--- a/scripts/plot/ishold.m
+++ b/scripts/plot/ishold.m
@@ -30,16 +30,12 @@
 function retval = ishold (h)
 
   if (nargin == 0)
-    ax = gca ();
     fig = gcf ();
+    ax = get (fig, "currentaxes");
   elseif (nargin == 1)
     if (ishandle (h))
       if (isfigure (h))
         ax = get (h, "currentaxes");
-        if (isempty (ax))
-          ax = __go_axes__ (h);
-          set (h, "currentaxes", ax);
-        endif
         fig = h;
       elseif (strcmpi (get (h, "type"), "axes"))
         ax = h;
@@ -55,13 +51,16 @@
   endif
 
   retval = (strcmpi (get (fig, "nextplot"), "add")
-            && strcmpi (get (ax, "nextplot"), "add"));
+            && ! isempty (ax) && strcmpi (get (ax, "nextplot"), "add"));
 
 endfunction
 
 %!test
 %! hf = figure ("visible", "off");
 %! unwind_protect
+%!   assert (!ishold);
+%!   assert (isempty (get (hf, "currentaxes")));
+%!   assert (get (hf, "NextPlot"), "add");
 %!   l = plot ([0 1]);
 %!   assert (!ishold);
 %!   assert (!ishold (gca));