diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axis.py b/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
index 1a903733de86..1670514d8c59 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
@@ -1064,19 +1064,18 @@ def _update_ticks(self):
         Update ticks (position and labels) using the current data interval of
         the axes.  Return the list of ticks that will be drawn.
         """
-
-        major_locs = self.major.locator()
+        major_locs = self.get_majorticklocs()
+        major_labels = self.major.formatter.format_ticks(major_locs)
         major_ticks = self.get_major_ticks(len(major_locs))
         self.major.formatter.set_locs(major_locs)
-        major_labels = self.major.formatter.format_ticks(major_locs)
         for tick, loc, label in zip(major_ticks, major_locs, major_labels):
             tick.update_position(loc)
             tick.set_label1(label)
             tick.set_label2(label)
-        minor_locs = self.minor.locator()
+        minor_locs = self.get_minorticklocs()
+        minor_labels = self.minor.formatter.format_ticks(minor_locs)
         minor_ticks = self.get_minor_ticks(len(minor_locs))
         self.minor.formatter.set_locs(minor_locs)
-        minor_labels = self.minor.formatter.format_ticks(minor_locs)
         for tick, loc, label in zip(minor_ticks, minor_locs, minor_labels):
             tick.update_position(loc)
             tick.set_label1(label)
@@ -1317,6 +1316,9 @@ def get_minorticklocs(self):
         # Remove minor ticks duplicating major ticks.
         major_locs = self.major.locator()
         minor_locs = self.minor.locator()
+        # we do check when we set the attribute that this is a Locator
+        # subclass, use getattr out of an over abundance of caution
+        remove_overlaps = getattr(self.minor.locator, 'remove_overlaps', True)
         transform = self._scale.get_transform()
         tr_minor_locs = transform.transform(minor_locs)
         tr_major_locs = transform.transform(major_locs)
@@ -1324,9 +1326,11 @@ def get_minorticklocs(self):
         # Use the transformed view limits as scale.  1e-5 is the default rtol
         # for np.isclose.
         tol = (hi - lo) * 1e-5
-        minor_locs = [
-            loc for loc, tr_loc in zip(minor_locs, tr_minor_locs)
-            if not np.isclose(tr_loc, tr_major_locs, atol=tol, rtol=0).any()]
+        if remove_overlaps:
+            minor_locs = [
+                loc for loc, tr_loc in zip(minor_locs, tr_minor_locs)
+                if ~(np.isclose(tr_loc, tr_major_locs, atol=tol, rtol=0).any())
+            ]
         return minor_locs
 
     def get_ticklocs(self, minor=False):
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/ticker.py b/lib/matplotlib/ticker.py
index b29ddba2e0b6..b12363daed95 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/ticker.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/ticker.py
@@ -1469,6 +1469,11 @@ class Locator(TickHelper):
     # many ticks are generated.
     MAXTICKS = 1000
 
+    # Default to requsting minor locators have overlapping ticks with the
+    # major locator removed.  If you want to have overlapping ticks, set
+    # this to False on the Locator instance.
+    remove_overlaps = True
+
     def tick_values(self, vmin, vmax):
         """
         Return the values of the located ticks given **vmin** and **vmax**.