diff --git a/docs/general/interactions/modes.md b/docs/general/interactions/modes.md
index d6a8c261fba..56b0d7eeb71 100644
--- a/docs/general/interactions/modes.md
+++ b/docs/general/interactions/modes.md
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 When configuring interaction with the graph via hover or tooltips, a number of different modes are available.
 
+`options.hover` and `options.tooltips` extend from `options.interaction`. So if `mode`, `intersect` or any other common settings are configured only in `options.interaction`, both hover and tooltips obey that.
+
 The modes are detailed below and how they behave in conjunction with the `intersect` setting.
 
 ## point
@@ -12,7 +14,7 @@ var chart = new Chart(ctx, {
     type: 'line',
     data: data,
     options: {
-        tooltips: {
+        interaction: {
             mode: 'point'
         }
     }
@@ -27,7 +29,7 @@ var chart = new Chart(ctx, {
     type: 'line',
     data: data,
     options: {
-        tooltips: {
+        interaction: {
             mode: 'nearest'
         }
     }
@@ -48,7 +50,7 @@ var chart = new Chart(ctx, {
     type: 'line',
     data: data,
     options: {
-        tooltips: {
+        interaction: {
             mode: 'index'
         }
     }
@@ -62,7 +64,7 @@ var chart = new Chart(ctx, {
     type: 'horizontalBar',
     data: data,
     options: {
-        tooltips: {
+        interaction: {
             mode: 'index',
             axis: 'y'
         }
@@ -81,7 +83,7 @@ var chart = new Chart(ctx, {
     type: 'line',
     data: data,
     options: {
-        tooltips: {
+        interaction: {
             mode: 'dataset'
         }
     }
@@ -96,7 +98,7 @@ var chart = new Chart(ctx, {
     type: 'line',
     data: data,
     options: {
-        tooltips: {
+        interaction: {
             mode: 'x'
         }
     }
@@ -111,7 +113,7 @@ var chart = new Chart(ctx, {
     type: 'line',
     data: data,
     options: {
-        tooltips: {
+        interaction: {
             mode: 'y'
         }
     }
diff --git a/samples/charts/line/multi-axis.html b/samples/charts/line/multi-axis.html
index d3569e85525..07f082e6656 100644
--- a/samples/charts/line/multi-axis.html
+++ b/samples/charts/line/multi-axis.html
@@ -61,7 +61,9 @@
 				data: lineChartData,
 				options: {
 					responsive: true,
-					hoverMode: 'index',
+					interaction: {
+						mode: 'index'
+					},
 					stacked: false,
 					title: {
 						display: true,
diff --git a/samples/charts/scatter/multi-axis.html b/samples/charts/scatter/multi-axis.html
index 6c20b98f0de..6672f375073 100644
--- a/samples/charts/scatter/multi-axis.html
+++ b/samples/charts/scatter/multi-axis.html
@@ -87,8 +87,10 @@
 			data: scatterChartData,
 			options: {
 				responsive: true,
-				hoverMode: 'nearest',
-				intersect: true,
+				interaction: {
+					intersect: true,
+					mode: 'nearest'
+				},
 				title: {
 					display: true,
 					text: 'Chart.js Scatter Chart - Multi Axis'
diff --git a/src/controllers/controller.bar.js b/src/controllers/controller.bar.js
index 760fd8887ef..ba66a68376a 100644
--- a/src/controllers/controller.bar.js
+++ b/src/controllers/controller.bar.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ var elements = require('../elements/index');
 var helpers = require('../helpers/index');
 
 defaults._set('bar', {
-	hover: {
+	interaction: {
 		mode: 'label'
 	},
 
diff --git a/src/controllers/controller.bubble.js b/src/controllers/controller.bubble.js
index 77956c9dc7b..93ca413f5af 100644
--- a/src/controllers/controller.bubble.js
+++ b/src/controllers/controller.bubble.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ var elements = require('../elements/index');
 var helpers = require('../helpers/index');
 
 defaults._set('bubble', {
-	hover: {
+	interaction: {
 		mode: 'single'
 	},
 
diff --git a/src/controllers/controller.doughnut.js b/src/controllers/controller.doughnut.js
index b24a7a00e9f..d3830af6b17 100644
--- a/src/controllers/controller.doughnut.js
+++ b/src/controllers/controller.doughnut.js
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ defaults._set('doughnut', {
 		// Boolean - Whether we animate scaling the Doughnut from the centre
 		animateScale: false
 	},
-	hover: {
+	interaction: {
 		mode: 'single'
 	},
 	legendCallback: function(chart) {
diff --git a/src/controllers/controller.horizontalBar.js b/src/controllers/controller.horizontalBar.js
index b761c344403..e3496855a67 100644
--- a/src/controllers/controller.horizontalBar.js
+++ b/src/controllers/controller.horizontalBar.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ var BarController = require('./controller.bar');
 var defaults = require('../core/core.defaults');
 
 defaults._set('horizontalBar', {
-	hover: {
+	interaction: {
 		mode: 'index',
 		axis: 'y'
 	},
@@ -55,9 +55,7 @@ defaults._set('horizontalBar', {
 				var datasetLabel = data.datasets[item.datasetIndex].label || '';
 				return datasetLabel + ': ' + item.xLabel;
 			}
-		},
-		mode: 'index',
-		axis: 'y'
+		}
 	}
 });
 
diff --git a/src/controllers/controller.line.js b/src/controllers/controller.line.js
index fffb1ce55d2..e1c48235d2f 100644
--- a/src/controllers/controller.line.js
+++ b/src/controllers/controller.line.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ defaults._set('line', {
 	showLines: true,
 	spanGaps: false,
 
-	hover: {
+	interaction: {
 		mode: 'label'
 	},
 
diff --git a/src/controllers/controller.scatter.js b/src/controllers/controller.scatter.js
index 319296d33ba..3086d26140b 100644
--- a/src/controllers/controller.scatter.js
+++ b/src/controllers/controller.scatter.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ var LineController = require('./controller.line');
 var defaults = require('../core/core.defaults');
 
 defaults._set('scatter', {
-	hover: {
+	interaction: {
 		mode: 'single'
 	},
 
diff --git a/src/core/core.controller.js b/src/core/core.controller.js
index 117a6d576ea..965cc42d737 100644
--- a/src/core/core.controller.js
+++ b/src/core/core.controller.js
@@ -12,6 +12,24 @@ var plugins = require('./core.plugins');
 var scaleService = require('../core/core.scaleService');
 var Tooltip = require('./core.tooltip');
 
+function mergeDefaults(options, type) {
+	options = helpers.configMerge(
+		defaults.global,
+		defaults[type],
+		options || {});
+
+	// Hover and tooltips follow interaction options by default.
+	options.hover = helpers.configMerge(
+		options.interaction,
+		options.hover);
+
+	options.tooltips = helpers.configMerge(
+		options.interaction,
+		options.tooltips);
+
+	return options;
+}
+
 module.exports = function(Chart) {
 
 	// Create a dictionary of chart types, to allow for extension of existing types
@@ -33,10 +51,7 @@ module.exports = function(Chart) {
 		data.datasets = data.datasets || [];
 		data.labels = data.labels || [];
 
-		config.options = helpers.configMerge(
-			defaults.global,
-			defaults[config.type],
-			config.options || {});
+		config.options = mergeDefaults(config.options, config.type);
 
 		return config;
 	}
@@ -52,10 +67,7 @@ module.exports = function(Chart) {
 			layouts.removeBox(chart, scale);
 		});
 
-		newOptions = helpers.configMerge(
-			Chart.defaults.global,
-			Chart.defaults[chart.config.type],
-			newOptions);
+		newOptions = mergeDefaults(newOptions, chart.config.type);
 
 		chart.options = chart.config.options = newOptions;
 		chart.ensureScalesHaveIDs();
diff --git a/src/core/core.interaction.js b/src/core/core.interaction.js
index 9b99e53bb1b..89720ff9da4 100644
--- a/src/core/core.interaction.js
+++ b/src/core/core.interaction.js
@@ -1,7 +1,15 @@
 'use strict';
 
+var defaults = require('./core.defaults');
 var helpers = require('../helpers/index');
 
+defaults._set('global', {
+	interaction: {
+		mode: 'nearest',
+		intersect: true
+	},
+});
+
 /**
  * Helper function to get relative position for an event
  * @param {Event|IEvent} event - The event to get the position for
diff --git a/src/core/core.js b/src/core/core.js
index 906b897c699..e0dd8e7a20d 100644
--- a/src/core/core.js
+++ b/src/core/core.js
@@ -9,8 +9,6 @@ defaults._set('global', {
 	events: ['mousemove', 'mouseout', 'click', 'touchstart', 'touchmove'],
 	hover: {
 		onHover: null,
-		mode: 'nearest',
-		intersect: true,
 		animationDuration: 400
 	},
 	onClick: null,
diff --git a/src/core/core.tooltip.js b/src/core/core.tooltip.js
index c3245d9cf1e..da3434aaf1d 100644
--- a/src/core/core.tooltip.js
+++ b/src/core/core.tooltip.js
@@ -8,9 +8,7 @@ defaults._set('global', {
 	tooltips: {
 		enabled: true,
 		custom: null,
-		mode: 'nearest',
 		position: 'average',
-		intersect: true,
 		backgroundColor: 'rgba(0,0,0,0.8)',
 		titleFontStyle: 'bold',
 		titleSpacing: 2,
diff --git a/test/specs/core.controller.tests.js b/test/specs/core.controller.tests.js
index cf9eb30a22b..75d2c969c92 100644
--- a/test/specs/core.controller.tests.js
+++ b/test/specs/core.controller.tests.js
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ describe('Chart', function() {
 			var defaults = Chart.defaults;
 			defaults.global.responsiveAnimationDuration = 42;
 			defaults.global.hover.onHover = callback;
-			defaults.line.hover.mode = 'x-axis';
+			defaults.line.interaction.mode = 'x-axis';
 			defaults.line.spanGaps = true;
 
 			var chart = acquireChart({
@@ -83,12 +83,15 @@ describe('Chart', function() {
 			expect(options.responsiveAnimationDuration).toBe(42);
 			expect(options.hover.onHover).toBe(callback);
 			expect(options.hover.mode).toBe('x-axis');
+			expect(options.tooltips.mode).toBe('x-axis');
+			expect(options.tooltips.position).toBe(defaults.global.tooltips.position);
+			expect(options.tooltips.callbacks.label).toBe(defaults.global.tooltips.callbacks.label);
 		});
 
 		it('should override default options', function() {
 			var defaults = Chart.defaults;
 			defaults.global.responsiveAnimationDuration = 42;
-			defaults.line.hover.mode = 'x-axis';
+			defaults.line.interaction.mode = 'x-axis';
 			defaults.line.spanGaps = true;
 
 			var chart = acquireChart({