diff --git a/src/core/composer/qgscomposerlegend.cpp b/src/core/composer/qgscomposerlegend.cpp
index 06a736d15084..0f1ea7f044e9 100644
--- a/src/core/composer/qgscomposerlegend.cpp
+++ b/src/core/composer/qgscomposerlegend.cpp
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ QgsComposerLegend::QgsComposerLegend( QgsComposition* composition )
     , mFilterAskedForUpdate( false )
     , mInAtlas( false )
     , mInitialMapScaleCalculated( false )
+    , mForceResize( false )
 {
   mLegendModel2 = new QgsLegendModelV2( QgsProject::instance()->layerTreeRoot() );
 
@@ -66,6 +67,8 @@ QgsComposerLegend::QgsComposerLegend()
     , mFilterOutAtlas( false )
     , mFilterAskedForUpdate( false )
     , mInAtlas( false )
+    , mInitialMapScaleCalculated( false )
+    , mForceResize( false )
 {
 
 }
@@ -117,11 +120,18 @@ void QgsComposerLegend::paint( QPainter* painter, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem
   mInitialMapScaleCalculated = true;
 
   QgsLegendRenderer legendRenderer( mLegendModel2, mSettings );
-  legendRenderer.setLegendSize( rect().size() );
+  legendRenderer.setLegendSize( mForceResize ? QSize() : rect().size() );
 
   //adjust box if width or height is too small
   QSizeF size = legendRenderer.minimumSize();
-  if ( size.height() > rect().height() || size.width() > rect().width() )
+  if ( mForceResize )
+  {
+    mForceResize = false;
+    //set new rect, respecting position mode and data defined size/position
+    QRectF targetRect = QRectF( pos().x(), pos().y(), size.width(), size.height() );
+    setSceneRect( evalItemRect( targetRect, true ) );
+  }
+  else if ( size.height() > rect().height() || size.width() > rect().width() )
   {
     //need to resize box
     QRectF targetRect = QRectF( pos().x(), pos().y(), rect().width(), rect().height() );
@@ -673,6 +683,8 @@ void QgsComposerLegend::doUpdateFilterByMap()
   }
   else
     mLegendModel2->setLegendFilterByMap( nullptr );
+
+  mForceResize = true;
 }
 
 void QgsComposerLegend::setLegendFilterOutAtlas( bool doFilter )
diff --git a/src/core/composer/qgscomposerlegend.h b/src/core/composer/qgscomposerlegend.h
index 31a3645e6133..0da8b5ee3cc0 100644
--- a/src/core/composer/qgscomposerlegend.h
+++ b/src/core/composer/qgscomposerlegend.h
@@ -296,6 +296,9 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsComposerLegend : public QgsComposerItem
 
     //! Will be false until the associated map scale and DPI have been calculated
     bool mInitialMapScaleCalculated;
+
+    //! Will be true if the legend size should be totally reset at next paint
+    bool mForceResize;
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/tests/src/python/test_qgscomposerlegend.py b/tests/src/python/test_qgscomposerlegend.py
index 0443b3791f98..7d0fc62c1ece 100644
--- a/tests/src/python/test_qgscomposerlegend.py
+++ b/tests/src/python/test_qgscomposerlegend.py
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@
                        QgsVectorLayer,
                        QgsMapLayerRegistry,
                        QgsMarkerSymbolV2,
-                       QgsSingleSymbolRendererV2
+                       QgsSingleSymbolRendererV2,
+                       QgsRectangle
                        )
 from qgis.testing import (start_app,
                           unittest
@@ -37,22 +38,19 @@
 
 class TestQgsComposerLegend(unittest.TestCase):
 
-    def __init__(self, methodName):
-        """Run once on class initialization."""
-        unittest.TestCase.__init__(self, methodName)
-        point_path = os.path.join(TEST_DATA_DIR, 'points.shp')
-        self.point_layer = QgsVectorLayer(point_path, 'points', 'ogr')
-        QgsMapLayerRegistry.instance().addMapLayers([self.point_layer])
-
     def testInitialSizeSymbolMapUnits(self):
         """Test initial size of legend with a symbol size in map units"""
 
+        point_path = os.path.join(TEST_DATA_DIR, 'points.shp')
+        point_layer = QgsVectorLayer(point_path, 'points', 'ogr')
+        QgsMapLayerRegistry.instance().addMapLayers([point_layer])
+
         marker_symbol = QgsMarkerSymbolV2.createSimple({'color': '#ff0000', 'outline_style': 'no', 'size': '5', 'size_unit': 'MapUnit'})
 
-        self.point_layer.setRendererV2(QgsSingleSymbolRendererV2(marker_symbol))
+        point_layer.setRendererV2(QgsSingleSymbolRendererV2(marker_symbol))
 
         s = QgsMapSettings()
-        s.setLayers([self.point_layer.id()])
+        s.setLayers([point_layer.id()])
         s.setCrsTransformEnabled(False)
         composition = QgsComposition(s)
         composition.setPaperSize(297, 210)
@@ -60,7 +58,7 @@ def testInitialSizeSymbolMapUnits(self):
         composer_map = QgsComposerMap(composition, 20, 20, 80, 80)
         composer_map.setFrameEnabled(True)
         composition.addComposerMap(composer_map)
-        composer_map.setNewExtent(self.point_layer.extent())
+        composer_map.setNewExtent(point_layer.extent())
 
         legend = QgsComposerLegend(composition)
         legend.setSceneRect(QRectF(120, 20, 80, 80))
@@ -77,6 +75,46 @@ def testInitialSizeSymbolMapUnits(self):
         result, message = checker.testComposition()
         self.assertTrue(result, message)
 
+        QgsMapLayerRegistry.instance().removeMapLayers([point_layer])
+
+    def testResizeWithMapContent(self):
+        """Test test legend resizes to match map content"""
+
+        point_path = os.path.join(TEST_DATA_DIR, 'points.shp')
+        point_layer = QgsVectorLayer(point_path, 'points', 'ogr')
+        QgsMapLayerRegistry.instance().addMapLayers([point_layer])
+
+        s = QgsMapSettings()
+        s.setLayers([point_layer.id()])
+        s.setCrsTransformEnabled(False)
+        composition = QgsComposition(s)
+        composition.setPaperSize(297, 210)
+
+        composer_map = QgsComposerMap(composition, 20, 20, 80, 80)
+        composer_map.setFrameEnabled(True)
+        composition.addComposerMap(composer_map)
+        composer_map.setNewExtent(point_layer.extent())
+
+        legend = QgsComposerLegend(composition)
+        legend.setSceneRect(QRectF(120, 20, 80, 80))
+        legend.setFrameEnabled(True)
+        legend.setFrameOutlineWidth(2)
+        legend.setBackgroundColor(QColor(200, 200, 200))
+        legend.setTitle('')
+        legend.setLegendFilterByMapEnabled(True)
+        composition.addComposerLegend(legend)
+        legend.setComposerMap(composer_map)
+
+        composer_map.setNewExtent(QgsRectangle(-102.51, 41.16, -102.36, 41.30))
+
+        checker = QgsCompositionChecker(
+            'composer_legend_size_content', composition)
+        checker.setControlPathPrefix("composer_legend")
+        result, message = checker.testComposition()
+        self.assertTrue(result, message)
+
+        QgsMapLayerRegistry.instance().removeMapLayers([point_layer])
+
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main()
diff --git a/tests/testdata/control_images/composer_legend/expected_composer_legend_size_content/expected_composer_legend_size_content.png b/tests/testdata/control_images/composer_legend/expected_composer_legend_size_content/expected_composer_legend_size_content.png
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..604dbbcb6dfd
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diff --git a/tests/testdata/control_images/composer_legend/expected_composer_legend_size_content/expected_composer_legend_size_content_mask.png b/tests/testdata/control_images/composer_legend/expected_composer_legend_size_content/expected_composer_legend_size_content_mask.png
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..4451dd55ca83
Binary files /dev/null and b/tests/testdata/control_images/composer_legend/expected_composer_legend_size_content/expected_composer_legend_size_content_mask.png differ