diff --git a/opm/models/io/unstructuredgridvanguard.hh b/opm/models/io/unstructuredgridvanguard.hh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..71deed0e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/opm/models/io/unstructuredgridvanguard.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+// -*- mode: C++; tab-width: 4; indent-tabs-mode: nil;
+// c-basic-offset: 4 -*- vi: set et ts=4 sw=4 sts=4:
+/*
+  This file is part of the Open Porous Media project (OPM).
+  OPM is free software: you can redistribute it and/or
+  modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public
+  License as published by the Free Software Foundation,
+  either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any
+  later version. OPM is distributed in the hope that it will
+  be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the
+  implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A
+  PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
+  for more details. You should have received a copy of the
+  GNU General Public License along with OPM.  If not, see
+  <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>. Consult the COPYING file
+  in the top-level source directory of this module for the
+  precise wording of the license and the list of copyright
+  holders.
+*/
+/*!
+ * \file
+ * \copydoc Opm::UnstructuredGridVanguard
+ */
+#ifndef EWOMS_UNSTRUCTURED_GRID_VANGUARD_HH
+#define EWOMS_UNSTRUCTURED_GRID_VANGUARD_HH
+
+#include <opm/models/io/basevanguard.hh>
+#include <opm/models/utils/parametersystem.hh>
+#include <opm/models/utils/propertysystem.hh>
+
+#include "opm/grid/UnstructuredGrid.h"
+
+
+namespace Opm {
+/*!
+ * \brief Provides a simulator vanguard which creates a grid
+ * by parsing an unstructured grid file
+ */
+template <class TypeTag>
+class UnstructuredGridVanguard : public BaseVanguard<TypeTag> {
+    using ParentType = BaseVanguard<TypeTag>;
+    using Scalar = GetPropType<TypeTag, Properties::Scalar>;
+    using Simulator = GetPropType<TypeTag, Properties::Simulator>;
+    using Grid = GetPropType<TypeTag, Properties::Grid>;
+
+    using GridPointer = Dune::GridPtr< Grid >;
+
+   public:
+    /*!
+     * \brief Register all run-time parameters for the
+     * unstructured grid simulator vanguard.
+     */
+    static void registerParameters() {
+        EWOMS_REGISTER_PARAM(TypeTag, unsigned, GridGlobalRefinements,
+                             "The number of global refinements of the grid "
+                             "executed after it was loaded");
+        EWOMS_REGISTER_PARAM(TypeTag, std::string, GridFile,
+                             "The file name of the file to load");
+    }
+
+    /*!
+     * \brief Load the grid from the file.
+     */
+    UnstructuredGridVanguard(Simulator& simulator) : ParentType(simulator){
+
+        const std::string gridFileName = EWOMS_GET_PARAM(TypeTag, std::string, GridFile);
+        unsigned numRefinments = EWOMS_GET_PARAM(TypeTag, unsigned, GridGlobalRefinements);
+
+        const char* c_str = gridFileName.c_str();
+
+        UnstructuredGrid* grid = read_grid(c_str);
+        if (grid == nullptr) {
+            std::string msg =
+                "RuntimeError: UnstructuredGridVanguard could not read grid file: " +
+                gridFileName + ". Are you sure the filename is correct?";
+            throw std::runtime_error(msg);
+        }
+        ugPtr_.reset(std::move( grid ));
+        //GridPointer polygrid( new Grid(*ugPtr) );
+        gridPtr_ = new Grid(*ugPtr_);//std::move(polygrid);
+        if (numRefinments > 0) {
+            gridPtr_->globalRefine(static_cast<int>(numRefinments));
+        }
+        this->finalizeInit_();
+    }
+
+    /*!
+     * \brief Return a reference to the grid object.
+     */
+    Grid& grid() { return *gridPtr_; }
+
+    /*!
+     * \brief Return a constant reference to the grid
+     * object.
+     */
+    const Grid& grid() const { return *gridPtr_; }
+
+   private:
+    GridPointer gridPtr_;
+    typename Grid::UnstructuredGridPtr ugPtr_;
+};
+
+}  // namespace Opm
+
+#endif