--- a/doc/interpreter/genpropdoc.m	Sun May 17 18:59:24 2020 +0200
+++ b/doc/interpreter/genpropdoc.m	Sun May 17 20:49:02 2020 +0200
@@ -654,12 +654,6 @@
         s.doc = doc_unused;
 
       ## Specific properties
-      case "activepositionproperty"
-        s.doc = "Specify which of @qcode{\"position\"} or \
-@qcode{\"outerposition\"} properties takes precedence when axes \
-annotations extent changes.  @xref{XREFaxesposition, , @w{position property}}, \
-and @ref{XREFaxesposition, , @w{outerposition property}}.";
-
       case "alim"
         s.doc = sprintf (doc_notimpl, "Transparency");
 
@@ -839,6 +833,13 @@
 @xref{XREFaxesouterposition, , @w{outerposition property}}.";
         s.valid = valid_4elvec;
 
+      case "positionconstraint"
+        s.doc = "Specify which of @qcode{\"innerposition\"} or \
+@qcode{\"outerposition\"} properties takes precedence when axes \
+annotations extent changes.  \
+@xref{XREFaxesinnerposition, , @w{@qcode{\"innerposition\"} property}}, \
+and @ref{XREFaxesouterposition, , @w{@qcode{\"outerposition\"} property}}.";
+
       case "projection"
         s.doc = doc_unused;
 

--- a/libinterp/corefcn/graphics.cc	Sun May 17 18:59:24 2020 +0200
+++ b/libinterp/corefcn/graphics.cc	Sun May 17 20:49:02 2020 +0200
@@ -5285,7 +5285,7 @@
 axes::properties::sync_positions (void)
 {
   // First part is equivalent to 'update_tightinset ()'
-  if (activepositionproperty.is ("position"))
+  if (positionconstraint.is ("innerposition"))
     update_position ();
   else
     update_outerposition ();
@@ -5302,7 +5302,7 @@
   tightinset = tinset;
   set_units (old_units);
   update_transform ();
-  if (activepositionproperty.is ("position"))
+  if (positionconstraint.is ("innerposition"))
     update_position ();
   else
     update_outerposition ();
@@ -5353,7 +5353,7 @@
 %! hf = figure ("visible", "off");
 %! graphics_toolkit (hf, "qt");
 %! fpos = get (hf, "position");
-%! set (gca, "activepositionproperty", "position");
+%! set (gca, "positionconstraint", "innerposition");
 %! unwind_protect
 %!   plot (rand (3));
 %!   position = get (gca, "position");
@@ -7521,7 +7521,7 @@
 void
 axes::properties::update_outerposition (void)
 {
-  set_activepositionproperty ("outerposition");
+  set_positionconstraint ("outerposition");
   caseless_str old_units = get_units ();
   set_units ("normalized");
 
@@ -7580,7 +7580,7 @@
 void
 axes::properties::update_position (void)
 {
-  set_activepositionproperty ("position");
+  set_positionconstraint ("innerposition");
   caseless_str old_units = get_units ();
   set_units ("normalized");
 
@@ -7639,7 +7639,7 @@
   double right_margin = std::max (linset(2), tinset(2));
   double top_margin = std::max (linset(3), tinset(3));
 
-  if (activepositionproperty.is ("position"))
+  if (positionconstraint.is ("innerposition"))
     {
       Matrix innerbox = position.get ().matrix_value ();
 

--- a/libinterp/corefcn/graphics.in.h	Sun May 17 18:59:24 2020 +0200
+++ b/libinterp/corefcn/graphics.in.h	Sun May 17 20:49:02 2020 +0200
@@ -3466,6 +3466,31 @@
 
     void sync_positions (void);
 
+    // Redirect calls to "activepositionproperty" to "positionconstraint".
+
+    std::string get_activepositionproperty (void) const 
+    {
+      std::string cur_val;
+
+      if (positionconstraint.is ("innerposition"))
+        cur_val = "position";
+      else
+        cur_val = "outerposition";
+
+      return cur_val;
+    }
+
+    void set_activepositionproperty (const octave_value& val)
+    {
+      // call set method to validate the input
+      activepositionproperty.set (val);
+
+      if (val.char_matrix_value ().row_as_string (0) == "position")
+        set_positionconstraint ("innerposition");
+      else
+        set_positionconstraint (val);
+    }
+
     // Redirect calls to "innerposition" to "position".
 
     octave_value get_innerposition (void) const
@@ -3647,7 +3672,7 @@
     // Programming note: Keep property list sorted if new ones are added.
 
     BEGIN_PROPERTIES (axes)
-      radio_property activepositionproperty , "{outerposition}|position"
+      radio_property activepositionproperty gsh , "{outerposition}|position"
       row_vector_property alim m , default_lim ()
       radio_property alimmode , "{auto}|manual"
       // FIXME: not yet implemented