diff --git a/gstlal-inspiral/bin/gstlal_inspiral_lvalert_pastro_rate_posterior b/gstlal-inspiral/bin/gstlal_inspiral_lvalert_pastro_rate_posterior
index 95514988f07fc0621aedfbfa5d39b87e3fd77620..0e61535ee520d9efe27dae9ea71326e5d9c65ddc 100755
--- a/gstlal-inspiral/bin/gstlal_inspiral_lvalert_pastro_rate_posterior
+++ b/gstlal-inspiral/bin/gstlal_inspiral_lvalert_pastro_rate_posterior
@@ -293,11 +293,7 @@ def plot_rates(rv, credible_intervals = None):
 			y = numpy.array([rv.pdf(xx / rv.Rb) / rv.Rb for xx in x])
 			signal_axes.fill_between(x, y, 1e-8, color = "k", alpha = alpha)
 
-	try:
-		fig.tight_layout()
-	except AttributeError:
-		# old matplotlib. auto-layout not available
-		pass
+	fig.tight_layout()
 	return fig
 
 def get_ln_f_over_b(rankingstatpdf, ln_likelihood_ratios):
diff --git a/gstlal-inspiral/bin/gstlal_inspiral_plotsummary b/gstlal-inspiral/bin/gstlal_inspiral_plotsummary
index cc9887789a8f923763b798d5da58effeeffcadc1..601b96c51a671ec8b16b494b94f9470e5c972f6e 100755
--- a/gstlal-inspiral/bin/gstlal_inspiral_plotsummary
+++ b/gstlal-inspiral/bin/gstlal_inspiral_plotsummary
@@ -1821,14 +1821,7 @@ filename_template = inspiral_pipe.T050017_filename("H1L1V1", "GSTLAL_INSPIRAL_PL
 while len(plots):
 	plot_group, plot = plots.pop(0)
 	for fig, filename_fragment, is_open_box in plot.finish():
-		try:
-			fig.tight_layout(rect=(0.03, 0.02, 0.98, 0.98))
-		except AttributeError:
-			# old matplotlib
-			pass
-		except ValueError:
-			# broken at UWM
-			pass
+		fig.tight_layout(rect=(0.03, 0.02, 0.98, 0.98))
 		for fmt in options.format:
 			if filename_fragment and fig:
 				filename = filename_template % (options.user_tag, plot_group, filename_fragment, ("openbox" if is_open_box else "closedbox"), fmt)
diff --git a/gstlal-inspiral/bin/gstlal_inspiral_rate_posterior b/gstlal-inspiral/bin/gstlal_inspiral_rate_posterior
index a0d58ed7673f46bd9ba451310cb3febe658721e9..7e0997af091f93a23489b6ab0ead839671383bb2 100755
--- a/gstlal-inspiral/bin/gstlal_inspiral_rate_posterior
+++ b/gstlal-inspiral/bin/gstlal_inspiral_rate_posterior
@@ -237,11 +237,7 @@ def plot_rates(signal_rate, credible_intervals = None):
 			for lo, hi in segs:
 				signal_axes.fill_between(x[lo:hi+1], y[lo:hi+1], 1e-8, color = "k", alpha = alphas[cred])
 
-	try:
-		fig.tight_layout()
-	except AttributeError:
-		# old matplotlib. auto-layout not available
-		pass
+	fig.tight_layout()
 	return fig