diff --git a/changelog/upgrade-notes.md b/changelog/upgrade-notes.md
index 5ad22c71b8..088f396158 100644
--- a/changelog/upgrade-notes.md
+++ b/changelog/upgrade-notes.md
@@ -2,6 +2,15 @@
 
 ### Next release
 
+#### Simpler `ol.source.Zoomify` `url` configuration
+
+Instead specifying a base url, the `url` for the `ol.source.Zoomify` source can now be a template.  The `{TileGroup}`, `{x}`, `{y}`, `{z}` and placeholders must be included in the `url` in this case. the `url` can now also include subdomain placeholders:
+```js
+new ol.source.Zoomify({
+  url: 'https://{a-f}.example.com/cgi-bin/iipsrv.fcgi?zoomify=/a/b/{TileGroup}/{z}-{x}-{y}.jpg'
+});
+```
+
 #### Removal of deprecated methods
 
 The deprecated `ol.animation` functions and `map.beforeRender()` method have been removed.  Use `view.animate()` instead.
diff --git a/externs/olx.js b/externs/olx.js
index 1a389cbb5b..7887eecd55 100644
--- a/externs/olx.js
+++ b/externs/olx.js
@@ -6759,7 +6759,13 @@ olx.source.ZoomifyOptions.prototype.reprojectionErrorThreshold;
 
 
 /**
- * Prefix of URL template.
+ * URL template or base URL of the Zoomify service. A base URL is the fixed part
+ * of the URL, excluding the tile group, z, x, and y folder structure, e.g.
+ * `http://my.zoomify.info/IMAGE.TIF/`. A URL template must include
+ * `{TileGroup}`, `{x}`, `{y}`, and `{z}` placeholders, e.g.
+ * `http://my.zoomify.info/IMAGE.TIF/{TileGroup}/{z}-{x}-{y}.jpg`.
+ * A `{?-?}` template pattern, for example `subdomain{a-f}.domain.com`, may be
+ * used instead of defining each one separately in the `urls` option.
  * @type {!string}
  * @api
  */
diff --git a/src/ol/source/zoomify.js b/src/ol/source/zoomify.js
index af575569d5..adfe25be8b 100644
--- a/src/ol/source/zoomify.js
+++ b/src/ol/source/zoomify.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ goog.provide('ol.source.Zoomify');
 goog.require('ol');
 goog.require('ol.ImageTile');
 goog.require('ol.TileState');
+goog.require('ol.TileUrlFunction');
 goog.require('ol.asserts');
 goog.require('ol.dom');
 goog.require('ol.extent');
@@ -83,31 +84,51 @@ ol.source.Zoomify = function(opt_options) {
   });
 
   var url = options.url;
+  if (url && url.indexOf('{TileGroup}') == -1) {
+    url += '{TileGroup}/{z}-{x}-{y}.jpg';
+  }
+  var urls = ol.TileUrlFunction.expandUrl(url);
 
   /**
-   * @this {ol.source.TileImage}
-   * @param {ol.TileCoord} tileCoord Tile Coordinate.
-   * @param {number} pixelRatio Pixel ratio.
-   * @param {ol.proj.Projection} projection Projection.
-   * @return {string|undefined} Tile URL.
+   * @param {string} template Template.
+   * @return {ol.TileUrlFunctionType} Tile URL function.
    */
-  function tileUrlFunction(tileCoord, pixelRatio, projection) {
-    if (!tileCoord) {
-      return undefined;
-    } else {
-      var tileCoordZ = tileCoord[0];
-      var tileCoordX = tileCoord[1];
-      var tileCoordY = -tileCoord[2] - 1;
-      var tileIndex =
-          tileCoordX +
-          tileCoordY * tierSizeInTiles[tileCoordZ][0] +
-          tileCountUpToTier[tileCoordZ];
-      var tileGroup = (tileIndex / ol.DEFAULT_TILE_SIZE) | 0;
-      return url + 'TileGroup' + tileGroup + '/' +
-          tileCoordZ + '-' + tileCoordX + '-' + tileCoordY + '.jpg';
-    }
+  function createFromTemplate(template) {
+
+    return (
+      /**
+       * @param {ol.TileCoord} tileCoord Tile Coordinate.
+       * @param {number} pixelRatio Pixel ratio.
+       * @param {ol.proj.Projection} projection Projection.
+       * @return {string|undefined} Tile URL.
+       */
+      function(tileCoord, pixelRatio, projection) {
+        if (!tileCoord) {
+          return undefined;
+        } else {
+          var tileCoordZ = tileCoord[0];
+          var tileCoordX = tileCoord[1];
+          var tileCoordY = -tileCoord[2] - 1;
+          var tileIndex =
+              tileCoordX +
+              tileCoordY * tierSizeInTiles[tileCoordZ][0] +
+              tileCountUpToTier[tileCoordZ];
+          var tileGroup = (tileIndex / ol.DEFAULT_TILE_SIZE) | 0;
+          var localContext = {
+            'z': tileCoordZ,
+            'x': tileCoordX,
+            'y': tileCoordY,
+            'TileGroup': 'TileGroup' + tileGroup
+          };
+          return template.replace(/\{(\w+?)\}/g, function(m, p) {
+            return localContext[p];
+          });
+        }
+      });
   }
 
+  var tileUrlFunction = ol.TileUrlFunction.createFromTileUrlFunctions(urls.map(createFromTemplate));
+
   ol.source.TileImage.call(this, {
     attributions: options.attributions,
     cacheSize: options.cacheSize,
diff --git a/test/spec/ol/source/zoomify.test.js b/test/spec/ol/source/zoomify.test.js
index 9bd4ae9597..ea5e513e8e 100644
--- a/test/spec/ol/source/zoomify.test.js
+++ b/test/spec/ol/source/zoomify.test.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ describe('ol.source.Zoomify', function() {
   var w = 1024;
   var h = 512;
   var size = [w, h];
-  var url = 'zoomify-url/';
+  var url = 'zoomify-url/{TileGroup}/{z}-{x}-{y}.jpg';
   var proj = new ol.proj.Projection({
     code: 'ZOOMIFY',
     units: 'pixels',
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ describe('ol.source.Zoomify', function() {
 
   describe('generated tileUrlFunction', function() {
 
-    it('creates an expected tileUrlFunction', function() {
+    it('creates an expected tileUrlFunction with template', function() {
       var source = getZoomifySource();
       var tileUrlFunction = source.getTileUrlFunction();
       // zoomlevel 0
@@ -179,6 +179,20 @@ describe('ol.source.Zoomify', function() {
       expect(tileUrlFunction([1, 1, -2])).to.eql('zoomify-url/TileGroup0/1-1-1.jpg');
     });
 
+    it('creates an expected tileUrlFunction without template', function() {
+      var source = new ol.source.Zoomify({
+        url: 'zoomify-url/',
+        size: size
+      });
+      var tileUrlFunction = source.getTileUrlFunction();
+      // zoomlevel 0
+      expect(tileUrlFunction([0, 0, -1])).to.eql('zoomify-url/TileGroup0/0-0-0.jpg');
+      // zoomlevel 1
+      expect(tileUrlFunction([1, 0, -1])).to.eql('zoomify-url/TileGroup0/1-0-0.jpg');
+      expect(tileUrlFunction([1, 1, -1])).to.eql('zoomify-url/TileGroup0/1-1-0.jpg');
+      expect(tileUrlFunction([1, 0, -2])).to.eql('zoomify-url/TileGroup0/1-0-1.jpg');
+      expect(tileUrlFunction([1, 1, -2])).to.eql('zoomify-url/TileGroup0/1-1-1.jpg');
+    });
     it('returns undefined if no tileCoord passed', function() {
       var source = getZoomifySource();
       var tileUrlFunction = source.getTileUrlFunction();