diff --git a/skimage/io/manage_plugins.py b/skimage/io/manage_plugins.py
index 9bd95cb7..5932e63d 100644
--- a/skimage/io/manage_plugins.py
+++ b/skimage/io/manage_plugins.py
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ plugin_meta_data = {}
 # the following preferences.
 preferred_plugins = {
     # Default plugins for all types (overridden by specific types below).
-    'all': ['pil', 'matplotlib', 'qt', 'freeimage']
+    'all': ['pil', 'matplotlib', 'qt', 'freeimage'],
+    'imshow': ['matplotlib']
 }
 
 
diff --git a/skimage/io/tests/test_plugin.py b/skimage/io/tests/test_plugin.py
index 00128ab5..117e5ab9 100644
--- a/skimage/io/tests/test_plugin.py
+++ b/skimage/io/tests/test_plugin.py
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ def test_load_preferred_plugins_imread():
         plug, func = manage_plugins.plugin_store['imread'][0]
         assert func == pil_plugin.imread
         plug, func = manage_plugins.plugin_store['imshow'][0]
-        assert func != matplotlib_plugin.imshow
+        assert func == matplotlib_plugin.imshow, func.__module__
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":