@@ -210,22 +210,20 @@ def demo():
                           'CapStyle': CapStyle.input_description})
 
 
-def _get_dash_pattern(style):
-    """Convert linestyle to dash pattern."""
-    # import must be local for validator code to live here
-    from . import rcParams
-    # un-dashed styles
-    if style in ['solid', 'None']:
-        offset = 0
-        dashes = None
-    # dashed styles
-    elif style in ['dashed', 'dashdot', 'dotted']:
-        offset = 0
-        dashes = tuple(rcParams['lines.{}_pattern'.format(style)])
-    return offset, dashes
-
-
-class LineStyle(Enum):
+#: Maps short codes for line style to their full name used by backends.
+_ls_mapper = {'-': 'solid', '--': 'dashed', '-.': 'dashdot', ':': 'dotted'}
+_deprecated_lineStyles = {  # hidden names deprecated
+    '-':    '_draw_solid',
+    '--':   '_draw_dashed',
+    '-.':   '_draw_dash_dot',
+    ':':    '_draw_dotted',
+    'None': '_draw_nothing',
+    ' ':    '_draw_nothing',
+    '':     '_draw_nothing',
+}
+
+
+class LineStyle(str, Enum):
     """
     Describe if the line is solid or dashed, and the dash pattern, if any.
 
@@ -285,19 +283,6 @@ class LineStyle(Enum):
     none = 'None'
     _custom = 'custom'
 
-    _deprecated_lineStyles = {  # hidden names deprecated
-        '-':    '_draw_solid',
-        '--':   '_draw_dashed',
-        '-.':   '_draw_dash_dot',
-        ':':    '_draw_dotted',
-        'None': '_draw_nothing',
-        ' ':    '_draw_nothing',
-        '':     '_draw_nothing',
-    }
-
-    #: Maps short codes for line style to their full name used by backends.
-    ls_mapper = {'-': 'solid', '--': 'dashed', '-.': 'dashdot', ':': 'dotted'}
-
     def __init__(self, ls, scale=1):
         """
         Parameters
@@ -312,13 +297,14 @@ def __init__(self, ls, scale=1):
             factor.
         """
 
+        self._linestyle_spec = ls
         if isinstance(ls, str):
             if ls in [' ', '', 'none']:
                 ls = 'None'
-            if ls in LineStyle.ls_mapper:
-                ls = LineStyle.ls_mapper[ls]
+            if ls in _ls_mapper:
+                ls = _ls_mapper[ls]
             Enum.__init__(self)
-            offset, onoffseq = _get_dash_pattern(ls)
+            offset, onoffseq = None, None
         else:
             try:
                 offset, onoffseq = ls
@@ -342,22 +328,45 @@ def __init__(self, ls, scale=1):
             if not all(isinstance(elem, Number) for elem in onoffseq):
                 raise ValueError('LineStyle onoffseq must be list of floats.')
         self._us_offset = offset
-        self._us_onoffseq = dashes
-        self.scale(scale)
-
-    @property
-    def scale(self):
-        return self._scale
-
-    @scale.setter
-    def scale(self, s):
-        if s < 0:
-            raise ValueError('LineStyle cannot be scaled by a negative value.')
-        self.offset = self._us_offset * s
-        self.onoffseq = (
-            [x * s if x is not None else None for x in self._us_onoffseq]
-            if self._us_onoffseq is not None else None
-        )
+        self._us_onoffseq = onoffseq
+
+    def get_dashes(self, lw=1):
+        """
+        Get the (scaled) dash sequence for this `.LineStyle`.
+        """
+        # defer lookup until draw time
+        if self._us_offset is None or self._us_onoffseq is None:
+            self._us_offset, self._us_onoffseq = \
+                    LineStyle._get_dash_pattern(self.name)
+            # normalize offset to be positive and shorter than the dash cycle
+            dsum = sum(self._us_onoffseq)
+            self._us_offset %= dsum
+        return self._scale_dashes(self._us_offset, self._us_onoffseq, lw)
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _scale_dashes(offset, dashes, lw):
+        from . import rcParams
+        if not rcParams['lines.scale_dashes']:
+            return offset, dashes
+        scaled_offset = offset * lw
+        scaled_dashes = ([x * lw if x is not None else None for x in dashes]
+                          if dashes is not None else None)
+        return scaled_offset, scaled_dashes
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _get_dash_pattern(style):
+        """Convert linestyle string to explicit dash pattern."""
+        # import must be local for validator code to live here
+        from . import rcParams
+        # un-dashed styles
+        if style in ['solid', 'None']:
+            offset = 0
+            dashes = None
+        # dashed styles
+        elif style in ['dashed', 'dashdot', 'dotted']:
+            offset = 0
+            dashes = tuple(rcParams['lines.{}_pattern'.format(style)])
+        return offset, dashes
 
     @staticmethod
     def from_dashes(seq):
@@ -443,3 +452,7 @@ def plot_linestyles(ax, linestyles, title):
 
         plt.tight_layout()
         plt.show()
+
+
+LineStyle._ls_mapper = _ls_mapper
+LineStyle._deprecated_lineStyles = _deprecated_lineStyles
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 from .path import Path
 from .transforms import (
     Affine2D, Bbox, BboxTransformFrom, BboxTransformTo, TransformedPath)
-from ._types import JoinStyle, CapStyle
+from ._types import JoinStyle, CapStyle, LineStyle
 
 # Imported here for backward compatibility, even though they don't
 # really belong.
@@ -308,14 +308,6 @@ def __init__(self, xdata, ydata,
         self._drawstyle = None
         self._linewidth = linewidth
 
-        # scaled dash + offset
-        self._dashSeq = None
-        self._dashOffset = 0
-        # unscaled dash + offset
-        # this is needed scaling the dash pattern by linewidth
-        self._us_dashSeq = None
-        self._us_dashOffset = 0
-
         self.set_linewidth(linewidth)
         self.set_linestyle(linestyle)
         self.set_drawstyle(drawstyle)
@@ -739,7 +731,7 @@ def draw(self, renderer):
                 if self.get_sketch_params() is not None:
                     gc.set_sketch_params(*self.get_sketch_params())
 
-                gc.set_dashes(self._dashOffset, self._dashSeq)
+                gc.set_dashes(*self._linestyle.get_dashes(self._linewidth))
                 renderer.draw_path(gc, tpath, affine.frozen())
                 gc.restore()
 
@@ -1191,7 +1183,7 @@ def set_ydata(self, y):
     def set_dashes(self, seq):
         self.set_linestyle(LineStyle.from_dashes(seq))
 
-    set_dashes.__doc__ = LineStyle.from_dashes.__doc_r
+    set_dashes.__doc__ = LineStyle.from_dashes.__doc__
 
     def update_from(self, other):
         """Copy properties from *other* to self."""
@@ -1204,10 +1196,6 @@ def update_from(self, other):
         self._markerfacecoloralt = other._markerfacecoloralt
         self._markeredgecolor = other._markeredgecolor
         self._markeredgewidth = other._markeredgewidth
-        self._dashSeq = other._dashSeq
-        self._us_dashSeq = other._us_dashSeq
-        self._dashOffset = other._dashOffset
-        self._us_dashOffset = other._us_dashOffset
         self._dashcapstyle = other._dashcapstyle
         self._dashjoinstyle = other._dashjoinstyle
         self._solidcapstyle = other._solidcapstyle