diff --git a/src/ui/control/scale_control.js b/src/ui/control/scale_control.js
index 256ef1dace3..4270124cb79 100644
--- a/src/ui/control/scale_control.js
+++ b/src/ui/control/scale_control.js
@@ -5,6 +5,11 @@ const util = require('../../util/util');
 
 import type Map from '../map';
 
+const defaultOptions = {
+    maxWidth: 100,
+    unit: 'metric'
+};
+
 /**
  * A `ScaleControl` control displays the ratio of a distance on the map to the corresponding distance on the ground.
  *
@@ -13,10 +18,13 @@ import type Map from '../map';
  * @param {number} [options.maxWidth='100'] The maximum length of the scale control in pixels.
  * @param {string} [options.unit='metric'] Unit of the distance (`'imperial'`, `'metric'` or `'nautical'`).
  * @example
- * map.addControl(new mapboxgl.ScaleControl({
+ * var scale = new mapboxgl.ScaleControl({
  *     maxWidth: 80,
  *     unit: 'imperial'
- * }));
+ * });
+ * map.addControl(scale);
+ *
+ * scale.setUnit('metric');
  */
 class ScaleControl {
     _map: Map;
@@ -24,10 +32,11 @@ class ScaleControl {
     options: any;
 
     constructor(options: any) {
-        this.options = options;
+        this.options = util.extend({}, defaultOptions, options);
 
         util.bindAll([
-            '_onMove'
+            '_onMove',
+            'setUnit'
         ], this);
     }
 
@@ -54,6 +63,16 @@ class ScaleControl {
         this._map.off('move', this._onMove);
         this._map = (undefined: any);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Set the scale's unit of the distance
+     *
+     * @param {string} unit Unit of the distance (`'imperial'`, `'metric'` or `'nautical'`).
+     */
+    setUnit(unit: string) {
+        this.options.unit = unit;
+        updateScale(this._map, this._container, this.options);
+    }
 }
 
 module.exports = ScaleControl;
diff --git a/test/unit/ui/control/scale.test.js b/test/unit/ui/control/scale.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..43244c4dd28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/ui/control/scale.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const test = require('mapbox-gl-js-test').test;
+const window = require('../../../../src/util/window');
+const Map = require('../../../../src/ui/map');
+const ScaleControl = require('../../../../src/ui/control/scale_control');
+
+function createMap() {
+    const container = window.document.createElement('div');
+    return new Map({
+        container,
+        style: {
+            version: 8,
+            sources: {},
+            layers: []
+        },
+        hash: true
+    });
+
+}
+
+test('ScaleControl appears in bottom-left by default', (t) => {
+    const map = createMap();
+    map.addControl(new ScaleControl());
+
+    t.equal(map.getContainer().querySelectorAll('.mapboxgl-ctrl-bottom-left .mapboxgl-ctrl-scale').length, 1);
+    t.end();
+});
+
+test('ScaleControl appears in the position specified by the position option', (t) => {
+    const map = createMap();
+    map.addControl(new ScaleControl(), 'top-left');
+
+    t.equal(map.getContainer().querySelectorAll('.mapboxgl-ctrl-top-left .mapboxgl-ctrl-scale').length, 1);
+    t.end();
+});
+
+test('ScaleControl should change unit of distance after calling setUnit', (t) => {
+    const map = createMap();
+    const scale = new ScaleControl();
+    const selector = '.mapboxgl-ctrl-bottom-left .mapboxgl-ctrl-scale';
+    map.addControl(scale);
+
+    let contents = map.getContainer().querySelector(selector).innerHTML;
+    t.match(contents, /km/);
+
+    scale.setUnit('imperial');
+    contents = map.getContainer().querySelector(selector).innerHTML;
+    t.match(contents, /mi/);
+    t.end();
+});