvasQTAgg.setSizePolicy(self,
-                                        QtGui.QSizePolicy.Expanding,
-                                        QtGui.QSizePolicy.Expanding)
-        FigureCanvasQTAgg.updateGeometry(self)
-        # Note: `setParent` must be called after `FigureCanvasQTAgg.__init__`.
-        self.setParent(parent)
+        super(ImageCanvas, self).__init__(parent, self.fig, **kwargs)
 
 
 class ImageViewer(QtGui.QMainWindow):