diff --git a/changelog.txt b/changelog.txt
index 6ab20b94..16e4088b 100644
--- a/changelog.txt
+++ b/changelog.txt
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ OPENSEADRAGON CHANGELOG
 * Removed 'position' property from MouseTracker keyDownHandler/keyUpHandler/keyHandler functions (#573)
 * Fixed pointer event model detection for IE 10 and IE 11 (#571)
 * Added setMouseNavEnabled() support to Navigator (#572)
+* MouseTracker now defaults to tracking on (#558)
 * Removed Viewer focusHandler/onCanvasFocus (#577)
 * Added tabIndex option to viewer (#577)
 
diff --git a/src/button.js b/src/button.js
index 104955e0..42f68afc 100644
--- a/src/button.js
+++ b/src/button.js
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ $.Button = function( options ) {
             return true;
         }
 
-    }).setTracking( true );
+    });
 
     outTo( this, $.ButtonState.REST );
 };
diff --git a/src/buttongroup.js b/src/buttongroup.js
index 7505af0a..49cc9c2e 100644
--- a/src/buttongroup.js
+++ b/src/buttongroup.js
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ $.ButtonGroup = function( options ) {
                 }
             }
         },
-    }).setTracking( true );
+    });
 };
 
 $.ButtonGroup.prototype = /** @lends OpenSeadragon.ButtonGroup.prototype */{
diff --git a/src/mousetracker.js b/src/mousetracker.js
index 609fde7b..ec677fb7 100644
--- a/src/mousetracker.js
+++ b/src/mousetracker.js
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@
      * @param {Element|String} options.element
      *      A reference to an element or an element id for which the pointer/key
      *      events will be monitored.
+     * @param {Boolean} [options.startDisabled=false]
+     *      If true, event tracking on the element will not start until
+     *      {@link OpenSeadragon.MouseTracker.setTracking|setTracking} is called.
      * @param {Number} options.clickTimeThreshold
      *      The number of milliseconds within which a pointer down-up event combination
      *      will be treated as a click gesture.
@@ -257,6 +260,9 @@
             currentPinchCenter:    null
         };
 
+        if ( !options.startDisabled ) {
+            this.setTracking( true );
+        }
     };
 
     $.MouseTracker.prototype = /** @lends OpenSeadragon.MouseTracker.prototype */{
diff --git a/src/navigator.js b/src/navigator.js
index dcea7687..464cd988 100644
--- a/src/navigator.js
+++ b/src/navigator.js
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ $.Navigator = function( options ){
         clickHandler:    $.delegate( this, onCanvasClick ),
         releaseHandler:  $.delegate( this, onCanvasRelease ),
         scrollHandler:   $.delegate( this, onCanvasScroll )
-    }).setTracking( true );
+    });
 
 };
 
diff --git a/src/referencestrip.js b/src/referencestrip.js
index a872ca58..480009ec 100644
--- a/src/referencestrip.js
+++ b/src/referencestrip.js
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ $.ReferenceStrip = function ( options ) {
         exitHandler:    $.delegate( this, onStripExit ),
         keyDownHandler: $.delegate( this, onKeyDown ),
         keyHandler:     $.delegate( this, onKeyPress )
-    } ).setTracking( true );
+    } );
 
     //Controls the position and orientation of the reference strip and sets the
     //appropriate width and height
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ $.ReferenceStrip = function ( options ) {
                     viewer.goToPage( page );
                 }
             }
-        } ).setTracking( true );
+        } );
 
         this.element.appendChild( element );
 
@@ -447,8 +447,10 @@ function loadPanels( strip, viewerSize, scroll ) {
             style.width         = ( strip.panelWidth - 4 ) + 'px';
             style.height        = ( strip.panelHeight - 4 ) + 'px';
 
+            // TODO: What is this for? Future keyboard navigation support?
             miniViewer.displayRegion.innerTracker = new $.MouseTracker( {
-                element: miniViewer.displayRegion
+                element: miniViewer.displayRegion,
+                startDisabled: true
             } );
 
             element.getElementsByTagName( 'div' )[0].appendChild(
diff --git a/src/viewer.js b/src/viewer.js
index 4cf7fad7..85ec594a 100644
--- a/src/viewer.js
+++ b/src/viewer.js
@@ -297,6 +297,7 @@ $.Viewer = function( options ) {
 
     this.innerTracker = new $.MouseTracker({
         element:                  this.canvas,
+        startDisabled:            this.mouseNavEnabled ? false : true,
         clickTimeThreshold:       this.clickTimeThreshold,
         clickDistThreshold:       this.clickDistThreshold,
         dblClickTimeThreshold:    this.dblClickTimeThreshold,
@@ -315,17 +316,18 @@ $.Viewer = function( options ) {
         nonPrimaryReleaseHandler: $.delegate( this, onCanvasNonPrimaryRelease ),
         scrollHandler:            $.delegate( this, onCanvasScroll ),
         pinchHandler:             $.delegate( this, onCanvasPinch )
-    }).setTracking( this.mouseNavEnabled ? true : false ); // default state
+    });
 
     this.outerTracker = new $.MouseTracker({
         element:               this.container,
+        startDisabled:         this.mouseNavEnabled ? false : true,
         clickTimeThreshold:    this.clickTimeThreshold,
         clickDistThreshold:    this.clickDistThreshold,
         dblClickTimeThreshold: this.dblClickTimeThreshold,
         dblClickDistThreshold: this.dblClickDistThreshold,
         enterHandler:          $.delegate( this, onContainerEnter ),
         exitHandler:           $.delegate( this, onContainerExit )
-    }).setTracking( this.mouseNavEnabled ? true : false ); // always tracking
+    });
 
     if( this.toolbar ){
         this.toolbar = new $.ControlDock({ element: this.toolbar });
diff --git a/test/events.js b/test/events.js
index 5f850082..677e805f 100644
--- a/test/events.js
+++ b/test/events.js
@@ -790,7 +790,7 @@
                 releaseHandler: onMouseTrackerRelease,
                 clickHandler: onMouseTrackerClick,
                 exitHandler: onMouseTrackerExit
-            } ).setTracking( true );
+            } );
 
             var event = {
                 clientX:1,