diff --git a/openvdb/openvdb/Grid.h b/openvdb/openvdb/Grid.h
index 14aad39122..bd123d2c0f 100644
--- a/openvdb/openvdb/Grid.h
+++ b/openvdb/openvdb/Grid.h
@@ -586,10 +586,10 @@ class Grid: public GridBase
     using ValueAllIter        = typename _TreeType::ValueAllIter;
     using ValueAllCIter       = typename _TreeType::ValueAllCIter;
 
-    using Accessor            = typename tree::ValueAccessor<_TreeType, true>;
-    using ConstAccessor       = typename tree::ValueAccessor<const _TreeType, true>;
-    using UnsafeAccessor      = typename tree::ValueAccessor<_TreeType, false>;
-    using ConstUnsafeAccessor = typename tree::ValueAccessor<const _TreeType, false>;
+    using Accessor            = typename _TreeType::Accessor;
+    using ConstAccessor       = typename _TreeType::ConstAccessor;
+    using UnsafeAccessor      = typename _TreeType::UnsafeAccessor;
+    using ConstUnsafeAccessor = typename _TreeType::ConstUnsafeAccessor;
 
     /// @brief ValueConverter<T>::Type is the type of a grid having the same
     /// hierarchy as this grid but a different value type, T.
@@ -729,7 +729,7 @@ class Grid: public GridBase
     /// @brief Return an accessor that provides random read and write access
     /// to this grid's voxels.
     /// @details The accessor is safe in the sense that it is registered with this grid's tree.
-    Accessor getAccessor() { return Accessor(tree()); }
+    Accessor getAccessor() { return mTree->getAccessor(); }
     /// @brief Return an unsafe accessor that provides random read and write access
     /// to this grid's voxels.
     /// @details The accessor is unsafe in the sense that it is not registered
@@ -737,11 +737,11 @@ class Grid: public GridBase
     /// over a registered accessor, but it is unsafe if the tree topology is modified.
     /// @warning Only use this method if you're an expert and know the
     /// risks of using an unregistered accessor (see tree/ValueAccessor.h)
-    UnsafeAccessor getUnsafeAccessor() { return UnsafeAccessor(tree()); }
+    UnsafeAccessor getUnsafeAccessor() { return mTree->getUnsafeAccessor(); }
     /// Return an accessor that provides random read-only access to this grid's voxels.
-    ConstAccessor getAccessor() const { return ConstAccessor(tree()); }
+    ConstAccessor getAccessor() const { return mTree->getConstAccessor(); }
     /// Return an accessor that provides random read-only access to this grid's voxels.
-    ConstAccessor getConstAccessor() const { return ConstAccessor(tree()); }
+    ConstAccessor getConstAccessor() const { return mTree->getConstAccessor(); }
     /// @brief Return an unsafe accessor that provides random read-only access
     /// to this grid's voxels.
     /// @details The accessor is unsafe in the sense that it is not registered
@@ -749,7 +749,7 @@ class Grid: public GridBase
     /// over a registered accessor, but it is unsafe if the tree topology is modified.
     /// @warning Only use this method if you're an expert and know the
     /// risks of using an unregistered accessor (see tree/ValueAccessor.h)
-    ConstUnsafeAccessor getConstUnsafeAccessor() const { return ConstUnsafeAccessor(tree()); }
+    ConstUnsafeAccessor getConstUnsafeAccessor() const { return mTree->getConstUnsafeAccessor(); }
 
     /// Return an iterator over all of this grid's active values (tile and voxel).
     ValueOnIter   beginValueOn()       { return tree().beginValueOn(); }
diff --git a/openvdb/openvdb/tree/Tree.h b/openvdb/openvdb/tree/Tree.h
index 44e77c5307..22ea00a914 100644
--- a/openvdb/openvdb/tree/Tree.h
+++ b/openvdb/openvdb/tree/Tree.h
@@ -188,6 +188,11 @@ class Tree: public TreeBase
 
     static const Index DEPTH = RootNodeType::LEVEL + 1;
 
+    using Accessor            = ValueAccessor<Tree, true>;
+    using ConstAccessor       = ValueAccessor<const Tree, true>;
+    using UnsafeAccessor      = ValueAccessor<Tree, false>;
+    using ConstUnsafeAccessor = ValueAccessor<const Tree, false>;
+
     /// @brief ValueConverter<T>::Type is the type of a tree having the same
     /// hierarchy as this tree but a different value type, T.
     ///
@@ -623,6 +628,31 @@ class Tree: public TreeBase
     /// Remove all tiles from this tree and all nodes other than the root node.
     void clear();
 
+    /// @brief Return an accessor that provides random read and write access
+    /// to this tree's voxels.
+    /// @details The accessor is safe in the sense that it is registered with this tree.
+    Accessor getAccessor();
+    /// @brief Return an unsafe accessor that provides random read and write access
+    /// to this tree's voxels.
+    /// @details The accessor is unsafe in the sense that it is not registered
+    /// with this tree's tree.  In some rare cases this can give a performance advantage
+    /// over a registered accessor, but it is unsafe if the tree topology is modified.
+    /// @warning Only use this method if you're an expert and know the
+    /// risks of using an unregistered accessor (see tree/ValueAccessor.h)
+    UnsafeAccessor getUnsafeAccessor();
+    /// Return an accessor that provides random read-only access to this tree's voxels.
+    ConstAccessor getAccessor() const;
+    /// Return an accessor that provides random read-only access to this tree's voxels.
+    ConstAccessor getConstAccessor() const;
+    /// @brief Return an unsafe accessor that provides random read-only access
+    /// to this tree's voxels.
+    /// @details The accessor is unsafe in the sense that it is not registered
+    /// with this tree.  In some rare cases this can give a performance advantage
+    /// over a registered accessor, but it is unsafe if the tree topology is modified.
+    /// @warning Only use this method if you're an expert and know the
+    /// risks of using an unregistered accessor (see tree/ValueAccessor.h)
+    ConstUnsafeAccessor getConstUnsafeAccessor();
+
     /// Clear all registered accessors.
     void clearAllAccessors();
 
@@ -1318,6 +1348,41 @@ Tree<RootNodeType>::clear()
 ////////////////////////////////////////
 
 
+template<typename RootNodeType>
+typename Tree<RootNodeType>::Accessor
+Tree<RootNodeType>::getAccessor()
+{
+    return Accessor(*this);
+}
+
+template<typename RootNodeType>
+typename Tree<RootNodeType>::UnsafeAccessor
+Tree<RootNodeType>::getUnsafeAccessor()
+{
+    return UnsafeAccessor(*this);
+}
+
+template<typename RootNodeType>
+typename Tree<RootNodeType>::ConstAccessor
+Tree<RootNodeType>::getAccessor() const
+{
+    return ConstAccessor(*this);
+}
+
+template<typename RootNodeType>
+typename Tree<RootNodeType>::ConstAccessor
+Tree<RootNodeType>::getConstAccessor() const
+{
+    return ConstAccessor(*this);
+}
+
+template<typename RootNodeType>
+typename Tree<RootNodeType>::ConstUnsafeAccessor
+Tree<RootNodeType>::getConstUnsafeAccessor()
+{
+    return ConstUnsafeAccessor(*this);
+}
+
 template<typename RootNodeType>
 inline void
 Tree<RootNodeType>::attachAccessor(ValueAccessorBase<Tree, true>& accessor) const
diff --git a/openvdb/openvdb/unittest/TestGrid.cc b/openvdb/openvdb/unittest/TestGrid.cc
index 1e9d058b77..9214ece3ef 100644
--- a/openvdb/openvdb/unittest/TestGrid.cc
+++ b/openvdb/openvdb/unittest/TestGrid.cc
@@ -40,6 +40,11 @@ class ProxyTree: public openvdb::TreeBase
     using Ptr = openvdb::SharedPtr<ProxyTree>;
     using ConstPtr = openvdb::SharedPtr<const ProxyTree>;
 
+    using Accessor = void;
+    using ConstAccessor = void;
+    using UnsafeAccessor = void;
+    using ConstUnsafeAccessor = void;
+
     static const openvdb::Index DEPTH;
     static const ValueType backg;
 
diff --git a/pendingchanges/value_accessors_tree.txt b/pendingchanges/value_accessors_tree.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8076f7cd6c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pendingchanges/value_accessors_tree.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+OpenVDB:
+  Improvements:
+    - ValueAccessors are now defined and created in the Tree class instead of in the Grid class so that custom Tree implementations may define and create their own ValueAccessors if desired.