diff --git a/ultraplot/__init__.py b/ultraplot/__init__.py
index 140e9a3b6..832b3a5cf 100644
--- a/ultraplot/__init__.py
+++ b/ultraplot/__init__.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import sys
+from functools import wraps
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Optional
 
@@ -86,6 +87,7 @@ def _setup():
             from .utils import check_for_update
 
             check_for_update("ultraplot")
+        _patch_funcanimation_draw_idle()
         success = True
     finally:
         if success:
@@ -106,6 +108,89 @@ def setup(eager: Optional[bool] = None) -> None:
         _LOADER.load_all(globals())
 
 
+def _patch_funcanimation_draw_idle():
+    try:
+        import matplotlib.animation as mpl_animation
+    except Exception:
+        return
+
+    try:
+        from .config import rc
+    except Exception:
+        return
+    if not rc.get("animation.force_draw_idle", True):
+        return
+
+    if getattr(mpl_animation.FuncAnimation, "_ultra_draw_idle_patched", False):
+        return
+
+    orig_init = mpl_animation.FuncAnimation.__init__
+    orig_stop = getattr(mpl_animation.FuncAnimation, "_stop", None)
+
+    def _install_draw_idle(self, fig):
+        if fig is None or not hasattr(fig, "_layout_dirty"):
+            return
+        canvas = getattr(fig, "canvas", None)
+        if canvas is None or not hasattr(canvas, "draw_idle"):
+            return
+        if getattr(canvas, "manager", None) is None:
+            return
+
+        count = getattr(canvas, "_ultra_draw_idle_count", 0)
+        if count == 0:
+            canvas._ultra_draw_idle_orig = canvas.draw_idle
+
+            # TODO: Replace this monkeypatch with a backend-level fix once
+            # draw_idle artifacts are resolved upstream.
+            def draw_idle(*args, **kwargs):
+                return canvas.draw(*args, **kwargs)
+
+            canvas.draw_idle = draw_idle
+        canvas._ultra_draw_idle_count = count + 1
+
+        import weakref
+
+        canvas_ref = weakref.ref(canvas)
+
+        def restore():
+            canvas = canvas_ref()
+            if canvas is None:
+                return
+            count = getattr(canvas, "_ultra_draw_idle_count", 0)
+            if count <= 1:
+                orig = getattr(canvas, "_ultra_draw_idle_orig", None)
+                if orig is not None:
+                    canvas.draw_idle = orig
+                    delattr(canvas, "_ultra_draw_idle_orig")
+                canvas._ultra_draw_idle_count = 0
+            else:
+                canvas._ultra_draw_idle_count = count - 1
+
+        self._ultra_restore_draw_idle = restore
+        self._ultra_draw_idle_finalizer = weakref.finalize(self, restore)
+
+    @wraps(orig_init)
+    def __init__(self, fig, *args, **kwargs):
+        orig_init(self, fig, *args, **kwargs)
+        _install_draw_idle(self, fig)
+
+    mpl_animation.FuncAnimation.__init__ = __init__
+
+    if orig_stop is not None:
+
+        @wraps(orig_stop)
+        def _stop(self, *args, **kwargs):
+            restore = getattr(self, "_ultra_restore_draw_idle", None)
+            if restore is not None:
+                restore()
+                self._ultra_restore_draw_idle = None
+            return orig_stop(self, *args, **kwargs)
+
+        mpl_animation.FuncAnimation._stop = _stop
+
+    mpl_animation.FuncAnimation._ultra_draw_idle_patched = True
+
+
 def _build_registry_map():
     global _REGISTRY_ATTRS
     if _REGISTRY_ATTRS is not None:
diff --git a/ultraplot/figure.py b/ultraplot/figure.py
index b2612d6a3..6ea87d3dc 100644
--- a/ultraplot/figure.py
+++ b/ultraplot/figure.py
@@ -483,7 +483,8 @@ def _canvas_preprocess(self, *args, **kwargs):
         ctx2 = fig._context_authorized()  # skip backend set_constrained_layout()
         ctx3 = rc.context(fig._render_context)  # draw with figure-specific setting
         with ctx1, ctx2, ctx3:
-            fig.auto_layout()
+            if fig._layout_dirty:
+                fig.auto_layout()
             return func(self, *args, **kwargs)
 
     # Add preprocessor
@@ -799,6 +800,9 @@ def __init__(
         self._is_authorized = False
         self._includepanels = None
         self._render_context = {}
+        self._layout_dirty = True
+        self._ultra_layout_scheduled = False
+        self._ultra_layout_in_progress = False
         rc_kw, rc_mode = _pop_rc(kwargs)
         kw_format = _pop_params(kwargs, self._format_signature)
         if figwidth is not None and figheight is not None:
@@ -1497,6 +1501,7 @@ def _add_axes_panel(
                 pax.yaxis.set_tick_params(**{pax._label_key("labelright"): on})
                 ax.yaxis.set_tick_params(**{ax._label_key("labelright"): False})
 
+        self._layout_dirty = True
         return pax
 
     @_clear_border_cache
@@ -1539,6 +1544,7 @@ def _add_figure_panel(
         pax._panel_side = side
         pax._panel_share = False
         pax._panel_parent = None
+        self._layout_dirty = True
         return pax
 
     @_clear_border_cache
@@ -2308,6 +2314,7 @@ def add_axes(self, rect, **kwargs):
         %(figure.axes)s
         """
         kwargs = self._parse_proj(**kwargs)
+        self._layout_dirty = True
         return super().add_axes(rect, **kwargs)
 
     @docstring._concatenate_inherited
@@ -2316,7 +2323,9 @@ def add_subplot(self, *args, **kwargs):
         """
         %(figure.subplot)s
         """
-        return self._add_subplot(*args, **kwargs)
+        ax = self._add_subplot(*args, **kwargs)
+        self._layout_dirty = True
+        return ax
 
     @docstring._snippet_manager
     def subplot(self, *args, **kwargs):  # shorthand
@@ -2330,7 +2339,9 @@ def add_subplots(self, *args, **kwargs):
         """
         %(figure.subplots)s
         """
-        return self._add_subplots(*args, **kwargs)
+        axs = self._add_subplots(*args, **kwargs)
+        self._layout_dirty = True
+        return axs
 
     @docstring._snippet_manager
     def subplots(self, *args, **kwargs):
@@ -2363,14 +2374,13 @@ def auto_layout(self, renderer=None, aspect=None, tight=None, resize=None):
             to `~Figure.subplots`, `~Figure.set_size_inches` was called manually,
             or the figure was resized manually with an interactive backend.
         """
+
         # *Impossible* to get notebook backend to work with auto resizing so we
         # just do the tight layout adjustments and skip resizing.
         gs = self.gridspec
         renderer = self._get_renderer()
-        if aspect is None:
-            aspect = True
-        if tight is None:
-            tight = self._tight_active
+        layout_aspect = True if aspect is None else aspect
+        layout_tight = self._tight_active if tight is None else tight
         if resize is False:  # fix the size
             self._figwidth, self._figheight = self.get_size_inches()
             self._refwidth = self._refheight = None  # critical!
@@ -2390,19 +2400,47 @@ def _align_content():  # noqa: E306
                 self._align_super_labels(side, renderer)
             self._align_super_title(renderer)
 
+        before = self._layout_signature()
+
         # Update the layout
         # WARNING: Tried to avoid two figure resizes but made
         # subsequent tight layout really weird. Have to resize twice.
         _draw_content()
         if not gs:
+            self._layout_dirty = False
             return
-        if aspect:
+        if layout_aspect:
             gs._auto_layout_aspect()
         _align_content()
-        if tight:
+        if layout_tight:
             gs._auto_layout_tight(renderer)
         _align_content()
 
+        after = self._layout_signature()
+        self._layout_dirty = before != after
+        if self._layout_dirty and getattr(self, "canvas", None):
+            # Only schedule when an interactive manager exists to avoid recursion.
+            if getattr(self.canvas, "manager", None) is not None:
+                if not getattr(self.canvas, "_is_idle_drawing", False):
+                    self.canvas.draw_idle()
+
+    def _layout_signature(self):
+        """
+        Snapshot layout-defining state to detect convergence across draws.
+        """
+        gs = self.gridspec
+        if not gs:
+            return None
+        return (
+            tuple(self.get_size_inches()),
+            gs._left_default,
+            gs._right_default,
+            gs._bottom_default,
+            gs._top_default,
+            tuple(gs._hspace_total_default),
+            tuple(gs._wspace_total_default),
+        )
+
     @warnings._rename_kwargs(
         "0.10.0", mathtext_fallback="uplt.rc.mathtext_fallback = {}"
     )
@@ -2780,6 +2818,7 @@ def colorbar(
                 pad=pad,
             )
             cb = ax.colorbar(mappable, values, loc="fill", **kwargs)
+        self._layout_dirty = True
         return cb
 
     @docstring._concatenate_inherited
@@ -2995,6 +3034,7 @@ def legend(
                 pad=pad,
             )
             leg = ax.legend(handles, labels, loc="fill", **kwargs)
+        self._layout_dirty = True
         return leg
 
     @docstring._snippet_manager
diff --git a/ultraplot/gridspec.py b/ultraplot/gridspec.py
index 6f4c2d229..3aa462612 100644
--- a/ultraplot/gridspec.py
+++ b/ultraplot/gridspec.py
@@ -1129,6 +1129,7 @@ def _update_params(
         wratios=None,
         width_ratios=None,
         height_ratios=None,
+        layout_array=None,
     ):
         """
         Update the user-specified properties.
diff --git a/ultraplot/internals/rcsetup.py b/ultraplot/internals/rcsetup.py
index 7a2dc6cb8..81cd81b0a 100644
--- a/ultraplot/internals/rcsetup.py
+++ b/ultraplot/internals/rcsetup.py
@@ -988,6 +988,12 @@ def copy(self):
         "name. If ``None``, a custom ultraplot style is used. "
         "If ``'default'``, the default matplotlib style is used.",
     ),
+    "animation.force_draw_idle": (
+        True,
+        _validate_bool,
+        "Whether to force `draw_idle` to call `draw` during animations for "
+        "ultraplot figures to avoid backend redraw artifacts.",
+    ),
     # A-b-c labels
     "abc": (
         False,