diff --git a/spec/fixtures/packages/package-with-json-config-schema/package.json b/spec/fixtures/packages/package-with-json-config-schema/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..960d87fc1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/fixtures/packages/package-with-json-config-schema/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+{
+  "name": "package-with-json-config-schema",
+  "configSchema": {
+    "a": {
+      "type": "number",
+      "default": 5
+    },
+    "b": {
+      "type": "string",
+      "default": "five"
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/spec/package-manager-spec.coffee b/spec/package-manager-spec.coffee
index 169e09b76..656b4b691 100644
--- a/spec/package-manager-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/package-manager-spec.coffee
@@ -194,6 +194,21 @@ describe "PackageManager", ->
           expect(atom.config.set('package-with-config-schema.numbers.one', '10')).toBe true
           expect(atom.config.get('package-with-config-schema.numbers.one')).toBe 10
 
+      it "assigns the config schema when the package contains a schema in its package.json", ->
+        expect(atom.config.get('package-with-json-config-schema')).toBeUndefined()
+
+        waitsForPromise ->
+          atom.packages.activatePackage('package-with-json-config-schema')
+
+        runs ->
+          expect(atom.config.getSchema('package-with-json-config-schema')).toEqual {
+            type: 'object'
+            properties: {
+              a: {type: 'number', default: 5}
+              b: {type: 'string', default: 'five'}
+            }
+          }
+
       describe "when the package metadata includes `activationCommands`", ->
         [mainModule, promise, workspaceCommandListener, registration] = []
 
diff --git a/src/package.coffee b/src/package.coffee
index 1d98c8161..d1354340f 100644
--- a/src/package.coffee
+++ b/src/package.coffee
@@ -133,11 +133,14 @@ class Package
   activateConfig: ->
     return if @configActivated
 
-    @requireMainModule() unless @mainModule?
-    if @mainModule?
-      if @mainModule.config? and typeof @mainModule.config is 'object'
-        @config.setSchema @name, {type: 'object', properties: @mainModule.config}
-      @mainModule.activateConfig?()
+    if configSchema = @metadata.configSchema
+      @config.setSchema @name, {type: 'object', properties: configSchema}
+    else
+      @requireMainModule() unless @mainModule?
+      if @mainModule?
+        if @mainModule.config? and typeof @mainModule.config is 'object'
+          @config.setSchema @name, {type: 'object', properties: @mainModule.config}
+        @mainModule.activateConfig?()
     @configActivated = true
 
   activateStylesheets: ->