--- a/NEWS	Fri May 02 14:45:22 2014 -0700
+++ b/NEWS	Sat May 03 16:51:00 2014 -0700
@@ -24,6 +24,12 @@
     There is still one difference:  Matlab switches to '%e' and Octave
     is currently switching to '%g'.
 
+ ** linkprop has been completely re-coded for performance and Matlab
+    compatibility.  It now returns a linkprop object which must be stored
+    in a variable for as long as the graphic objects should remain linked.
+    To unlink properties use 'clear hlink' where hlink is the variable
+    containing the linkprop object.
+
  ** Other new functions added in 4.2:
 
       dir_in_loadpath

--- a/scripts/plot/util/linkprop.m	Fri May 02 14:45:22 2014 -0700
+++ b/scripts/plot/util/linkprop.m	Sat May 03 16:51:00 2014 -0700
@@ -17,14 +17,24 @@
 ## <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 ## -*- texinfo -*-
-## @deftypefn  {Function File} {@var{hlink} =} linkprop (@var{h}, @var{prop})
-## @deftypefnx {Function File} {@var{hlink} =} linkprop (@var{h}, @{@var{prop1}, @var{prop2}, @dots{}@})
-## Link graphics object properties, such that a change in one is
-## propagated to the others.
+## @deftypefn  {Function File} {@var{hlink} =} linkprop (@var{h}, "@var{prop}")
+## @deftypefnx {Function File} {@var{hlink} =} linkprop (@var{h}, @{"@var{prop1}", "@var{prop2}", @dots{}@})
+## Link graphic object properties, such that a change in one is propagated to
+## the others.
+##
+## The input @var{h} is a vector of graphic handles to link.
 ##
-## @var{prop} can be a string for a single property, or a cell array of strings
-## for multiple properties.  @var{h} is an array of graphics handles which
-## will have their properties linked.
+## @var{prop} may be a string when linking a single property, or a cell array
+## of strings for multiple properties.  During the linking process all
+## properties in @var{prop} will initially be set to the values that exist on
+## the first object in the list @var{h}.
+##
+## The function returns @var{hlink} which is a special object describing the
+## link.  As long as the reference @var{hlink} exists the link between graphic
+## objects will be active.  This means that @var{hlink} must be preserved in
+## a workspace variable, a global variable, or otherwise stored using a
+## function such as @code{setappdata}, @code{guidata}.  To unlink properties,
+## execute @code{clear @var{hlink}}.
 ##
 ## An example of the use of @code{linkprop} is
 ##
@@ -41,62 +51,122 @@
 ## @end group
 ## @end example
 ##
+## @seealso{linkaxes}
 ## @end deftypefn
 
 function hlink = linkprop (h, prop)
+
+  if (nargin != 2)
+    print_usage ();
+  endif
+
+  if (numel (h) < 2)
+    error ("linkprop: H must contain at least 2 handles");
+  elseif (! all (ishandle (h(:))))
+    error ("linkprop: invalid graphic handle in input H");
+  endif
+
   if (ischar (prop))
     prop = {prop};
-  elseif (!iscellstr (prop))
-    error ("linkprop: properties must be a string or cell string array");
+  elseif (! iscellstr (prop))
+    error ("linkprop: PROP must be a string or cell string array");
   endif
 
+  h = h(:)';  # set() prefers column vectors
+  ## Match all objects to the first one in the list before linking 
+  for j = 1 : numel (prop)
+    set (h(2:end), prop{j}, get (h(1), prop{j})); 
+  endfor
+
+  ## Add listeners to all objects
   for i = 1 : numel (h)
     for j = 1 : numel (prop)
-      addlistener (h(i), prop{j}, {@update_prop, h, prop{j}});
+      addlistener (h(i), prop{j},
+                   {@update_prop, [h(1:i-1),h(i+1:end)], prop{j}});
     endfor
   endfor
 
-  ## This should be an object that when destroyed removes the links
-  ## The below is not quite right. As when you call "clear hlink" the
-  ## hggroup continues to exist.
-  hlink = hggroup ();
-  set (hlink, "deletefcn", {@delete_prop, h, prop});
+  hlink = onCleanup (@() delete_linkprop (h, prop));
+
 endfunction
 
-function update_prop (h, d, hlist, prop)
+function update_prop (h, ~, hlist, prop)
   persistent recursion = false;
 
   ## Don't allow recursion
   if (! recursion)
     unwind_protect
       recursion = true;
-      val = get (h, prop);
-      for hh = hlist(:)'
-        if (hh != h)
-          oldval = get (hh, prop);
-          if (! isequal (val, oldval))
-            set (hh, prop, val);
-          endif
-        endif
-      endfor
+      set (hlist(ishandle (hlist)), prop, get (h, prop));
     unwind_protect_cleanup
       recursion = false;
     end_unwind_protect
   endif
 endfunction
 
-function delete_prop (h, d, hlist, prop)
-  ## FIXME. Actually need to delete the linked properties.
-  ## However, only warn if the graphics objects aren't being deleted.
-  warn = false;
-  for h = hlist(:)'
-    if (ishandle (h) && !strcmpi (get (h, "beingdeleted"), "on"))
-      warn = true;
-      break;
+function delete_linkprop (hlist, prop)
+
+  for i = 1 : numel (hlist)
+    if (ishandle (hlist(i)))
+      for j = 1 : numel (prop)
+        dellistener (hlist(i), prop{j}),
+      endfor
     endif
   endfor
-  if (warn)
-    warning ("linkprop: can not remove linked properties");
-  endif
+
 endfunction
 
+
+%!demo
+%! clf;
+%! x = 0:0.1:10;
+%! subplot (1,2,1);
+%! h1 = plot (x, sin (x), "r");
+%! subplot (1,2,2);
+%! h2 = plot (x, cos (x), "b");
+%! input ("Type <RETURN> to link plots");
+%! hlink = linkprop ([h1, h2], {"color", "linestyle"});
+%! input ("Type <RETURN> to change color");
+%! set (h1, "color", "green");
+%! input ("Type <RETURN> to change linestyle");
+%! set (h2, "linestyle", "--");
+
+%!test
+%! hf1 = figure ("visible", "off");
+%! hl1 = plot (1:10, "or");
+%! hf2 = figure ("visible", "off");
+%! hl2 = plot (1:10, "-*g");
+%! hf3 = figure ("visible", "off");
+%! hl3 = plot (1:10, "-xb");
+%! unwind_protect
+%!   hlink = linkprop ([hl1, hl2, hl3], {"color", "linestyle"});
+%!   ## Test initial values taken from first object in list
+%!   assert (get (hl2, "color"), [1 0 0]);
+%!   assert (get (hl3, "linestyle"), "none");
+%!   ## Test linking
+%!   set (hl2, "color", "b");
+%!   assert (get (hl1, "color"), [0 0 1]);
+%!   assert (get (hl3, "color"), [0 0 1]);
+%!   set (hl3, "linestyle", "--");
+%!   assert (get (hl1, "linestyle"), "--");
+%!   assert (get (hl2, "linestyle"), "--");
+%!   ## Test linking of remaining objects after deletion of one object
+%!   delete (hl2);
+%!   set (hl1, "linestyle", ":");
+%!   assert (get (hl3, "linestyle"), ":");
+%!   ## Test deletion of link
+%!   clear hlink;
+%!   set (hl1, "color", "g");
+%!   assert (get (hl3, "color"), [0 0 1]);
+%! unwind_protect_cleanup
+%!   close ([hf1 hf2 hf3]);
+%! end_unwind_protect
+
+%% Test input validation
+%!error linkprop ()
+%!error linkprop (1)
+%!error linkprop (1,2,3)
+%!error <H must contain at least 2 handles> linkprop (1, "color")
+%!error <invalid graphic handle in input H> linkprop ([pi, e], "color")
+%!error <PROP must be a string or cell string array> linkprop ([0, 0], 1)
+