diff --git a/seaborn/axisgrid.py b/seaborn/axisgrid.py
index 1ffdc97082..1b79147d0d 100644
--- a/seaborn/axisgrid.py
+++ b/seaborn/axisgrid.py
@@ -166,13 +166,13 @@ def add_legend(self, legend_data=None, title=None, label_order=None,
             ax = self.axes.flat[0]
             kwargs.setdefault("loc", "best")
 
-            if adjust_subtitles:
-                adjust_legend_subtitles(figlegend)
-
             leg = ax.legend(handles, labels, **kwargs)
             leg.set_title(title, prop={"size": title_size})
             self._legend = leg
 
+            if adjust_subtitles:
+                adjust_legend_subtitles(leg)
+
         return self
 
     def _clean_axis(self, ax):
diff --git a/seaborn/tests/test_axisgrid.py b/seaborn/tests/test_axisgrid.py
index 6f52d9b8d3..46dc9d5196 100644
--- a/seaborn/tests/test_axisgrid.py
+++ b/seaborn/tests/test_axisgrid.py
@@ -303,6 +303,12 @@ def test_legend_options(self):
         g1.map(plt.plot, "x", "y")
         g1.add_legend()
 
+        g1 = ag.FacetGrid(self.df, hue="b", legend_out=False)
+        g1.add_legend(adjust_subtitles=True)
+
+        g1 = ag.FacetGrid(self.df, hue="b", legend_out=False)
+        g1.add_legend(adjust_subtitles=False)
+
     def test_legendout_with_colwrap(self):
 
         g = ag.FacetGrid(self.df, col="d", hue='b',