diff --git a/changelog/upgrade-notes.md b/changelog/upgrade-notes.md
index 42c63f6852c..7082a36aa66 100644
--- a/changelog/upgrade-notes.md
+++ b/changelog/upgrade-notes.md
@@ -2,6 +2,27 @@
 
 ### Next release
 
+#### `ol.source.VectorTile` no longer requires a `tileGrid` option
+
+By default, the `ol.source.VectorTile` constructor creates an XYZ tile grid (in Web Mercator) for 512 pixel tiles and assumes a max zoom level of 22.  If you were creating a vector tile source with an explicit `tileGrid` option, you can now remove this.
+
+Before:
+```js
+var source = new ol.source.VectorTile({
+  tileGrid: ol.tilegrid.createXYZ({tileSize: 512, maxZoom: 22}),
+  url: url
+});
+```
+
+After:
+```js
+var source = new ol.source.VectorTile({
+  url: url
+});
+```
+
+If you need to change the max zoom level, you can pass the source a `maxZoom` option.  If you need to change the tile size, you can pass the source a `tileSize` option.  If you need a completely custom tile grid, you can still pass the source a `tileGrid` option.
+
 #### `ol.interaction.Modify` deletes with `alt` key only
 
 To delete features with the modify interaction, press the `alt` key while clicking on an existing vertex.  If you want to configure the modify interaction with a different delete condition, use the `deleteCondition` option.  For example, to allow deletion on a single click with no modifier keys, configure the interaction like this:
diff --git a/examples/geojson-vt.js b/examples/geojson-vt.js
index 892c4795b4d..2252f649dfe 100644
--- a/examples/geojson-vt.js
+++ b/examples/geojson-vt.js
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ goog.require('ol.source.OSM');
 goog.require('ol.source.VectorTile');
 goog.require('ol.layer.Tile');
 goog.require('ol.layer.VectorTile');
-goog.require('ol.tilegrid');
 goog.require('ol.proj.Projection');
 
 
@@ -77,7 +76,6 @@ fetch(url).then(function(response) {
   });
   var vectorSource = new ol.source.VectorTile({
     format: new ol.format.GeoJSON(),
-    tileGrid: ol.tilegrid.createXYZ(),
     tileLoadFunction: function(tile) {
       var format = tile.getFormat();
       var tileCoord = tile.getTileCoord();
diff --git a/examples/mapbox-vector-tiles.js b/examples/mapbox-vector-tiles.js
index 752ee245ab8..7512f12f276 100644
--- a/examples/mapbox-vector-tiles.js
+++ b/examples/mapbox-vector-tiles.js
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ goog.require('ol.style.Icon');
 goog.require('ol.style.Stroke');
 goog.require('ol.style.Style');
 goog.require('ol.style.Text');
-goog.require('ol.tilegrid');
 
 
 var key = 'pk.eyJ1IjoiYWhvY2V2YXIiLCJhIjoiRk1kMWZaSSJ9.E5BkluenyWQMsBLsuByrmg';
@@ -23,7 +22,6 @@ var map = new ol.Map({
           '© <a href="https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright">' +
           'OpenStreetMap contributors</a>',
         format: new ol.format.MVT(),
-        tileGrid: ol.tilegrid.createXYZ({tileSize: 512, maxZoom: 22}),
         url: 'https://{a-d}.tiles.mapbox.com/v4/mapbox.mapbox-streets-v6/' +
             '{z}/{x}/{y}.vector.pbf?access_token=' + key
       }),
diff --git a/examples/osm-vector-tiles.js b/examples/osm-vector-tiles.js
index fa837c2a182..846a06d2190 100644
--- a/examples/osm-vector-tiles.js
+++ b/examples/osm-vector-tiles.js
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@ goog.require('ol.source.VectorTile');
 goog.require('ol.style.Fill');
 goog.require('ol.style.Stroke');
 goog.require('ol.style.Style');
-goog.require('ol.tilegrid');
-
 
 var key = 'vector-tiles-5eJz6JX';
 
@@ -70,7 +68,7 @@ var map = new ol.Map({
           layerName: 'layer',
           layers: ['water', 'roads', 'buildings']
         }),
-        tileGrid: ol.tilegrid.createXYZ({tileSize: 512, maxZoom: 19}),
+        maxZoom: 19,
         url: 'https://tile.mapzen.com/mapzen/vector/v1/all/{z}/{x}/{y}.topojson?api_key=' + key
       }),
       style: function(feature, resolution) {
diff --git a/src/ol/source/vectortile.js b/src/ol/source/vectortile.js
index fc24c8d0719..cfd8eb10797 100644
--- a/src/ol/source/vectortile.js
+++ b/src/ol/source/vectortile.js
@@ -27,16 +27,26 @@ goog.require('ol.source.UrlTile');
  * @api
  */
 ol.source.VectorTile = function(options) {
+  var projection = options.projection || 'EPSG:3857';
+
+  var extent = options.extent || ol.tilegrid.extentFromProjection(projection);
+
+  var tileGrid = options.tileGrid || ol.tilegrid.createXYZ({
+    extent: extent,
+    maxZoom: options.maxZoom || 22,
+    minZoom: options.minZoom,
+    tileSize: options.tileSize || 512
+  });
 
   ol.source.UrlTile.call(this, {
     attributions: options.attributions,
     cacheSize: options.cacheSize !== undefined ? options.cacheSize : 128,
-    extent: options.extent,
+    extent: extent,
     logo: options.logo,
     opaque: false,
-    projection: options.projection,
+    projection: projection,
     state: options.state,
-    tileGrid: options.tileGrid,
+    tileGrid: tileGrid,
     tileLoadFunction: options.tileLoadFunction ?
       options.tileLoadFunction : ol.VectorImageTile.defaultLoadFunction,
     tileUrlFunction: options.tileUrlFunction,
diff --git a/test/spec/ol/source/vectortile.test.js b/test/spec/ol/source/vectortile.test.js
index 273a66f1375..1f5c2d06e4e 100644
--- a/test/spec/ol/source/vectortile.test.js
+++ b/test/spec/ol/source/vectortile.test.js
@@ -6,13 +6,11 @@ goog.require('ol.proj');
 goog.require('ol.source.VectorTile');
 goog.require('ol.tilegrid');
 
-
 describe('ol.source.VectorTile', function() {
 
   var format = new ol.format.MVT();
   var source = new ol.source.VectorTile({
     format: format,
-    tileGrid: ol.tilegrid.createXYZ({tileSize: 512}),
     tilePixelRatio: 8,
     url: 'spec/ol/data/{z}-{x}-{y}.vector.pbf'
   });
@@ -22,9 +20,16 @@ describe('ol.source.VectorTile', function() {
     it('sets the format on the instance', function() {
       expect(source.format_).to.equal(format);
     });
+
     it('uses ol.VectorTile as default tileClass', function() {
       expect(source.tileClass).to.equal(ol.VectorTile);
     });
+
+    it('creates a 512 XYZ tilegrid by default', function() {
+      var tileGrid = ol.tilegrid.createXYZ({tileSize: 512});
+      expect(source.tileGrid.tileSize_).to.equal(tileGrid.tileSize_);
+      expect(source.tileGrid.extent_).to.equal(tileGrid.extent_);
+    });
   });
 
   describe('#getTile()', function() {