diff --git a/src/backends/gr.jl b/src/backends/gr.jl
index 9aa375be..e320e8dd 100644
--- a/src/backends/gr.jl
+++ b/src/backends/gr.jl
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ const _gr_attr = merge_with_base_supported([
     :framestyle,
     :tick_direction,
     :camera,
+    :contour_labels,
 ])
 const _gr_seriestype = [
     :path, :scatter,
diff --git a/src/backends/pyplot.jl b/src/backends/pyplot.jl
index f05a13f0..f5f60464 100644
--- a/src/backends/pyplot.jl
+++ b/src/backends/pyplot.jl
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ const _pyplot_attr = merge_with_base_supported([
     :framestyle,
     :tick_direction,
     :camera,
+    :contour_labels,
   ])
 const _pyplot_seriestype = [
         :path, :steppre, :steppost, :shape,
@@ -654,6 +655,9 @@ function py_add_series(plt::Plot{PyPlotBackend}, series::Series)
             cmap = py_linecolormap(series),
             extrakw...
         )
+        if series[:contour_labels] == true
+            PyPlot.clabel(handle, handle[:levels])
+        end
         push!(handles, handle)
 
         # contour fills
diff --git a/src/utils.jl b/src/utils.jl
index e880ae62..cdab41c6 100644
--- a/src/utils.jl
+++ b/src/utils.jl
@@ -575,7 +575,10 @@ _update_clims(zmin, zmax, emin, emax) = min(zmin, emin), max(zmax, emax)
 
 function hascolorbar(series::Series)
     st = series[:seriestype]
-    hascbar = st in (:heatmap, :contour)
+    hascbar = st == :heatmap
+    if st == :contour
+        hascbar = (isscalar(series[:levels]) ? (series[:levels] > 1) : (length(series[:levels]) > 1)) && (length(unique(Array(series[:z]))) > 1)
+    end
     if series[:marker_z] != nothing || series[:line_z] != nothing || series[:fill_z] != nothing
         hascbar = true
     end