diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 750af431e5..e2c6dc04fa 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 # ggplot2 (development version)
 
+* `scale_x_continuous()` and `scale_y_continuous()` gains an `n.breaks` argument
+  guiding the number of automatic generated breaks (@thomasp85, #3102)
+  
 * `geom_sf()` now removes rows that can't be plotted due to `NA` aesthetics 
   (#3546, @thomasp85)
 
diff --git a/R/scale-.r b/R/scale-.r
index f89292c5ec..480c771172 100644
--- a/R/scale-.r
+++ b/R/scale-.r
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@
 #'     each major break)
 #'   - A numeric vector of positions
 #'   - A function that given the limits returns a vector of minor breaks.
+#' @param n.breaks An integer guiding the number of major breaks. The algorithm
+#'   may choose a slightly different number to ensure nice break labels. Will
+#'   only have an effect if `breaks = waiver()`. Use `NULL` to use the default
+#'   number of breaks given by the transformation.
 #' @param labels One of:
 #'   - `NULL` for no labels
 #'   - `waiver()` for the default labels computed by the
@@ -78,9 +82,11 @@
 #' @param super The super class to use for the constructed scale
 #' @keywords internal
 continuous_scale <- function(aesthetics, scale_name, palette, name = waiver(),
-                             breaks = waiver(), minor_breaks = waiver(), labels = waiver(), limits = NULL,
-                             rescaler = rescale, oob = censor, expand = waiver(), na.value = NA_real_,
-                             trans = "identity", guide = "legend", position = "left", super = ScaleContinuous) {
+                             breaks = waiver(), minor_breaks = waiver(), n.breaks = NULL,
+                             labels = waiver(), limits = NULL, rescaler = rescale,
+                             oob = censor, expand = waiver(), na.value = NA_real_,
+                             trans = "identity", guide = "legend", position = "left",
+                             super = ScaleContinuous) {
 
   aesthetics <- standardise_aes_names(aesthetics)
 
@@ -116,6 +122,7 @@ continuous_scale <- function(aesthetics, scale_name, palette, name = waiver(),
     name = name,
     breaks = breaks,
     minor_breaks = minor_breaks,
+    n.breaks = n.breaks,
 
     labels = labels,
     guide = guide,
@@ -524,6 +531,7 @@ ScaleContinuous <- ggproto("ScaleContinuous", Scale,
   rescaler = rescale,
   oob = censor,
   minor_breaks = waiver(),
+  n.breaks = NULL,
 
   is_discrete = function() FALSE,
 
@@ -535,10 +543,10 @@ ScaleContinuous <- ggproto("ScaleContinuous", Scale,
   },
 
   transform = function(self, x) {
-     new_x <- self$trans$transform(x)
-     axis <- if ("x" %in% self$aesthetics) "x" else "y"
-     check_transformation(x, new_x, self$scale_name, axis)
-     new_x
+    new_x <- self$trans$transform(x)
+    axis <- if ("x" %in% self$aesthetics) "x" else "y"
+    check_transformation(x, new_x, self$scale_name, axis)
+    new_x
   },
 
   map = function(self, x, limits = self$get_limits()) {
@@ -578,7 +586,14 @@ ScaleContinuous <- ggproto("ScaleContinuous", Scale,
     if (zero_range(as.numeric(limits))) {
       breaks <- limits[1]
     } else if (is.waive(self$breaks)) {
-      breaks <- self$trans$breaks(limits)
+      if (!is.null(self$n.breaks) && trans_support_nbreaks(self$trans)) {
+        breaks <- self$trans$breaks(limits, self$n.breaks)
+      } else {
+        if (!is.null(self$n.breaks)) {
+          warning("Ignoring n.breaks. Use a trans object that supports setting number of breaks", call. = FALSE)
+        }
+        breaks <- self$trans$breaks(limits)
+      }
     } else if (is.function(self$breaks)) {
       breaks <- self$breaks(limits)
     } else {
@@ -952,7 +967,7 @@ ScaleBinned <- ggproto("ScaleBinned", Scale,
       stop("Invalid breaks specification. Use NULL, not NA", call. = FALSE)
     } else if (is.waive(self$breaks)) {
       if (self$nice.breaks) {
-        if (!is.null(self$n.breaks) && "n" %in% names(formals(self$trans$breaks))) {
+        if (!is.null(self$n.breaks) && trans_support_nbreaks(self$trans)) {
           breaks <- self$trans$breaks(limits, n = self$n.breaks)
         } else {
           if (!is.null(self$n.breaks)) {
@@ -1090,3 +1105,7 @@ check_transformation <- function(x, transformed, name, axis) {
     warning("Transformation introduced infinite values in ", type, " ", axis, "-axis", call. = FALSE)
   }
 }
+
+trans_support_nbreaks <- function(trans) {
+  "n" %in% names(formals(trans$breaks))
+}
diff --git a/R/scale-continuous.r b/R/scale-continuous.r
index 8f1cfb1217..174e0680e7 100644
--- a/R/scale-continuous.r
+++ b/R/scale-continuous.r
@@ -74,13 +74,15 @@ NULL
 #'
 #' @export
 scale_x_continuous <- function(name = waiver(), breaks = waiver(),
-                               minor_breaks = waiver(), labels = waiver(),
-                               limits = NULL, expand = waiver(), oob = censor,
-                               na.value = NA_real_, trans = "identity", guide = waiver(),
-                               position = "bottom", sec.axis = waiver()) {
+                               minor_breaks = waiver(), n.breaks = NULL,
+                               labels = waiver(), limits = NULL,
+                               expand = waiver(), oob = censor,
+                               na.value = NA_real_, trans = "identity",
+                               guide = waiver(), position = "bottom",
+                               sec.axis = waiver()) {
   sc <- continuous_scale(
     c("x", "xmin", "xmax", "xend", "xintercept", "xmin_final", "xmax_final", "xlower", "xmiddle", "xupper", "x0"),
-    "position_c", identity, name = name, breaks = breaks,
+    "position_c", identity, name = name, breaks = breaks, n.breaks = n.breaks,
     minor_breaks = minor_breaks, labels = labels, limits = limits,
     expand = expand, oob = oob, na.value = na.value, trans = trans,
     guide = guide, position = position, super = ScaleContinuousPosition
@@ -93,13 +95,15 @@ scale_x_continuous <- function(name = waiver(), breaks = waiver(),
 #' @rdname scale_continuous
 #' @export
 scale_y_continuous <- function(name = waiver(), breaks = waiver(),
-                               minor_breaks = waiver(), labels = waiver(),
-                               limits = NULL, expand = waiver(), oob = censor,
-                               na.value = NA_real_, trans = "identity", guide = waiver(),
-                               position = "left", sec.axis = waiver()) {
+                               minor_breaks = waiver(), n.breaks = NULL,
+                               labels = waiver(), limits = NULL,
+                               expand = waiver(), oob = censor,
+                               na.value = NA_real_, trans = "identity",
+                               guide = waiver(), position = "left",
+                               sec.axis = waiver()) {
   sc <- continuous_scale(
     c("y", "ymin", "ymax", "yend", "yintercept", "ymin_final", "ymax_final", "lower", "middle", "upper", "y0"),
-    "position_c", identity, name = name, breaks = breaks,
+    "position_c", identity, name = name, breaks = breaks, n.breaks = n.breaks,
     minor_breaks = minor_breaks, labels = labels, limits = limits,
     expand = expand, oob = oob, na.value = na.value, trans = trans,
     guide = guide, position = position, super = ScaleContinuousPosition
diff --git a/man/continuous_scale.Rd b/man/continuous_scale.Rd
index 6c5ee2a3fb..e47020117c 100644
--- a/man/continuous_scale.Rd
+++ b/man/continuous_scale.Rd
@@ -5,10 +5,11 @@
 \title{Continuous scale constructor}
 \usage{
 continuous_scale(aesthetics, scale_name, palette, name = waiver(),
-  breaks = waiver(), minor_breaks = waiver(), labels = waiver(),
-  limits = NULL, rescaler = rescale, oob = censor,
-  expand = waiver(), na.value = NA_real_, trans = "identity",
-  guide = "legend", position = "left", super = ScaleContinuous)
+  breaks = waiver(), minor_breaks = waiver(), n.breaks = NULL,
+  labels = waiver(), limits = NULL, rescaler = rescale,
+  oob = censor, expand = waiver(), na.value = NA_real_,
+  trans = "identity", guide = "legend", position = "left",
+  super = ScaleContinuous)
 }
 \arguments{
 \item{aesthetics}{The names of the aesthetics that this scale works with.}
@@ -44,6 +45,11 @@ each major break)
 \item A function that given the limits returns a vector of minor breaks.
 }}
 
+\item{n.breaks}{An integer guiding the number of major breaks. The algorithm
+may choose a slightly different number to ensure nice break labels. Will
+only have an effect if \code{breaks = waiver()}. Use \code{NULL} to use the default
+number of breaks given by the transformation.}
+
 \item{labels}{One of:
 \itemize{
 \item \code{NULL} for no labels
diff --git a/man/scale_continuous.Rd b/man/scale_continuous.Rd
index c853b8c83d..97847343ab 100644
--- a/man/scale_continuous.Rd
+++ b/man/scale_continuous.Rd
@@ -12,16 +12,16 @@
 \title{Position scales for continuous data (x & y)}
 \usage{
 scale_x_continuous(name = waiver(), breaks = waiver(),
-  minor_breaks = waiver(), labels = waiver(), limits = NULL,
-  expand = waiver(), oob = censor, na.value = NA_real_,
-  trans = "identity", guide = waiver(), position = "bottom",
-  sec.axis = waiver())
+  minor_breaks = waiver(), n.breaks = NULL, labels = waiver(),
+  limits = NULL, expand = waiver(), oob = censor,
+  na.value = NA_real_, trans = "identity", guide = waiver(),
+  position = "bottom", sec.axis = waiver())
 
 scale_y_continuous(name = waiver(), breaks = waiver(),
-  minor_breaks = waiver(), labels = waiver(), limits = NULL,
-  expand = waiver(), oob = censor, na.value = NA_real_,
-  trans = "identity", guide = waiver(), position = "left",
-  sec.axis = waiver())
+  minor_breaks = waiver(), n.breaks = NULL, labels = waiver(),
+  limits = NULL, expand = waiver(), oob = censor,
+  na.value = NA_real_, trans = "identity", guide = waiver(),
+  position = "left", sec.axis = waiver())
 
 scale_x_log10(...)
 
@@ -60,6 +60,11 @@ each major break)
 \item A function that given the limits returns a vector of minor breaks.
 }}
 
+\item{n.breaks}{An integer guiding the number of major breaks. The algorithm
+may choose a slightly different number to ensure nice break labels. Will
+only have an effect if \code{breaks = waiver()}. Use \code{NULL} to use the default
+number of breaks given by the transformation.}
+
 \item{labels}{One of:
 \itemize{
 \item \code{NULL} for no labels
diff --git a/man/scale_gradient.Rd b/man/scale_gradient.Rd
index d59e93fff7..78793514a7 100644
--- a/man/scale_gradient.Rd
+++ b/man/scale_gradient.Rd
@@ -71,6 +71,10 @@ each major break)
 \item A numeric vector of positions
 \item A function that given the limits returns a vector of minor breaks.
 }}
+  \item{n.breaks}{An integer guiding the number of major breaks. The algorithm
+may choose a slightly different number to ensure nice break labels. Will
+only have an effect if \code{breaks = waiver()}. Use \code{NULL} to use the default
+number of breaks given by the transformation.}
   \item{labels}{One of:
 \itemize{
 \item \code{NULL} for no labels
diff --git a/man/scale_size.Rd b/man/scale_size.Rd
index 31c659c4e7..21bd612dfc 100644
--- a/man/scale_size.Rd
+++ b/man/scale_size.Rd
@@ -86,8 +86,10 @@ transformation with \code{\link[scales:trans_new]{scales::trans_new()}}.}
 \item{guide}{A function used to create a guide or its name. See
 \code{\link[=guides]{guides()}} for more information.}
 
-\item{n.breaks}{The number of break points to create if breaks are not given
-directly.}
+\item{n.breaks}{An integer guiding the number of major breaks. The algorithm
+may choose a slightly different number to ensure nice break labels. Will
+only have an effect if \code{breaks = waiver()}. Use \code{NULL} to use the default
+number of breaks given by the transformation.}
 
 \item{nice.breaks}{Logical. Should breaks be attempted placed at nice values
 instead of exactly evenly spaced between the limits. If \code{TRUE} (default)
@@ -118,6 +120,10 @@ each major break)
 \item A numeric vector of positions
 \item A function that given the limits returns a vector of minor breaks.
 }}
+  \item{n.breaks}{An integer guiding the number of major breaks. The algorithm
+may choose a slightly different number to ensure nice break labels. Will
+only have an effect if \code{breaks = waiver()}. Use \code{NULL} to use the default
+number of breaks given by the transformation.}
   \item{labels}{One of:
 \itemize{
 \item \code{NULL} for no labels