diff --git a/app/src/androidTest/java/com/mapbox/mapboxsdk/plugins/locationlayer/IsolatedActivityPluginTest.kt b/app/src/androidTest/java/com/mapbox/mapboxsdk/plugins/locationlayer/IsolatedActivityPluginTest.kt
index 64609494d..b0a52dfd7 100644
--- a/app/src/androidTest/java/com/mapbox/mapboxsdk/plugins/locationlayer/IsolatedActivityPluginTest.kt
+++ b/app/src/androidTest/java/com/mapbox/mapboxsdk/plugins/locationlayer/IsolatedActivityPluginTest.kt
@@ -76,6 +76,24 @@ class IsolatedActivityPluginTest {
     location!!.longitude = 2.0
   }
 
+  @Test
+  fun locationLayerPlugin_initializesLocationEngineCorrectlyWhenOnesNotProvided() {
+    val pluginAction = object : GenericPluginAction.OnPerformGenericPluginAction<LocationLayerPlugin> {
+      override fun onGenericPluginAction(plugin: LocationLayerPlugin?, mapboxMap: MapboxMap?,
+                                         uiController: UiController, context: Context) {
+
+        mapView = fragment?.view as MapView?
+        val locationLayerPlugin = LocationLayerPlugin(mapView!!, mapboxMap!!)
+        val locationEngine = locationLayerPlugin.locationEngine
+        assertThat(locationEngine, notNullValue())
+
+        uiController.loopMainThreadForAtLeast(500)
+        assertThat(locationEngine?.isConnected, `is`(equalTo(true)))
+      }
+    }
+    executePluginTest(pluginAction)
+  }
+
   @Test
   fun settingMapStyleImmediatelyBeforeLoadingPlugin_doesStillLoadLayersProperly() {
     // Using Empty fragment activity to test since Mapbox Style change needs to happen immediately.
diff --git a/plugin-locationlayer/src/main/java/com/mapbox/mapboxsdk/plugins/locationlayer/LocationLayerPlugin.java b/plugin-locationlayer/src/main/java/com/mapbox/mapboxsdk/plugins/locationlayer/LocationLayerPlugin.java
index c9b4eeaa2..e41d6d7a8 100644
--- a/plugin-locationlayer/src/main/java/com/mapbox/mapboxsdk/plugins/locationlayer/LocationLayerPlugin.java
+++ b/plugin-locationlayer/src/main/java/com/mapbox/mapboxsdk/plugins/locationlayer/LocationLayerPlugin.java
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
 
 import com.mapbox.android.core.location.LocationEngine;
 import com.mapbox.android.core.location.LocationEngineListener;
+import com.mapbox.android.core.location.LocationEnginePriority;
+import com.mapbox.android.core.location.LocationEngineProvider;
 import com.mapbox.mapboxsdk.camera.CameraPosition;
 import com.mapbox.mapboxsdk.geometry.LatLng;
 import com.mapbox.mapboxsdk.maps.MapView;
@@ -59,6 +61,7 @@ public final class LocationLayerPlugin implements LifecycleObserver {
   private LocationLayerOptions options;
   private LocationEngine locationEngine;
   private CompassManager compassManager;
+  private boolean usingInternalLocationEngine;
 
   private LocationLayer locationLayer;
   private LocationLayerCamera locationLayerCamera;
@@ -78,6 +81,24 @@ public final class LocationLayerPlugin implements LifecycleObserver {
   private final CopyOnWriteArrayList<OnCameraTrackingChangedListener> onCameraTrackingChangedListeners
     = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
 
+  /**
+   * Construct a LocationLayerPlugin
+   * <p>
+   * <strong>Note</strong>: This constructor will initialize and use an internal {@link LocationEngine}.
+   * </p>
+   *
+   * @param mapView   the MapView to apply the LocationLayerPlugin to
+   * @param mapboxMap the MapboxMap to apply the LocationLayerPlugin with
+   * @since 0.5.3
+   */
+  public LocationLayerPlugin(@NonNull MapView mapView, @NonNull MapboxMap mapboxMap) {
+    this.mapboxMap = mapboxMap;
+    this.mapView = mapView;
+    options = LocationLayerOptions.createFromAttributes(mapView.getContext(), R.style.mapbox_LocationLayer);
+    initializeLocationEngine();
+    initialize();
+  }
+
   /**
    * Construct a LocationLayerPlugin
    *
@@ -263,6 +284,13 @@ public void forceLocationUpdate(@Nullable Location location) {
    */
   public void setLocationEngine(@Nullable LocationEngine locationEngine) {
     if (this.locationEngine != null) {
+      // If internal location engines being used, extra steps need to be taken to deconstruct the
+      // instance.
+      if (usingInternalLocationEngine) {
+        this.locationEngine.removeLocationUpdates();
+        this.locationEngine.deactivate();
+        usingInternalLocationEngine = false;
+      }
       this.locationEngine.removeLocationEngineListener(locationEngineListener);
       this.locationEngine = null;
     }
@@ -483,6 +511,14 @@ private void initialize() {
     setCameraMode(CameraMode.NONE);
   }
 
+  private void initializeLocationEngine() {
+    usingInternalLocationEngine = true;
+    locationEngine = new LocationEngineProvider(mapView.getContext()).obtainBestLocationEngineAvailable();
+    locationEngine.setPriority(LocationEnginePriority.HIGH_ACCURACY);
+    locationEngine.setFastestInterval(1000);
+    locationEngine.activate();
+  }
+
   private void enableLocationLayerPlugin() {
     isEnabled = true;
     onLocationLayerStart();
@@ -643,7 +679,9 @@ public void onCompassAccuracyChange(int compassStatus) {
     @Override
     @SuppressWarnings( {"MissingPermission"})
     public void onConnected() {
-      // Currently don't handle this inside SDK
+      if (usingInternalLocationEngine) {
+        locationEngine.requestLocationUpdates();
+      }
     }
 
     @Override