diff --git a/src/config.coffee b/src/config.coffee
index f0a24bb49..0fb61f286 100644
--- a/src/config.coffee
+++ b/src/config.coffee
@@ -707,6 +707,17 @@ class Config
       .join(' ')
     @scopedSettingsStore.getPropertyValue(scopeChain, keyPath)
 
+  # TODO: figure out how to change / remove this. The return value is awkward. 
+  # * language mode uses it for one thing.
+  # * autocomplete uses it for editor.completions
+  settingsForScopeDescriptor: (scopeDescriptor, keyPath) ->
+    scopeChain = scopeDescriptor
+      .map (scope) ->
+        scope = ".#{scope}" unless scope[0] is '.'
+        scope
+      .join(' ')
+    @scopedSettingsStore.getProperties(scopeChain, keyPath)
+
   clearScopedSettings: ->
     @scopedSettingsStore = new ScopedPropertyStore
 
diff --git a/src/language-mode.coffee b/src/language-mode.coffee
index 89d9130c8..32112309e 100644
--- a/src/language-mode.coffee
+++ b/src/language-mode.coffee
@@ -30,11 +30,11 @@ class LanguageMode
   # Returns an {Array} of the commented {Ranges}.
   toggleLineCommentsForBufferRows: (start, end) ->
     scopes = @editor.scopesForBufferPosition([start, 0])
-    properties = atom.config.get(scopes, "editor")
-    return unless properties.commentStart
+    properties = atom.config.settingsForScopeDescriptor(scopes, "editor.commentStart")[0]
+    return unless properties
 
-    commentStartString = properties.commentStart
-    commentEndString = properties.commentEnd
+    commentStartString = _.valueForKeyPath(properties, 'editor.commentStart')
+    commentEndString = _.valueForKeyPath(properties, 'editor.commentEnd')
 
     return unless commentStartString
 
diff --git a/src/syntax.coffee b/src/syntax.coffee
index c472ee45d..852b48656 100644
--- a/src/syntax.coffee
+++ b/src/syntax.coffee
@@ -57,4 +57,4 @@ class Syntax extends GrammarRegistry
 
   propertiesForScope: (scope, keyPath) ->
     deprecate 'A direct (but private) replacement is available at atom.config.scopedSettingsForScopeDescriptor().'
-    atom.config.scopedSettingsForScopeDescriptor(scope, keyPath)
+    atom.config.settingsForScopeDescriptor(scope, keyPath)