--- a/scripts/plot/legend.m
+++ b/scripts/plot/legend.m
@@ -80,10 +80,9 @@
 
 function legend (varargin)
 
+  [ca, varargin, nargin] = __plt_get_axis_arg__ ("legend", varargin{:});
   nargs = nargin;
 
-  ca = gca ();
-
   if (nargs > 0)
     pos = varargin{nargs};
     if (isnumeric (pos) && isscalar (pos) && round (pos) == pos)
@@ -132,12 +131,25 @@
 	  case "boxoff"
 	    set (ca, "keybox", "off");
 	  otherwise
-	    while (k <= nkids && ! strcmp (get (kids(k), "type"), "line"))
+	    typ = get (kids (k), "type");
+	    while (k <= nkids && ! strcmp (typ, "line") &&
+		   ! strcmp (typ, "hggroup"))
 	      k++;
 	    endwhile
 	    if (k <= nkids)
 	      turn_on_legend = true;
-	      set (kids(k), "keylabel", arg);
+	      if (strcmp (typ, "hggroup"))
+		hgkids = get (kids(k), "children");
+		for j = 1 : length (hgkids)
+		  hgobj = get (hgkids (j));
+		  if (isfield (hgobj, "keylabel"))
+		    set (hgkids(j), "keylabel", arg);
+		    break;
+		  endif
+		endfor
+	      else
+		set (kids(k), "keylabel", arg);
+	      endif
 	    else
 	      warning ("legend: ignoring extra labels");
 	    endif
@@ -160,7 +172,8 @@
     for i = 1:nkids
       if (strcmp (get (kids(k), "type"), "line")
 	  || strcmp (get (kids(k), "type"), "surface")
-	  || strcmp (get (kids(k), "type"), "patch"))
+	  || strcmp (get (kids(k), "type"), "patch")
+	  || strcmp (get (kids(k), "type"), "hggroup"))
 	have_data = true;
 	break;
       endif
@@ -177,11 +190,23 @@
       while (k <= nkids
 	     && ! (strcmp (get (kids(k), "type"), "line")
 		   || strcmp (get (kids(k), "type"), "surface")
-		   || strcmp (get (kids(k), "type"), "patch")))
+		   || strcmp (get (kids(k), "type"), "patch")
+		   || strcmp (get (kids(k), "type"), "hggroup")))
 	k++;
       endwhile
       if (k <= nkids)
-	set (kids(k), "keylabel", arg);
+	if (strcmp (get (kids(k), "type"), "hggroup"))
+	  hgkids = get (kids(k), "children");
+	  for j = 1 : length (hgkids)
+	    hgobj = get (hgkids (j));
+	    if (isfield (hgobj, "keylabel"))
+	      set (hgkids(j), "keylabel", arg);
+	      break;
+	    endif
+	  endfor
+	else
+	  set (kids(k), "keylabel", arg);
+	endif
 	turn_on_legend = true;
 	k++;
       elseif (! warned)
@@ -189,6 +214,9 @@
 	warning ("legend: ignoring extra labels");
       endif
     else
+      arg
+      get(kids(k),"type")
+      k
       error ("legend: expecting argument to be a character string");
     endif
   endfor