diff --git a/src/scales/scale.time.js b/src/scales/scale.time.js
index 7d45602c1ae..14621ba7a8b 100644
--- a/src/scales/scale.time.js
+++ b/src/scales/scale.time.js
@@ -146,7 +146,8 @@ module.exports = function(Chart) {
 			me.unit = unit;
 			me.majorUnit = majorUnit;
 
-			var stepSize = timeOpts.stepSize || timeHelpers.determineStepSize(minTimestamp || dataMin, maxTimestamp || dataMax, unit, maxTicks);
+			var optionStepSize = helpers.valueOrDefault(timeOpts.stepSize, timeOpts.unitStepSize);
+			var stepSize = optionStepSize || timeHelpers.determineStepSize(minTimestamp || dataMin, maxTimestamp || dataMax, unit, maxTicks);
 			me.ticks = timeHelpers.generateTicks({
 				maxTicks: maxTicks,
 				min: minTimestamp,
diff --git a/test/specs/global.deprecations.tests.js b/test/specs/global.deprecations.tests.js
index 5eeded72580..253c49bf8a5 100644
--- a/test/specs/global.deprecations.tests.js
+++ b/test/specs/global.deprecations.tests.js
@@ -218,6 +218,35 @@ describe('Deprecations', function() {
 				expect(Chart.helpers.callCallback).toBe(Chart.helpers.callback);
 			});
 		});
+
+		describe('Time Axis: unitStepSize option', function() {
+			it('should use the stepSize property', function() {
+				var chart = window.acquireChart({
+					type: 'line',
+					data: {
+						labels: ['2015-01-01T20:00:00', '2015-01-01T21:00:00'],
+					},
+					options: {
+						scales: {
+							xAxes: [{
+								id: 'time',
+								type: 'time',
+								time: {
+									unit: 'hour',
+									unitStepSize: 2
+								}
+							}]
+						}
+					}
+				});
+
+				var ticks = chart.scales.time.ticks.map(function(tick) {
+					return tick.value;
+				});
+
+				expect(ticks).toEqual(['8PM', '10PM']);
+			});
+		});
 	});
 
 	describe('Version 2.5.0', function() {
diff --git a/test/specs/scale.time.tests.js b/test/specs/scale.time.tests.js
index 86e0216e330..2b8c50ed969 100755
--- a/test/specs/scale.time.tests.js
+++ b/test/specs/scale.time.tests.js
@@ -282,6 +282,24 @@ describe('Time scale tests', function() {
 		expect(ticks).toEqual(['Dec 28, 2014', 'Jan 4, 2015', 'Jan 11, 2015', 'Jan 18, 2015', 'Jan 25, 2015', 'Feb 2015', 'Feb 8, 2015', 'Feb 15, 2015']);
 	});
 
+	describe('config step size', function() {
+		it('should use the stepSize property', function() {
+			var mockData = {
+				labels: ['2015-01-01T20:00:00', '2015-01-01T21:00:00'],
+			};
+
+			var config = Chart.helpers.clone(Chart.scaleService.getScaleDefaults('time'));
+			config.time.unit = 'hour';
+			config.time.stepSize = 2;
+
+			var scale = createScale(mockData, config);
+			scale.update(2500, 200);
+			var ticks = getTicksValues(scale.ticks);
+
+			expect(ticks).toEqual(['8PM', '10PM']);
+		});
+	});
+
 	describe('when specifying limits', function() {
 		var mockData = {
 			labels: ['2015-01-01T20:00:00', '2015-01-02T20:00:00', '2015-01-03T20:00:00'],