diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/image.py b/lib/matplotlib/image.py
index 03b651edafb8..fcffc19e6098 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/image.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/image.py
@@ -625,6 +625,13 @@ def contains(self, mouseevent):
         """
         if self._contains is not None:
             return self._contains(self, mouseevent)
+        # 1) This doesn't work for figimage; but figimage also needs a fix
+        #    below (as the check cannot use x/ydata and extents).
+        # 2) As long as the check below uses x/ydata, we need to test axes
+        #    identity instead of `self.axes.contains(event)` because even if
+        #    axes overlap, x/ydata is only valid for event.inaxes anyways.
+        if self.axes is not mouseevent.inaxes:
+            return False, {}
         # TODO: make sure this is consistent with patch and patch
         # collection on nonlinear transformed coordinates.
         # TODO: consider returning image coordinates (shouldn't