diff --git a/src/app/atom-package.coffee b/src/app/atom-package.coffee
index bff8c2270..9a3c4487b 100644
--- a/src/app/atom-package.coffee
+++ b/src/app/atom-package.coffee
@@ -137,6 +137,8 @@ class AtomPackage extends Package
     return unless @metadata.activationEvents?
     if _.isArray(@metadata.activationEvents)
       rootView.command(event, @handleActivationEvent) for event in @metadata.activationEvents
+    else if _.isString(@metadata.activationEvents)
+      rootView.command(@metadata.activationEvents, @handleActivationEvent)
     else
       rootView.command(event, selector, @handleActivationEvent) for event, selector of @metadata.activationEvents
 
diff --git a/src/packages/command-palette/package.cson b/src/packages/command-palette/package.cson
index 3a7efa550..8559dddc2 100644
--- a/src/packages/command-palette/package.cson
+++ b/src/packages/command-palette/package.cson
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 'main': './lib/command-palette-view'
 'description': 'Find and run available commands.'
-'activationEvents': ['command-palette:toggle']
+'activationEvents': 'command-palette:toggle'
diff --git a/src/packages/github-sign-in/package.cson b/src/packages/github-sign-in/package.cson
index b11a4ec27..978b80e99 100644
--- a/src/packages/github-sign-in/package.cson
+++ b/src/packages/github-sign-in/package.cson
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
 'main': './lib/sign-in-view'
 'description': 'Sign in to GitHub. Open from the command palette.'
-'activationEvents': [
-  'github:sign-in'
-]
+'activationEvents': 'github:sign-in'
diff --git a/src/packages/grammar-selector/package.cson b/src/packages/grammar-selector/package.cson
index 617163821..8ffd582d0 100644
--- a/src/packages/grammar-selector/package.cson
+++ b/src/packages/grammar-selector/package.cson
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 'main': './lib/grammar-selector'
 'description': 'Select the grammar to use for the current editor.'
-'activationEvents': ['grammar-selector:show']
+'activationEvents': 'grammar-selector:show'
diff --git a/src/packages/package-generator/package.cson b/src/packages/package-generator/package.cson
index cb97b414c..6a6467efd 100644
--- a/src/packages/package-generator/package.cson
+++ b/src/packages/package-generator/package.cson
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 'main': './lib/package-generator'
 'description': 'Generate and open a new sample package.'
-'activationEvents': ['package-generator:generate']
+'activationEvents': 'package-generator:generate'