diff --git a/azure-pipelines.yml b/azure-pipelines.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0f1b59707c22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/azure-pipelines.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+# Python package
+# Create and test a Python package on multiple Python versions.
+# Add steps that analyze code, save the dist with the build record, publish to a PyPI-compatible index, and more:
+# https://docs.microsoft.com/azure/devops/pipelines/languages/python
+
+jobs:
+
+- job: 'Test'
+  pool:
+    vmImage: 'Ubuntu 16.04'
+  strategy:
+    matrix:
+      Python35:
+        python.version: '3.5'
+      Python36:
+        python.version: '3.6'
+      Python37:
+        python.version: '3.7'
+    maxParallel: 4
+
+  steps:
+  - task: UsePythonVersion@0
+    inputs:
+      versionSpec: '$(python.version)'
+      architecture: 'x64'
+
+  - script: |
+
+      python -m pip install --upgrade pip
+      pip install -r requirements/testing/travis_all.txt -r requirements/testing/travis36.txt
+
+    displayName: 'Install dependencies'
+
+  - script: |
+
+      export MPLLOCALFREETYPE=1
+      pip install -ve .
+
+    displayName: "Install self"
+
+  - script: env
+    displayName: 'print env'
+
+  - script: |
+      env
+      pytest --junitxml=junit/test-results.xml -raR --maxfail=50 --timeout=300 --durations=25 --cov-report= --cov=lib -n 2
+    displayName: 'pytest'
+
+  - task: PublishTestResults@2
+    inputs:
+      testResultsFiles: '**/test-results.xml'
+      testRunTitle: 'Python $(python.version)'
+    condition: succeededOrFailed()
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_backend_bases.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_backend_bases.py
index 7cf694f2b095..a7087be3df3a 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_backend_bases.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_backend_bases.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
 import matplotlib.transforms as transforms
 import matplotlib.path as path
-
+import os
 import numpy as np
 import pytest
 
@@ -59,7 +59,9 @@ def test_get_default_filename(tmpdir):
 
 @pytest.mark.backend('pdf')
 def test_non_gui_warning():
+    pytest.mark.skipif('SYSTEM_TEAMFOUNDATIONCOLLECTIONURI' in os.environ)
     plt.subplots()
+
     with pytest.warns(UserWarning) as rec:
         plt.show()
         assert len(rec) == 1
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_backend_nbagg.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_backend_nbagg.py
index f08460b892cc..fe7204af0d9b 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_backend_nbagg.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_backend_nbagg.py
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ def _notebook_run(nb_file):
     """Execute a notebook via nbconvert and collect output.
        :returns (parsed nb object, execution errors)
     """
-    with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(suffix=".ipynb") as fout:
+    with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(suffix=".ipynb",
+                                     mode='w+t') as fout:
         args = ["jupyter", "nbconvert", "--to", "notebook", "--execute",
           "--ExecutePreprocessor.timeout=500",
           "--output", fout.name, nb_file]
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_backends_interactive.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_backends_interactive.py
index 0cb17c9d19f2..97f83799f0f3 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_backends_interactive.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_backends_interactive.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import importlib
+import importlib.util
 import os
 import signal
 import subprocess
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@ def _get_testable_interactive_backends():
 # we directly invoke it from the superclass instead.
 _test_script = """\
 import importlib
+import importlib.util
 import sys
 from unittest import TestCase
 
@@ -117,6 +119,7 @@ def test_interactive_backend(backend):
 
 @pytest.mark.skipif(os.name == "nt", reason="Cannot send SIGINT on Windows.")
 def test_webagg():
+    pytest.mark.skipif('SYSTEM_TEAMFOUNDATIONCOLLECTIONURI' in os.environ)
     pytest.importorskip("tornado")
     proc = subprocess.Popen([sys.executable, "-c", _test_script],
                             env={**os.environ, "MPLBACKEND": "webagg"})
@@ -125,6 +128,9 @@ def test_webagg():
     timeout = time.perf_counter() + _test_timeout
     while True:
         try:
+            retcode = proc.poll()
+            # check that the subprocess for the server is not dead
+            assert retcode is None
             conn = urllib.request.urlopen(url)
             break
         except urllib.error.URLError: