diff --git a/core/core.services.yml b/core/core.services.yml
index 6655001af1..79c43b63fb 100644
--- a/core/core.services.yml
+++ b/core/core.services.yml
@@ -1076,15 +1076,8 @@ services:
     arguments: ['@router', '@router.no_access_checks', '@current_user', '@path_processor_manager']
   Drupal\Core\Path\PathValidatorInterface: '@path.validator'
 
-  # The argument to the hashing service defined in services.yml, to the
-  # constructor of PhpassHashedPassword is the log2 number of iterations for
-  # password stretching.
-  # @todo increase by 1 every Drupal version in order to counteract increases in
-  # the speed and power of computers available to crack the hashes. The current
-  # password hashing method was introduced in Drupal 7 with a log2 count of 15.
   password:
     class: Drupal\Core\Password\PhpassHashedPassword
-    arguments: [16]
   Drupal\Core\Password\PasswordInterface: '@password'
   password_generator:
     class: Drupal\Core\Password\DefaultPasswordGenerator
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Password/PhpassHashedPassword.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Password/PhpassHashedPassword.php
index de702d3ff5..c9357affbd 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Password/PhpassHashedPassword.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Password/PhpassHashedPassword.php
@@ -8,6 +8,16 @@
  * @see http://www.openwall.com/phpass/
  */
 class PhpassHashedPassword implements PasswordInterface {
+  /**
+   * The default log2 number of iterations for password stretching.
+   *
+   * @todo increase by 1 every Drupal version in order to counteract increases
+   * in the speed and power of computers available to crack the hashes. The
+   * current password hashing method was introduced in Drupal 7 with a log2
+   * count of 15.
+   */
+  const DEFAULT_HASH_COUNT = 16;
+
   /**
    * The minimum allowed log2 number of iterations for password stretching.
    */
@@ -50,7 +60,7 @@ class PhpassHashedPassword implements PasswordInterface {
    *   The number of times is calculated by raising 2 to the power of the given
    *   value.
    */
-  public function __construct($countLog2) {
+  public function __construct($countLog2 = self::DEFAULT_HASH_COUNT) {
     // Ensure that $countLog2 is within set bounds.
     $this->countLog2 = $this->enforceLog2Boundaries($countLog2);
   }