diff --git a/REQUIRE b/REQUIRE
index 04b7f31e..92655edd 100644
--- a/REQUIRE
+++ b/REQUIRE
@@ -3,3 +3,4 @@ julia 0.4
 Colors
 Reexport
 Compat
+Requires
diff --git a/src/Plots.jl b/src/Plots.jl
index 8fbb37f9..7f4f4501 100644
--- a/src/Plots.jl
+++ b/src/Plots.jl
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ module Plots
 using Compat
 using Reexport
 @reexport using Colors
+using Requires
 
 export
   Plot,
@@ -114,6 +115,7 @@ export
   Animation,
   frame,
   gif,
+  @animate,
 
   # recipes
   PlotRecipe,
diff --git a/src/animation.jl b/src/animation.jl
index 5122000f..02c5e746 100644
--- a/src/animation.jl
+++ b/src/animation.jl
@@ -51,3 +51,36 @@ end
 function Base.writemime(io::IO, ::MIME"text/html", agif::AnimatedGif)
   write(io, "<img src=\"$(relpath(agif.filename))?$(rand())>\" />")
 end
+
+
+# -----------------------------------------------
+
+"""
+Collect one frame per for-block iteration and return an `Animation` object.
+
+Example:
+
+```
+  p = plot(1)
+  anim = @animate for x=0:0.1:5
+    push!(p, 1, sin(x))
+  end
+```
+"""
+macro animate(forloop::Expr)
+  if forloop.head != :for
+    error("@animate macro expects a for-block. got: $(forloop.head)")
+  end
+
+  # add the call to frame to the end of each iteration
+  animsym = gensym("anim")
+  block = forloop.args[2]
+  push!(block.args, :(frame($animsym)))
+
+  # full expression:
+  esc(quote
+    $animsym = Animation()  # init animation object
+    $forloop                   # for loop, saving a frame after each iteration
+    $animsym                # return the animation object
+  end)
+end
diff --git a/src/backends/gadfly.jl b/src/backends/gadfly.jl
index 620d20b1..bf8ca178 100644
--- a/src/backends/gadfly.jl
+++ b/src/backends/gadfly.jl
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ end
 function addToGadflyLegend(plt::Plot, d::Dict)
 
   # add the legend?
-  if plt.plotargs[:legend] != :none
+  if plt.plotargs[:legend] != :none && d[:label] != ""
     gplt = getGadflyContext(plt)
 
     # add the legend if needed
diff --git a/src/backends/pyplot.jl b/src/backends/pyplot.jl
index 200701e3..7fbc1fab 100644
--- a/src/backends/pyplot.jl
+++ b/src/backends/pyplot.jl
@@ -687,6 +687,7 @@ function addPyPlotLegend(plt::Plot, ax)
   if leg != :none
     # gotta do this to ensure both axes are included
     args = filter(x -> !(x[:linetype] in (:hist,:density,:hexbin,:heatmap,:hline,:vline,:contour, :surface, :wireframe, :path3d, :scatter3d)), plt.seriesargs)
+    args = filter(x -> x[:label] != "", args)
     if length(args) > 0
       leg = ax[:legend]([d[:serieshandle] for d in args],
                   [d[:label] for d in args],
diff --git a/src/plot.jl b/src/plot.jl
index 8a1d1433..e1a6e09a 100644
--- a/src/plot.jl
+++ b/src/plot.jl
@@ -437,6 +437,25 @@ createKWargsList{T<:Real}(plt::PlottingObject, fx::FuncOrFuncs, fy::FuncOrFuncs,
 createKWargsList{T<:Real}(plt::PlottingObject, u::AVec{T}, fx::FuncOrFuncs, fy::FuncOrFuncs; kw...) = createKWargsList(plt, mapFuncOrFuncs(fx, u), mapFuncOrFuncs(fy, u); kw...)
 createKWargsList(plt::PlottingObject, fx::FuncOrFuncs, fy::FuncOrFuncs, umin::Real, umax::Real, numPoints::Int = 1000; kw...) = createKWargsList(plt, fx, fy, linspace(umin, umax, numPoints); kw...)
 
+# (x,y) tuples
+function createKWargsList{R1<:Real,R2<:Real}(plt::PlottingObject, xy::AVec{Tuple{R1,R2}}; kw...)
+  createKWargsList(plt, unzip(xy)...; kw...)
+end
+function createKWargsList{R1<:Real,R2<:Real}(plt::PlottingObject, xy::Tuple{R1,R2}; kw...)
+  createKWargsList(plt, [xy[1]], [xy[2]]; kw...)
+end
+
+@require FixedSizeArrays begin
+  unzip{T}(x::AVec{FixedSizeArrays.Vec{2,T}}) = T[xi[1] for xi in x], T[xi[2] for xi in x]
+  unzip{T}(x::FixedSizeArrays.Vec{2,T}) = T[x[1]], T[x[2]]
+
+  function createKWargsList{T<:Real}(plt::PlottingObject, xy::AVec{FixedSizeArrays.Vec{2,T}}; kw...)
+    createKWargsList(plt, unzip(xy)...; kw...)
+  end
+  function createKWargsList{T<:Real}(plt::PlottingObject, xy::FixedSizeArrays.Vec{2,T}; kw...)
+    createKWargsList(plt, [xy[1]], [xy[2]]; kw...)
+  end
+end
 
 
 # special handling... no args... 1 series
diff --git a/test/REQUIRE b/test/REQUIRE
index 9ad44a64..17a29ad5 100644
--- a/test/REQUIRE
+++ b/test/REQUIRE
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ julia 0.4
 
 Colors
 Reexport
+Requires
 FactCheck
 Gadfly
 Images