diff --git a/examples/units/basic_units.py b/examples/units/basic_units.py
index ffc1222e4381..4f8b514e0de5 100644
--- a/examples/units/basic_units.py
+++ b/examples/units/basic_units.py
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ def __call__(self, *args):
             if hasattr(a, 'convert_to'):
                 try:
                     a = a.convert_to(self.unit)
-                except:
+                except Exception:
                     pass
                 arg_units.append(a.get_unit())
                 converted_args.append(a.get_value())
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/artist.py b/lib/matplotlib/artist.py
index abf330bc1b3c..bb7316d47799 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/artist.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/artist.py
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@ def hitlist(self, event):
             hascursor, info = self.contains(event)
             if hascursor:
                 L.append(self)
-        except:
+        except Exception:
             import traceback
             traceback.print_exc()
             print("while checking", self.__class__)
@@ -1437,7 +1437,7 @@ def properties(self):
                 with warnings.catch_warnings():
                     warnings.simplefilter('ignore')
                     val = func()
-            except:
+            except Exception:
                 continue
             else:
                 d[name[4:]] = val
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axis.py b/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
index 386185bb9efe..57b5fe656daf 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
@@ -1077,7 +1077,7 @@ def _update_ticks(self, renderer):
                 try:
                     ds1 = self._get_pixel_distance_along_axis(
                         interval_expanded[0], -0.5)
-                except:
+                except Exception:
                     warnings.warn("Unable to find pixel distance along axis "
                                   "for interval padding of ticks; assuming no "
                                   "interval padding needed.")
@@ -1087,7 +1087,7 @@ def _update_ticks(self, renderer):
                 try:
                     ds2 = self._get_pixel_distance_along_axis(
                         interval_expanded[1], +0.5)
-                except:
+                except Exception:
                     warnings.warn("Unable to find pixel distance along axis "
                                   "for interval padding of ticks; assuming no "
                                   "interval padding needed.")
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py b/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py
index 82493315a625..a39b0afccc3a 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py
@@ -1407,7 +1407,7 @@ def _update_enter_leave(self):
                 try:
                     if last.inaxes is not None:
                         last.canvas.callbacks.process('axes_leave_event', last)
-                except:
+                except Exception:
                     pass
                     # See ticket 2901582.
                     # I think this is a valid exception to the rule
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_pgf.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_pgf.py
index b0d72b5ddf13..c989d38ddbb5 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_pgf.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_pgf.py
@@ -357,7 +357,7 @@ def get_width_height_descent(self, text, prop):
         # parse metrics from the answer string
         try:
             width, height, offset = answer.splitlines()[0].split(",")
-        except:
+        except Exception:
             raise ValueError("Error processing '{}'\nLaTeX Output:\n{}"
                              .format(text, answer))
         w, h, o = float(width[:-2]), float(height[:-2]), float(offset[:-2])
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/cbook/__init__.py b/lib/matplotlib/cbook/__init__.py
index 3debb61c08ee..bbc77d9578cd 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/cbook/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/cbook/__init__.py
@@ -1049,7 +1049,7 @@ def delete_masked_points(*args):
                 mask = np.isfinite(xd)
                 if isinstance(mask, np.ndarray):
                     masks.append(mask)
-            except:  # Fixme: put in tuple of possible exceptions?
+            except Exception:  # Fixme: put in tuple of possible exceptions?
                 pass
     if len(masks):
         mask = np.logical_and.reduce(masks)
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/mlab.py b/lib/matplotlib/mlab.py
index 18754c64a789..717112844a61 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/mlab.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/mlab.py
@@ -3032,7 +3032,7 @@ def get_type(item, atype=int):
         tdict = {None: int, int: float, float: str}
         try:
             atype(str(item))
-        except:
+        except Exception:
             return get_type(item, tdict[atype])
         return atype
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/testing/decorators.py b/lib/matplotlib/testing/decorators.py
index 85b8d5e87d6b..cddb910e12fa 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/testing/decorators.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/testing/decorators.py
@@ -497,7 +497,7 @@ def skip_if_command_unavailable(cmd):
     from subprocess import check_output
     try:
         check_output(cmd)
-    except:
+    except Exception:
         import pytest
         return pytest.mark.skip(reason='missing command: %s' % cmd[0])
 
diff --git a/setupext.py b/setupext.py
index 9ff35cd9f095..0f1128e3c548 100644
--- a/setupext.py
+++ b/setupext.py
@@ -1009,7 +1009,7 @@ def do_custom_build(self):
         try:
             tarball_cache_dir = _get_xdg_cache_dir()
             tarball_cache_path = os.path.join(tarball_cache_dir, tarball)
-        except:
+        except Exception:
             # again, do not really care if this fails
             tarball_cache_dir = None
             tarball_cache_path = None
@@ -1640,5 +1640,5 @@ def get_config(cls):
         """
         try:
             return config.getboolean(cls.config_category, cls.name)
-        except:
+        except Exception:
             return False  # <-- default
diff --git a/tools/visualize_tests.py b/tools/visualize_tests.py
index 539dd4db2eb4..7786a232f09f 100644
--- a/tools/visualize_tests.py
+++ b/tools/visualize_tests.py
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ def run(show_browser=True):
         try:
             import webbrowser
             webbrowser.open(index)
-        except:
+        except Exception:
             show_message = True
 
     if show_message: