diff --git a/doc/api/api_changes/2017-06-08-PGE.rst b/doc/api/api_changes/2017-06-08-PGE.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e7bf2b8004b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/api/api_changes/2017-06-08-PGE.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+Added support for RGB(A) images in pcolorfast
+`````````````````````````````````````````````
+
+pcolorfast now excepts 3D images (x,y,color) as inputs in `C` if they qualify for pcolorimage or image
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
index e1e1a3d1844..18c4456b751 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
@@ -5602,6 +5602,10 @@ def pcolorfast(self, *args, **kwargs):
         C is the 2D array of color values corresponding to quadrilateral
         cells. Let (nr, nc) be its shape.  C may be a masked array.
 
+        C can in some cases be 3D with the last dimension as rgb(a).
+        This is available when C qualifies for image or pcolorimage type,
+        will throw a TyepError if C is 3D and quadmesh
+
         ``ax.pcolorfast(C, **kwargs)`` is equivalent to
         ``ax.pcolorfast([0,nc], [0,nr], C, **kwargs)``
 
@@ -5677,7 +5681,7 @@ def pcolorfast(self, *args, **kwargs):
             raise ValueError(msg)
 
         C = args[-1]
-        nr, nc = C.shape
+        nr, nc = C.shape[:2]
         if len(args) == 1:
             style = "image"
             x = [0, nc]
@@ -5698,6 +5702,10 @@ def pcolorfast(self, *args, **kwargs):
                     else:
                         style = "pcolorimage"
             elif x.ndim == 2 and y.ndim == 2:
+                if C.ndim > 2:
+                    raise TypeError('''
+                    Pcolorfast needs to use quadmesh, but C has more then 2 dimensions.
+                    Is it an RGB(A) image?''')
                 style = "quadmesh"
             else:
                 raise TypeError("arguments do not match valid signatures")