diff --git a/src/args.jl b/src/args.jl
index c9e0a039..6d279a42 100644
--- a/src/args.jl
+++ b/src/args.jl
@@ -203,6 +203,7 @@ _plotDefaults[:grid]              = true
 _plotDefaults[:annotation]        = nothing           # annotation tuple(s)... (x,y,annotation)
 _plotDefaults[:overwrite_figure]  = false
 _plotDefaults[:polar]             = false
+_plotDefaults[:aspect_ratio]        = :none             # choose from :none or :equal
 
 
 # TODO: x/y scales
@@ -329,6 +330,7 @@ add_aliases(:xerror, :xerr, :xerrorbar)
 add_aliases(:yerror, :yerr, :yerrorbar, :err, :errorbar)
 add_aliases(:quiver, :velocity, :quiver2d, :gradient)
 add_aliases(:normalize, :norm, :normed, :normalized)
+add_aliases(:aspect_ratio, :aspectratio, :axis_ratio, :axisratio, :ratio)
 
 
 # add all pluralized forms to the _keyAliases dict
diff --git a/src/backends/pyplot.jl b/src/backends/pyplot.jl
index 8466720e..ed213f81 100644
--- a/src/backends/pyplot.jl
+++ b/src/backends/pyplot.jl
@@ -824,6 +824,12 @@ function _update_plot(plt::Plot{PyPlotBackend}, d::KW)
             end
         end
     end
+
+    # do we want to change the aspect ratio?
+    aratio = get(d, :aspect_ratio, :none)
+    if aratio != :none
+        ax[:set_aspect](isa(aratio, Symbol) ? string(aratio) : aratio, anchor = "C")
+    end
 end
 
 
diff --git a/src/backends/supported.jl b/src/backends/supported.jl
index fccef3e6..0797ca27 100644
--- a/src/backends/supported.jl
+++ b/src/backends/supported.jl
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ supportedArgs(::PyPlotBackend) = [
     :orientation,
     :overwrite_figure,
     :polar,
-    :normalize, :weights, :contours
+    :normalize, :weights, :contours, :aspect_ratio
   ]
 supportedAxes(::PyPlotBackend) = _allAxes
 supportedTypes(::PyPlotBackend) = [