diff --git a/IPython/zmq/pylab/backend_inline.py b/IPython/zmq/pylab/backend_inline.py
index 2401cb9..72e887a 100644
--- a/IPython/zmq/pylab/backend_inline.py
+++ b/IPython/zmq/pylab/backend_inline.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import sys
 
 # Third-party imports
 import matplotlib
-from matplotlib.backends.backend_agg import new_figure_manager
+from matplotlib.backends.backend_agg import new_figure_manager, FigureCanvasAgg
 from matplotlib._pylab_helpers import Gcf
 
 # Local imports.
@@ -222,3 +222,7 @@ def send_figure(fig):
         {mime : data}
     )
 
+# Changes to matplotlib in version 1.2 requires a mpl backend to supply a default
+# figurecanvas. This is set here to a Agg canvas
+# See https://github.com/matplotlib/matplotlib/pull/1125
+FigureCanvas = FigureCanvasAgg