diff --git a/src/packages/config-view/lib/settings-panel.coffee b/src/packages/config-view/lib/settings-panel.coffee
index 9358775ba..68474bb68 100644
--- a/src/packages/config-view/lib/settings-panel.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/config-view/lib/settings-panel.coffee
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 {$$, View} = require 'space-pen'
 $ = require 'jquery'
 _ = require 'underscore'
+async = require 'async'
+AtomPackage = require 'atom-package'
 
 ###
 # Internal #
@@ -12,12 +14,29 @@ module.exports =
 class SettingsPanel extends View
   @content: ->
     @form id: 'settings-panel', class: 'form-horizontal', =>
+      @div outlet: "loadingElement", class: 'alert alert-info loading-area', "Loading settings"
 
   initialize: ->
+    window.setTimeout (=> @activatePackages => @showSettings()), 1
+
+  showSettings: ->
+    @loadingElement.hide()
     @appendSettings(name, settings) for name, settings of config.getSettings()
     @bindFormFields()
     @bindEditors()
 
+  activatePackages: (finishedCallback) ->
+    iterator = (pack, callback) ->
+      try
+        if pack instanceof AtomPackage and not pack.isActive()
+          pack.activate({immediate: true})
+      catch e
+        console.error e
+      finally
+        callback()
+
+    async.map atom.getLoadedPackages(), iterator, finishedCallback
+
   appendSettings: (namespace, settings) ->
     return if _.isEmpty(settings)
 
diff --git a/src/packages/config-view/spec/settings-panel-spec.coffee b/src/packages/config-view/spec/settings-panel-spec.coffee
index 2606e5d92..1a1c76a40 100644
--- a/src/packages/config-view/spec/settings-panel-spec.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/config-view/spec/settings-panel-spec.coffee
@@ -1,75 +1,80 @@
 SettingsPanel = require '../lib/settings-panel'
 Editor = require 'editor'
 
-getValueForId = (panel, id) ->
-  element = panel.find("##{id.replace('.', '\\.')}")
-  if element.is("input")
-    element.attr('checked')?
-  else
-    element.view().getText()
-
-setValueForId = (panel, id, value) ->
-  element = panel.find("##{id.replace('.', '\\.')}")
-  if element.is("input")
-    element.attr('checked', if value then 'checked' else '')
-    element.change()
-  else
-    element.view().setText(value?.toString())
-    window.advanceClock(10000) # wait for contents-modified to be triggered
-
-
 describe "SettingsPanel", ->
-  it "automatically binds named fields to their corresponding config keys", ->
+  panel = null
+
+  getValueForId = (id) ->
+    element = panel.find("##{id.replace('.', '\\.')}")
+    if element.is("input")
+      element.attr('checked')?
+    else
+      element.view().getText()
+
+  setValueForId = (id, value) ->
+    element = panel.find("##{id.replace('.', '\\.')}")
+    if element.is("input")
+      element.attr('checked', if value then 'checked' else '')
+      element.change()
+    else
+      element.view().setText(value?.toString())
+      window.advanceClock(10000) # wait for contents-modified to be triggered
+
+
+  beforeEach ->
     config.set('foo.int', 22)
     config.set('foo.float', 0.1)
     config.set('foo.boolean', true)
     config.set('foo.string', 'hey')
 
     panel = new SettingsPanel()
-    expect(getValueForId(panel, 'foo.int')).toBe '22'
-    expect(getValueForId(panel, 'foo.float')).toBe '0.1'
-    expect(getValueForId(panel, 'foo.boolean')).toBeTruthy()
-    expect(getValueForId(panel, 'foo.string')).toBe 'hey'
+    spyOn(panel, "showSettings").andCallThrough()
+    window.advanceClock(10000)
+    waitsFor ->
+      panel.showSettings.callCount > 0
+
+  it "automatically binds named fields to their corresponding config keys", ->
+    expect(getValueForId('foo.int')).toBe '22'
+    expect(getValueForId('foo.float')).toBe '0.1'
+    expect(getValueForId('foo.boolean')).toBeTruthy()
+    expect(getValueForId('foo.string')).toBe 'hey'
 
     config.set('foo.int', 222)
     config.set('foo.float', 0.11)
     config.set('foo.boolean', false)
     config.set('foo.string', 'hey again')
-    expect(getValueForId(panel, 'foo.int')).toBe '222'
-    expect(getValueForId(panel, 'foo.float')).toBe '0.11'
-    expect(getValueForId(panel, 'foo.boolean')).toBeFalsy()
-    expect(getValueForId(panel, 'foo.string')).toBe 'hey again'
+    expect(getValueForId('foo.int')).toBe '222'
+    expect(getValueForId('foo.float')).toBe '0.11'
+    expect(getValueForId('foo.boolean')).toBeFalsy()
+    expect(getValueForId('foo.string')).toBe 'hey again'
 
-    setValueForId(panel, 'foo.int', 90)
-    setValueForId(panel, 'foo.float', 89.2)
-    setValueForId(panel, 'foo.string', "oh hi")
-    setValueForId(panel, 'foo.boolean', true)
+    setValueForId('foo.int', 90)
+    setValueForId('foo.float', 89.2)
+    setValueForId('foo.string', "oh hi")
+    setValueForId('foo.boolean', true)
     expect(config.get('foo.int')).toBe 90
     expect(config.get('foo.float')).toBe 89.2
     expect(config.get('foo.boolean')).toBe true
     expect(config.get('foo.string')).toBe 'oh hi'
 
-    setValueForId(panel, 'foo.int', '')
-    setValueForId(panel, 'foo.float', '')
-    setValueForId(panel, 'foo.string', '')
+    setValueForId('foo.int', '')
+    setValueForId('foo.float', '')
+    setValueForId('foo.string', '')
     expect(config.get('foo.int')).toBeUndefined()
     expect(config.get('foo.float')).toBeUndefined()
     expect(config.get('foo.string')).toBeUndefined()
 
   it "does not save the config value until it has been changed to a new value", ->
-    config.set('foo.int', 1)
-
     observeHandler = jasmine.createSpy("observeHandler")
     config.observe "foo.int", observeHandler
     observeHandler.reset()
 
-    testPanel = new SettingsPanel
     window.advanceClock(10000) # wait for contents-modified to be triggered
     expect(observeHandler).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
 
-    setValueForId(testPanel, 'foo.int', 2)
+    setValueForId('foo.int', 2)
     expect(observeHandler).toHaveBeenCalled()
     observeHandler.reset()
 
-    setValueForId(testPanel, 'foo.int', 2)
+    setValueForId('foo.int', 2)
     expect(observeHandler).not.toHaveBeenCalled()