diff --git a/internal/zinc-ivy-integration/src/main/java/sbt/inc/ZincBridgeProvider.java b/internal/zinc-ivy-integration/src/main/java/sbt/inc/ZincBridgeProvider.java
index 01d023296..809028f76 100644
--- a/internal/zinc-ivy-integration/src/main/java/sbt/inc/ZincBridgeProvider.java
+++ b/internal/zinc-ivy-integration/src/main/java/sbt/inc/ZincBridgeProvider.java
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ public final class ZincBridgeProvider {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Defines a global lock that does nothing but calling the callable to synchronize
+     * Returns a global lock that does nothing but calling the callable to synchronize
      * across threads. The lock file is used to resolve and download dependencies via ivy.
      * <p>
      * This operation is necesary to invoke {@link ZincBridgeProvider#getProvider(File, GlobalLock, ComponentProvider, IvyConfiguration, Logger)}.
@@ -59,6 +59,21 @@ public final class ZincBridgeProvider {
         return ZincComponentCompiler$.MODULE$.getDefaultLock();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns a default component provider that retrieves and installs component managers
+     * (like the compiled bridge sources) under a given target directory.
+     * <p>
+     * This is the most simplistic implementation of a component provider. If you need more
+     * advanced feature, like management of component via proxies (for companies) or access to
+     * other servers, you need to implement your own component provider.
+     *
+     * @param componentsRoot The directory in which components will be installed and retrieved.
+     * @return A default component provider.
+     */
+    public static ComponentProvider getDefaultComponentProvider(File componentsRoot) {
+        return ZincComponentCompiler$.MODULE$.getDefaultComponentProvider(componentsRoot);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Get a compiler bridge provider that allows the user to fetch Scala and a compiled bridge.
      *
diff --git a/internal/zinc-ivy-integration/src/main/scala/sbt/internal/inc/ZincComponentCompiler.scala b/internal/zinc-ivy-integration/src/main/scala/sbt/internal/inc/ZincComponentCompiler.scala
index 61d75a672..95214b0f2 100644
--- a/internal/zinc-ivy-integration/src/main/scala/sbt/internal/inc/ZincComponentCompiler.scala
+++ b/internal/zinc-ivy-integration/src/main/scala/sbt/internal/inc/ZincComponentCompiler.scala
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import sbt.internal.util.FullLogger
 import sbt.librarymanagement._
 import sbt.librarymanagement.syntax._
 import sbt.util.{ InterfaceUtil, Logger }
-import xsbti.GlobalLock
+import xsbti.{ ComponentProvider, GlobalLock }
 import xsbti.compile.CompilerBridgeProvider
 
 private[sbt] object ZincComponentCompiler {
@@ -151,6 +151,27 @@ private[sbt] object ZincComponentCompiler {
     override def apply[T](file: File, callable: Callable[T]): T = callable.call()
   }
 
+  /** Defines a default component provider that manages the component in a given directory. */
+  private final class DefaultComponentProvider(targetDir: File) extends ComponentProvider {
+    import sbt.io.syntax._
+    private val LockFile = targetDir / "lock"
+    override def lockFile(): File = LockFile
+    override def componentLocation(id: String): File = targetDir / id
+    override def component(componentID: String): Array[File] =
+      IO.listFiles(targetDir / componentID)
+    override def defineComponent(componentID: String, files: Array[File]): Unit =
+      files.foreach(f => IO.copyFile(f, targetDir / componentID / f.getName))
+    override def addToComponent(componentID: String, files: Array[File]): Boolean = {
+      defineComponent(componentID, files)
+      true
+    }
+  }
+
+  def getDefaultComponentProvider(targetDir: File): ComponentProvider = {
+    require(targetDir.isDirectory)
+    new DefaultComponentProvider(targetDir)
+  }
+
   def getDefaultConfiguration(baseDirectory: File,
                               ivyHome: File,
                               resolvers0: Array[Resolver],
diff --git a/internal/zinc-ivy-integration/src/test/scala/sbt/internal/inc/BridgeProviderSpecification.scala b/internal/zinc-ivy-integration/src/test/scala/sbt/internal/inc/BridgeProviderSpecification.scala
index 72bfc8859..e655a1ef3 100644
--- a/internal/zinc-ivy-integration/src/test/scala/sbt/internal/inc/BridgeProviderSpecification.scala
+++ b/internal/zinc-ivy-integration/src/test/scala/sbt/internal/inc/BridgeProviderSpecification.scala
@@ -30,8 +30,10 @@ abstract class BridgeProviderSpecification extends BaseIvySpecification {
   }
 
   def getZincProvider(targetDir: File, log: Logger): CompilerBridgeProvider = {
+    val lock = ZincComponentCompiler.getDefaultLock
     val secondaryCache = Some(secondaryCacheDirectory)
-    val manager = new ZincComponentManager(lock, compProvider(targetDir), secondaryCache, log)
+    val componentProvider = ZincComponentCompiler.getDefaultComponentProvider(targetDir)
+    val manager = new ZincComponentManager(lock, componentProvider, secondaryCache, log)
     ZincComponentCompiler.interfaceProvider(manager, ivyConfiguration, currentManaged)
   }
 
@@ -50,22 +52,4 @@ abstract class BridgeProviderSpecification extends BaseIvySpecification {
     val provider = getZincProvider(targetDir, logger)
     provider.getScalaInstance(scalaVersion, logger)
   }
-
-  private val lock: GlobalLock = new GlobalLock {
-    override def apply[T](file: File, callable: Callable[T]): T = callable.call()
-  }
-
-  private def compProvider(targetDir: File): ComponentProvider = new ComponentProvider {
-    override def lockFile(): File = targetDir / "lock"
-    override def componentLocation(id: String): File =
-      throw new UnsupportedOperationException
-    override def component(componentID: String): Array[File] =
-      IO.listFiles(targetDir / componentID)
-    override def defineComponent(componentID: String, files: Array[File]): Unit =
-      files.foreach(f => IO.copyFile(f, targetDir / componentID / f.getName))
-    override def addToComponent(componentID: String, files: Array[File]): Boolean = {
-      defineComponent(componentID, files)
-      true
-    }
-  }
 }