diff --git a/Framework/PythonInterface/mantid/plots/mantidaxes.py b/Framework/PythonInterface/mantid/plots/mantidaxes.py
index a9c7f4482fa1c3e75e2000739c3f3d1b48754cc2..8ad76112806bfcbfd13b60230126b159cc32a49f 100644
--- a/Framework/PythonInterface/mantid/plots/mantidaxes.py
+++ b/Framework/PythonInterface/mantid/plots/mantidaxes.py
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ class MantidAxes(Axes):
         Remove the artists reference by this workspace (if any) and return True
         if the axes is then empty
         :param workspace: A Workspace object
-        :return: True if the axes is empty, false if artists remain or this workspace is not associated here
+        :return: True is an artist was removed False if one was not
         """
         try:
             # pop to ensure we don't hold onto an artist reference
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ class MantidAxes(Axes):
         for workspace_artist in artist_info:
             workspace_artist.remove(self)
 
-        return self.is_empty(self)
+        return True
 
     def remove_artists_if(self, unary_predicate):
         """
diff --git a/Framework/PythonInterface/test/python/mantid/plots/plots__init__Test.py b/Framework/PythonInterface/test/python/mantid/plots/plots__init__Test.py
index 781ba2262e2c42f1ff9e52d726b1bfc7ec751dd7..6f4b1d2c4d4103fddb08368c1ac780c2a6efb49e 100644
--- a/Framework/PythonInterface/test/python/mantid/plots/plots__init__Test.py
+++ b/Framework/PythonInterface/test/python/mantid/plots/plots__init__Test.py
@@ -76,14 +76,15 @@ class Plots__init__Test(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_remove_workspace_artist_for_known_workspace_removes_plot(self):
         self.ax.plot(self.ws2d_histo, specNum=2, linewidth=6)
-        is_empty = self.ax.remove_workspace_artists(self.ws2d_histo)
-        self.assertEqual(True, is_empty)
+        workspace_removed = self.ax.remove_workspace_artists(self.ws2d_histo)
+        self.assertEqual(True, workspace_removed)
         self.assertEqual(0, len(self.ax.lines))
 
     def test_remove_workspace_artist_for_unknown_workspace_does_nothing(self):
         self.ax.plot(self.ws2d_histo, specNum=2, linewidth=6)
         unknown_ws = CreateSampleWorkspace()
-        self.ax.remove_workspace_artists(unknown_ws)
+        workspace_removed  = self.ax.remove_workspace_artists(unknown_ws)
+        self.assertEqual(False, workspace_removed)
         self.assertEqual(1, len(self.ax.lines))
 
     def test_remove_workspace_artist_for_removes_only_specified_workspace(self):
@@ -92,7 +93,8 @@ class Plots__init__Test(unittest.TestCase):
         line_second_ws = self.ax.plot(second_ws, specNum=5)[0]
         self.assertEqual(2, len(self.ax.lines))
 
-        self.ax.remove_workspace_artists(self.ws2d_histo)
+        workspace_removed = self.ax.remove_workspace_artists(self.ws2d_histo)
+        self.assertEqual(True, workspace_removed)
         self.assertEqual(1, len(self.ax.lines))
         self.assertTrue(line_ws2d_histo not in self.ax.lines)
         self.assertTrue(line_second_ws in self.ax.lines)