diff --git a/spec/spec-helper.coffee b/spec/spec-helper.coffee
index 8331d5ce7..fc8e7fff1 100644
--- a/spec/spec-helper.coffee
+++ b/spec/spec-helper.coffee
@@ -18,14 +18,19 @@ require.paths.unshift(fixturePackagesPath)
 [bindingSetsToRestore, bindingSetsByFirstKeystrokeToRestore] = []
 
 # Specs rely on TextMate bundles (but not atom packages)
-textMatePackages = atom.loadTextMatePackages()
+window.loadTextMatePackages = ->
+  TextMatePackage = require 'text-mate-package'
+  config.packageDirPaths.unshift(fixturePackagesPath)
+  window.textMatePackages = []
+  for path in atom.getPackagePaths() when TextMatePackage.testName(path)
+    window.textMatePackages.push atom.loadPackage(fs.base(path))
+
+window.loadTextMatePackages()
 
 beforeEach ->
   window.fixturesProject = new Project(require.resolve('fixtures'))
   window.resetTimeouts()
 
-  atom.loadedPackages = _.clone(textMatePackages)
-
   # used to reset keymap after each spec
   bindingSetsToRestore = _.clone(keymap.bindingSets)
   bindingSetsByFirstKeystrokeToRestore = _.clone(keymap.bindingSetsByFirstKeystroke)
diff --git a/src/app/atom-package.coffee b/src/app/atom-package.coffee
index 15a4e465a..260589325 100644
--- a/src/app/atom-package.coffee
+++ b/src/app/atom-package.coffee
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ class AtomPackage extends Package
   keymapsDirPath: null
   autoloadStylesheets: true
 
-  constructor: (@name) ->
+  constructor: ->
     super
     @keymapsDirPath = fs.join(@path, 'keymaps')
 
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ class AtomPackage extends Package
       @loadMetadata()
       @loadKeymaps()
       @loadStylesheets() if @autoloadStylesheets
-      rootView?.activatePackage(@name, this) unless @isDirectory
+      rootView?.activatePackage(@name, this) if require.resolve(@path)
     catch e
       console.warn "Failed to load package named '#{@name}'", e.stack
     this
diff --git a/src/app/atom.coffee b/src/app/atom.coffee
index 70c821ed0..44bad21a5 100644
--- a/src/app/atom.coffee
+++ b/src/app/atom.coffee
@@ -15,20 +15,16 @@ _.extend atom,
   loadedPackages: []
 
   loadPackage: (name) ->
-    if pack = Package.build(name)
-      @loadedPackages.push(pack)
-      pack.load()
-      pack
-
-  loadTextMatePackages: ->
-    @loadPackage(name) for name in @getPackageNames() when TextMatePackage.testName(name)
+    packagePath = _.find @getPackagePaths(), (packagePath) -> fs.base(packagePath) == name
+    pack = Package.build(packagePath)
+    pack?.load()
 
   loadPackages: ->
     textMatePackages = []
-    for name in @getPackageNames()
-      pack = Package.build(name)
+    for path in @getPackagePaths()
+      pack = Package.build(path)
       @loadedPackages.push(pack)
-      if pack instanceof TextMatePackage and pack.name isnt 'text.tmbundle'
+      if pack instanceof TextMatePackage and fs.base(pack.path) isnt 'text.tmbundle'
         textMatePackages.push(pack) if pack
       else
         pack.load()
@@ -38,17 +34,17 @@ _.extend atom,
   getLoadedPackages: ->
     _.clone(@loadedPackages)
 
-  getPackageNames: ->
+  getPackagePaths: ->
     disabledPackages = config.get("core.disabledPackages") ? []
-    packageNames = []
+    packagePaths = []
     for packageDirPath in config.packageDirPaths
-      for packagePath in fs.list(packageDirPath) when fs.isDirectory(packagePath)
-        packageName = fs.base(packagePath)
-        continue if packageName in disabledPackages
-        continue if packageName in packageNames
-        packageNames.push(packageName)
+      for packagePath in fs.list(packageDirPath)
+        continue if not fs.isDirectory(packagePath)
+        continue if fs.base(packagePath) in disabledPackages
+        continue if packagePath in packagePaths
+        packagePaths.push(packagePath)
 
-    packageNames
+    packagePaths
 
   loadThemes: ->
     themeNames = config.get("core.themes") ? ['atom-dark-ui', 'atom-dark-syntax']
diff --git a/src/app/package.coffee b/src/app/package.coffee
index 4d571f506..89ece0a15 100644
--- a/src/app/package.coffee
+++ b/src/app/package.coffee
@@ -3,39 +3,29 @@ _ = require 'underscore'
 
 module.exports =
 class Package
-  @resolve: (name) ->
-    path = require.resolve(name, verifyExistence: false)
-    return path if path
-    throw new Error("No package found named '#{name}'")
-
-  @build: (name) ->
+  @build: (path) ->
     TextMatePackage = require 'text-mate-package'
     AtomPackage = require 'atom-package'
 
-    path = @resolve(name)
-    newStylePackage = _.find fs.list(path), (filePath) =>
-      /package\.[cj]son$/.test filePath
+    oldStylePackage = _.find fs.list(path), (filePath) =>
+      /index\.coffee$/.test filePath
 
-    if TextMatePackage.testName(name)
-      new TextMatePackage(name)
+    if TextMatePackage.testName(path)
+      new TextMatePackage(path)
     else
-      if newStylePackage or fs.isDirectory(path)
-        new AtomPackage(name)
+      if not oldStylePackage
+        new AtomPackage(path)
       else
         try
-          PackageClass = require name
-          new PackageClass(name) if typeof PackageClass is 'function'
+          PackageClass = require path
+          new PackageClass(path) if typeof PackageClass is 'function'
         catch e
-          console.warn "Failed to load package named '#{name}'", e.stack
+          console.warn "Failed to load package at '#{path}'", e.stack
 
   name: null
   path: null
-  isDirectory: false
-  module: null
 
-  constructor: (@name) ->
-    @path = Package.resolve(@name)
-    @isDirectory = fs.isDirectory(@path)
-    @path = fs.directory(@path) unless @isDirectory
+  constructor: (@path) ->
+    @name = fs.base(@path)
 
   activate: (rootView) ->
diff --git a/src/app/text-mate-package.coffee b/src/app/text-mate-package.coffee
index 97eea6189..2a54d12fe 100644
--- a/src/app/text-mate-package.coffee
+++ b/src/app/text-mate-package.coffee
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ class TextMatePackage extends Package
     try
       @loadGrammars()
     catch e
-      console.warn "Failed to load package named '#{@name}'", e.stack
+      console.warn "Failed to load package at '#{@path}'", e.stack
     this
 
   getGrammars: -> @grammars
diff --git a/src/packages/snippets/spec/snippets-spec.coffee b/src/packages/snippets/spec/snippets-spec.coffee
index d07fc9d4e..6b8c5cdc2 100644
--- a/src/packages/snippets/spec/snippets-spec.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/snippets/spec/snippets-spec.coffee
@@ -13,7 +13,11 @@ describe "Snippets extension", ->
     rootView = new RootView(require.resolve('fixtures/sample.js'))
     spyOn(LoadSnippetsTask.prototype, 'start')
 
-    atom.loadPackage("package-with-snippets")
+    packageWithSnippets = atom.loadPackage("package-with-snippets")
+
+    spyOn(atom, "getLoadedPackages").andCallFake ->
+      window.textMatePackages.concat([packageWithSnippets])
+
     atom.loadPackage("snippets")
 
     editor = rootView.getActiveEditor()