diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py b/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py
index e6778255282..e33a015a66d 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py
@@ -865,7 +865,7 @@ def validate_animation_writer_path(p):
     'verbose.fileo': ['sys.stdout', six.text_type],
 
     # line props
-    'lines.linewidth':       [2.5, validate_float],  # line width in points
+    'lines.linewidth':       [1.5, validate_float],  # line width in points
     'lines.linestyle':       ['-', six.text_type],             # solid line
     'lines.color':           ['b', validate_color],  # blue
     'lines.marker':          ['None', six.text_type],     # black
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_bbox_inches.pdf b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_bbox_inches.pdf
index 9517636f7fa..a4083768d99 100644
Binary files a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_bbox_inches.pdf and b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_bbox_inches.pdf differ
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_mixedmode.pdf b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_mixedmode.pdf
index e0277ec9c5d..a3e1aca2291 100644
Binary files a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_mixedmode.pdf and b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_mixedmode.pdf differ
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_pdflatex.pdf b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_pdflatex.pdf
index 20410dd4670..384e9a4a119 100644
Binary files a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_pdflatex.pdf and b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_pdflatex.pdf differ
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_rcupdate1.pdf b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_rcupdate1.pdf
index a264798cf5d..21b3a1b32a5 100644
Binary files a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_rcupdate1.pdf and b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_rcupdate1.pdf differ
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_rcupdate2.pdf b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_rcupdate2.pdf
index 2c22c91d466..4c54ad2eeee 100644
Binary files a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_rcupdate2.pdf and b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_rcupdate2.pdf differ
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_xelatex.pdf b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_xelatex.pdf
index bd4e116bde1..88f2184e320 100644
Binary files a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_xelatex.pdf and b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_backend_pgf/pgf_xelatex.pdf differ
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_backend_pgf.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_backend_pgf.py
index 09f7c395f47..d3cbb64143c 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_backend_pgf.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_backend_pgf.py
@@ -134,7 +134,10 @@ def test_rcupdate():
                                      '\\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}',
                                      '\\usepackage{sfmath}']})
     tol = (6, 0)
+    original_params = mpl.rcParams.copy()
     for i, rc_set in enumerate(rc_sets):
+        mpl.rcParams.clear()
+        mpl.rcParams.update(original_params)
         mpl.rcParams.update(rc_set)
         create_figure()
         compare_figure('pgf_rcupdate%d.pdf' % (i + 1), tol=tol[i])
diff --git a/matplotlibrc.template b/matplotlibrc.template
index 24884096ed7..f7aa486f091 100644
--- a/matplotlibrc.template
+++ b/matplotlibrc.template
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ backend      : $TEMPLATE_BACKEND
 ### LINES
 # See http://matplotlib.org/api/artist_api.html#module-matplotlib.lines for more
 # information on line properties.
-#lines.linewidth   : 2.0     # line width in points
+#lines.linewidth   : 1.5     # line width in points
 #lines.linestyle   : -       # solid line
 #lines.color       : blue    # has no affect on plot(); see axes.prop_cycle
 #lines.marker      : None    # the default marker