diff --git a/packages/hdwallet-provider/package.json b/packages/hdwallet-provider/package.json
index 03052dc6662..d1585ccec82 100644
--- a/packages/hdwallet-provider/package.json
+++ b/packages/hdwallet-provider/package.json
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@
     "ganache-core": "2.13.0",
     "mocha": "8.1.2",
     "ts-node": "^9.0.0",
-    "typescript": "^4.1.4"
+    "typescript": "^4.1.4",
+    "web3": "1.5.3"
   },
   "keywords": [
     "etheruem",
diff --git a/packages/hdwallet-provider/src/constructor/Constructor.ts b/packages/hdwallet-provider/src/constructor/Constructor.ts
index 9647757a0f3..29284e4004c 100644
--- a/packages/hdwallet-provider/src/constructor/Constructor.ts
+++ b/packages/hdwallet-provider/src/constructor/Constructor.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ import type {
   Mnemonic,
   MnemonicPhrase,
   PrivateKey,
+  Provider,
+  ProviderUrl,
   ProviderOrUrl,
   AddressIndex,
   NumberOfAddresses,
@@ -38,7 +40,9 @@ export type InputSigningAuthority =
   | PrivateKeysSigningAuthority;
 
 export interface CommonOptions {
-  providerOrUrl: ProviderOrUrl;
+  providerOrUrl?: ProviderOrUrl;
+  provider?: Provider;
+  url?: ProviderUrl;
   addressIndex?: AddressIndex;
   numberOfAddresses?: NumberOfAddresses;
   shareNonce?: ShareNonce;
diff --git a/packages/hdwallet-provider/src/constructor/getOptions.ts b/packages/hdwallet-provider/src/constructor/getOptions.ts
index 25fa77270dd..52b4c2a77af 100644
--- a/packages/hdwallet-provider/src/constructor/getOptions.ts
+++ b/packages/hdwallet-provider/src/constructor/getOptions.ts
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ const matchesNewInputOptions = (
 
   // beyond that, determine based on property inclusion check for required keys
   return (
-    "providerOrUrl" in options &&
+    ("providerOrUrl" in options || "provider" in options || "url" in options) &&
     ("privateKeys" in options || "mnemonic" in options)
   );
 };
diff --git a/packages/hdwallet-provider/src/constructor/types.ts b/packages/hdwallet-provider/src/constructor/types.ts
index 791f2b0d05f..9f470433eff 100644
--- a/packages/hdwallet-provider/src/constructor/types.ts
+++ b/packages/hdwallet-provider/src/constructor/types.ts
@@ -7,8 +7,15 @@ export interface Mnemonic {
   phrase: MnemonicPhrase;
   password?: MnemonicPassword;
 }
+import type { Provider as LegacyProvider } from "web3/providers";
+type Eip1193Provider = {
+  request: (options: {
+    method: string;
+    params?: unknown[] | object;
+  }) => Promise<any>;
+};
 export type PrivateKey = string;
-export type Provider = any;
+export type Provider = LegacyProvider | Eip1193Provider;
 export type ProviderUrl = string;
 export type ProviderOrUrl = Provider | ProviderUrl;
 export type AddressIndex = number;
diff --git a/packages/hdwallet-provider/src/index.ts b/packages/hdwallet-provider/src/index.ts
index 12bf49fcbba..d4ea45af35b 100644
--- a/packages/hdwallet-provider/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/hdwallet-provider/src/index.ts
@@ -54,7 +54,9 @@ class HDWalletProvider {
 
   constructor(...args: ConstructorArguments) {
     const {
-      providerOrUrl, // required
+      provider,
+      url,
+      providerOrUrl,
       addressIndex = 0,
       numberOfAddresses = 10,
       shareNonce = true,
@@ -78,11 +80,21 @@ class HDWalletProvider {
       pollingInterval
     });
 
-    if (!HDWalletProvider.isValidProvider(providerOrUrl)) {
+    let providerToUse;
+    if (HDWalletProvider.isValidProvider(provider)) {
+      providerToUse = provider;
+    } else if (HDWalletProvider.isValidProvider(url)) {
+      providerToUse = url;
+    } else {
+      providerToUse = providerOrUrl;
+    }
+
+    if (!HDWalletProvider.isValidProvider(providerToUse)) {
       throw new Error(
         [
-          `Malformed provider URL: '${providerOrUrl}'`,
-          "Please specify a correct URL, using the http, https, ws, or wss protocol.",
+          `No provider or an invalid provider was specified: '${providerToUse}'`,
+          "Please specify a valid provider or URL, using the http, https, " +
+          "ws, or wss protocol.",
           ""
         ].join("\n")
       );
@@ -219,8 +231,8 @@ class HDWalletProvider {
       : this.engine.addProvider(singletonNonceSubProvider);
 
     this.engine.addProvider(new FiltersSubprovider());
-    if (typeof providerOrUrl === "string") {
-      const url = providerOrUrl;
+    if (typeof providerToUse === "string") {
+      const url = providerToUse;
 
       const providerProtocol = (
         Url.parse(url).protocol || "http:"
@@ -235,8 +247,7 @@ class HDWalletProvider {
           this.engine.addProvider(new RpcProvider({ rpcUrl: url }));
       }
     } else {
-      const provider = providerOrUrl;
-      this.engine.addProvider(new ProviderSubprovider(provider));
+      this.engine.addProvider(new ProviderSubprovider(providerToUse));
     }
 
     // Required by the provider engine.
@@ -356,15 +367,20 @@ class HDWalletProvider {
     return this.addresses;
   }
 
-  public static isValidProvider(provider: string | any): boolean {
-    const validProtocols = ["http:", "https:", "ws:", "wss:"];
-
+  public static isValidProvider(provider: any): boolean {
+    if (!provider) return false;
     if (typeof provider === "string") {
+      const validProtocols = ["http:", "https:", "ws:", "wss:"];
       const url = Url.parse(provider.toLowerCase());
       return !!(validProtocols.includes(url.protocol || "") && url.slashes);
+    } else if ("request" in provider) {
+      // provider is an 1193 provider
+      return true;
+    } else if ("send" in provider) {
+      // provider is a "legacy" provider
+      return true;
     }
-
-    return true;
+    return false;
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/hdwallet-provider/test/provider.test.ts b/packages/hdwallet-provider/test/provider.test.ts
index 773eccd5908..9366901fd93 100644
--- a/packages/hdwallet-provider/test/provider.test.ts
+++ b/packages/hdwallet-provider/test/provider.test.ts
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ describe("HD Wallet Provider", function () {
         mnemonic: {
           phrase: mnemonicPhrase
         },
-        providerOrUrl: `http://localhost:${port}`
+        url: `http://localhost:${port}`
       });
 
       assert.deepEqual(provider.getAddresses(), truffleDevAccounts);
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ describe("HD Wallet Provider", function () {
         "candy maple cake sugar pudding cream honey rich smooth crumble sweet treat";
       provider = new HDWalletProvider({
         mnemonic: mnemonicPhrase,
-        providerOrUrl: `http://localhost:${port}`
+        url: `http://localhost:${port}`
       });
 
       assert.deepEqual(provider.getAddresses(), truffleDevAccounts);
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ describe("HD Wallet Provider", function () {
           phrase: mnemonicPhrase,
           password: "yummy"
         },
-        providerOrUrl: `http://localhost:${port}`
+        url: `http://localhost:${port}`
       });
 
       assert.deepEqual(provider.getAddresses(), accounts);
@@ -208,20 +208,6 @@ describe("HD Wallet Provider", function () {
       assert(number === 0);
     });
 
-    it("throws on invalid mnemonic", () => {
-      try {
-        provider = new HDWalletProvider({
-          mnemonic: {
-            phrase: "I am not a crook"
-          },
-          providerOrUrl: "http://localhost:8545"
-        });
-        assert.fail("Should throw on invalid mnemonic");
-      } catch (e) {
-        assert(e.message.includes("Mnemonic invalid or undefined"));
-      }
-    });
-
     it("provides for a default polling interval", () => {
       const mnemonicPhrase =
         "candy maple cake sugar pudding cream honey rich smooth crumble sweet treat";
@@ -229,7 +215,7 @@ describe("HD Wallet Provider", function () {
         mnemonic: {
           phrase: mnemonicPhrase
         },
-        providerOrUrl: `http://localhost:${port}`,
+        url: `http://localhost:${port}`,
         // polling interval is unspecified
       });
       assert.ok(provider.engine,
@@ -249,7 +235,7 @@ describe("HD Wallet Provider", function () {
         mnemonic: {
           phrase: mnemonicPhrase
         },
-        providerOrUrl: `http://localhost:${port}`,
+        url: `http://localhost:${port}`,
         // double the default value, for less chatty JSON-RPC
         pollingInterval: 8000,
       });
@@ -278,7 +264,7 @@ describe("HD Wallet Provider", function () {
 
       provider = new HDWalletProvider({
         privateKeys,
-        providerOrUrl: `http://localhost:${port}`
+        url: `http://localhost:${port}`
       });
       web3.setProvider(provider);
 
@@ -304,5 +290,50 @@ describe("HD Wallet Provider", function () {
       const number = await web3.eth.getBlockNumber();
       assert(number === 0);
     });
+
+    describe("instantiation errors", () => {
+      it("throws on invalid providers", () => {
+        try {
+          provider = new HDWalletProvider({
+            mnemonic: {
+              phrase: "candy maple cake sugar pudding cream honey rich smooth crumble sweet treat"
+            },
+            // @ts-ignore we gotta do the bad thing here to get the test right
+            provider: { junk: "in", an: "object" }
+          });
+          assert.fail("Should throw on invalid provider");
+        } catch (e) {
+          assert(e.message.includes("invalid provider was specified"));
+        }
+      });
+
+      it("throws on invalid urls", () => {
+        try {
+          provider = new HDWalletProvider({
+            mnemonic: {
+              phrase: "candy maple cake sugar pudding cream honey rich smooth crumble sweet treat"
+            },
+            url: "justABunchOfJunk"
+          });
+          assert.fail("Should throw on invalid url");
+        } catch (e) {
+          assert(e.message.includes("invalid provider was specified"));
+        }
+      });
+
+      it("throws on invalid mnemonic", () => {
+        try {
+          provider = new HDWalletProvider({
+            mnemonic: {
+              phrase: "I am not a crook"
+            },
+            url: "http://localhost:8545"
+          });
+          assert.fail("Should throw on invalid mnemonic");
+        } catch (e) {
+          assert(e.message.includes("Mnemonic invalid or undefined"));
+        }
+      });
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/packages/hdwallet-provider/test/urlValidation.test.ts b/packages/hdwallet-provider/test/urlValidation.test.ts
index d1f9a637bac..71396a13794 100644
--- a/packages/hdwallet-provider/test/urlValidation.test.ts
+++ b/packages/hdwallet-provider/test/urlValidation.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import assert from "assert";
 import WalletProvider from "../dist";
+import Ganache from "ganache-core";
 import { describe, it } from "mocha";
 
 const { isValidProvider } = WalletProvider;
@@ -20,8 +21,8 @@ describe("HD Wallet Provider Validator", () => {
       assert.fail("did not throw!");
     } catch (e) {
       const expectedMessage = [
-        `Malformed provider URL: '${badUrl}'`,
-        "Please specify a correct URL, using the http, https, ws, or wss protocol.",
+        `No provider or an invalid provider was specified: '${badUrl}'`,
+        "Please specify a valid provider or URL, using the http, https, ws, or wss protocol.",
         ""
       ].join("\n");
       assert.equal(e.message, expectedMessage);
@@ -35,8 +36,8 @@ describe("HD Wallet Provider Validator", () => {
       assert.fail("did not throw!");
     } catch (e) {
       const expectedMessage = [
-        `Malformed provider URL: '${badUrl}'`,
-        "Please specify a correct URL, using the http, https, ws, or wss protocol.",
+        `No provider or an invalid provider was specified: '${badUrl}'`,
+        "Please specify a valid provider or URL, using the http, https, ws, or wss protocol.",
         ""
       ].join("\n");
       assert.equal(e.message, expectedMessage);
@@ -80,5 +81,13 @@ describe("HD Wallet Provider Validator", () => {
         "Good WSS Url should pass validation"
       );
     });
+
+    it("a provider", () => {
+      const provider = Ganache.provider();
+      assert.ok(
+        isValidProvider(provider),
+        "Good provider should pass validation."
+      );
+    });
   });
 });