diff --git a/src/ol/renderer/canvas/TileLayer.js b/src/ol/renderer/canvas/TileLayer.js
index 9c8c0b8692..1fda4b016f 100644
--- a/src/ol/renderer/canvas/TileLayer.js
+++ b/src/ol/renderer/canvas/TileLayer.js
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ class CanvasTileLayerRenderer extends CanvasLayerRenderer {
     const tileSource = tileLayer.getSource();
     const sourceRevision = tileSource.getRevision();
     const tileGrid = tileSource.getTileGridForProjection(projection);
-    const zDirection = tileSource.getZDirection() === undefined ? this.zDirection : tileSource.getZDirection();
+    const zDirection = tileSource.zDirection === undefined ? this.zDirection : tileSource.zDirection;
     const z = tileGrid.getZForResolution(viewResolution, zDirection);
     const tileResolution = tileGrid.getResolution(z);
     let extent = frameState.extent;
diff --git a/src/ol/source/Tile.js b/src/ol/source/Tile.js
index 0d2438ed06..024a94ac46 100644
--- a/src/ol/source/Tile.js
+++ b/src/ol/source/Tile.js
@@ -326,18 +326,6 @@ class TileSource extends Source {
    */
   useTile(z, x, y, projection) {}
 
-  /**
-   * Indicate which resolution should be used by a renderer if the views resolution
-   * does not match any resolution of the tile source.
-   * If 0, the nearest resolution will be used. If 1, the nearest lower resolution
-   * will be used. If -1, the nearest higher resolution will be used. If undefined,
-   * the decision is left to the renderer.
-   * @return {number|undefined} Prefered zDirection for source resolution selection.
-   */
-  getZDirection() {
-    return undefined;
-  }
-
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/ol/source/Zoomify.js b/src/ol/source/Zoomify.js
index 8d7c400729..a3a997062e 100644
--- a/src/ol/source/Zoomify.js
+++ b/src/ol/source/Zoomify.js
@@ -258,20 +258,12 @@ class Zoomify extends TileImage {
     });
 
     /**
-     * @protected
      * @type {number|undefined}
      */
     this.zDirection = options.zDirection;
 
   }
 
-  /**
-   * @inheritDoc
-   */
-  getZDirection() {
-    return this.zDirection;
-  }
-
 }
 
 export default Zoomify;