diff --git a/spec/random-editor-spec.coffee b/spec/random-editor-spec.coffee
index d235ebc25..3924a8412 100644
--- a/spec/random-editor-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/random-editor-spec.coffee
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ describe "TextEditor", ->
   it "properly renders soft-wrapped lines when randomly mutated", ->
     times 10, (i) ->
       buffer = new TextBuffer
-      editor = new TextEditor({buffer})
+      editor = atom.workspace.buildTextEditor({buffer})
       editor.setEditorWidthInChars(80)
       tokenizedBuffer = editor.displayBuffer.tokenizedBuffer
       steps = []
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ describe "TextEditor", ->
     text
 
   getReferenceScreenLines = ->
-    referenceEditor = new TextEditor({})
+    referenceEditor = atom.workspace.buildTextEditor()
     referenceEditor.setEditorWidthInChars(80)
     referenceEditor.setText(editor.getText())
     referenceEditor.setSoftWrapped(editor.isSoftWrapped())
diff --git a/spec/selection-spec.coffee b/spec/selection-spec.coffee
index e81f7906f..ec40e32cc 100644
--- a/spec/selection-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/selection-spec.coffee
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ describe "Selection", ->
 
   beforeEach ->
     buffer = atom.project.bufferForPathSync('sample.js')
-    editor = new TextEditor(buffer: buffer, tabLength: 2)
+    editor = atom.workspace.buildTextEditor(buffer: buffer, tabLength: 2)
     selection = editor.getLastSelection()
 
   afterEach ->
diff --git a/spec/text-editor-element-spec.coffee b/spec/text-editor-element-spec.coffee
index 148199425..251c178e7 100644
--- a/spec/text-editor-element-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/text-editor-element-spec.coffee
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ describe "TextEditorElement", ->
   describe "when the model is assigned", ->
     it "adds the 'mini' attribute if .isMini() returns true on the model", ->
       element = new TextEditorElement
-      model = new TextEditor(mini: true)
+      model = atom.workspace.buildTextEditor(mini: true)
       element.setModel(model)
       expect(element.hasAttribute('mini')).toBe true
 
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ describe "TextEditorElement", ->
 
   describe "when the editor is detached from the DOM and then reattached", ->
     it "does not render duplicate line numbers", ->
-      editor = new TextEditor
+      editor = atom.workspace.buildTextEditor()
       editor.setText('1\n2\n3')
       element = atom.views.getView(editor)
 
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ describe "TextEditorElement", ->
       expect(element.shadowRoot.querySelectorAll('.line-number').length).toBe initialCount
 
     it "does not render duplicate decorations in custom gutters", ->
-      editor = new TextEditor
+      editor = atom.workspace.buildTextEditor()
       editor.setText('1\n2\n3')
       editor.addGutter({name: 'test-gutter'})
       marker = editor.markBufferRange([[0, 0], [2, 0]])
diff --git a/spec/text-editor-presenter-spec.coffee b/spec/text-editor-presenter-spec.coffee
index 453196858..bc60da469 100644
--- a/spec/text-editor-presenter-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/text-editor-presenter-spec.coffee
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ describe "TextEditorPresenter", ->
       spyOn(window, "clearInterval").andCallFake window.fakeClearInterval
 
       buffer = new TextBuffer(filePath: require.resolve('./fixtures/sample.js'))
-      editor = new TextEditor({buffer})
+      editor = atom.workspace.buildTextEditor({buffer})
       waitsForPromise -> buffer.load()
 
     afterEach ->
@@ -2804,7 +2804,7 @@ describe "TextEditorPresenter", ->
 
     performSetup = ->
       buffer = new TextBuffer
-      editor = new TextEditor({buffer})
+      editor = atom.workspace.buildTextEditor({buffer})
       editor.setEditorWidthInChars(80)
       presenterParams =
         model: editor
diff --git a/spec/text-editor-spec.coffee b/spec/text-editor-spec.coffee
index 6d29073e1..e3eb5eb6d 100644
--- a/spec/text-editor-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/text-editor-spec.coffee
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ describe "TextEditor", ->
 
       runs ->
         fs.mkdirSync(pathToOpen)
-        expect(TextEditor.deserialize(editor1.serialize())).toBeUndefined()
+        expect(TextEditor.deserialize(editor1.serialize(), atom)).toBeUndefined()
 
     it "restores selections and folds based on markers in the buffer", ->
       editor.setSelectedBufferRange([[1, 2], [3, 4]])
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ describe "TextEditor", ->
       editor.foldBufferRow(4)
       expect(editor.isFoldedAtBufferRow(4)).toBeTruthy()
 
-      editor2 = TextEditor.deserialize(editor.serialize())
+      editor2 = TextEditor.deserialize(editor.serialize(), atom)
 
       expect(editor2.id).toBe editor.id
       expect(editor2.getBuffer().getPath()).toBe editor.getBuffer().getPath()
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ describe "TextEditor", ->
       atom.config.set('editor.showInvisibles', true)
       previousInvisibles = editor.tokenizedLineForScreenRow(0).invisibles
 
-      editor2 = TextEditor.deserialize(editor.serialize())
+      editor2 = TextEditor.deserialize(editor.serialize(), atom)
 
       expect(previousInvisibles).toBeDefined()
       expect(editor2.displayBuffer.tokenizedLineForScreenRow(0).invisibles).toEqual previousInvisibles
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ describe "TextEditor", ->
 
       state = editor.serialize()
       atom.config.set('editor.invisibles', eol: '?')
-      editor2 = TextEditor.deserialize(state)
+      editor2 = TextEditor.deserialize(state, atom)
 
       expect(editor.tokenizedLineForScreenRow(0).invisibles.eol).toBe '?'
 
@@ -4411,11 +4411,10 @@ describe "TextEditor", ->
 
   describe '.get/setPlaceholderText()', ->
     it 'can be created with placeholderText', ->
-      TextBuffer = require 'text-buffer'
-      newEditor = new TextEditor
-        buffer: new TextBuffer
+      newEditor = atom.workspace.buildTextEditor(
         mini: true
         placeholderText: 'yep'
+      )
       expect(newEditor.getPlaceholderText()).toBe 'yep'
 
     it 'models placeholderText and emits an event when changed', ->
@@ -4443,7 +4442,7 @@ describe "TextEditor", ->
 
     describe "when there's no repository for the editor's file", ->
       it "doesn't do anything", ->
-        editor = new TextEditor({})
+        editor = atom.workspace.buildTextEditor()
         editor.setText("stuff")
         editor.checkoutHeadRevision()
 
diff --git a/src/text-editor-element.coffee b/src/text-editor-element.coffee
index 5f87bb6ff..d8667770f 100644
--- a/src/text-editor-element.coffee
+++ b/src/text-editor-element.coffee
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ class TextEditorElement extends HTMLElement
     @model ? @buildModel()
 
   buildModel: ->
-    @setModel(new TextEditor(
+    @setModel(atom.workspace.buildTextEditor(
       buffer: new TextBuffer(@textContent)
       softWrapped: false
       tabLength: 2
diff --git a/src/text-editor.coffee b/src/text-editor.coffee
index e6719565c..18d61e06a 100644
--- a/src/text-editor.coffee
+++ b/src/text-editor.coffee
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ class TextEditor extends Model
   selectionFlashDuration: 500
   gutterContainer: null
 
-  @deserialize: (state) ->
+  @deserialize: (state, atomEnvironment) ->
     try
       displayBuffer = DisplayBuffer.deserialize(state.displayBuffer)
     catch error
@@ -75,12 +75,19 @@ class TextEditor extends Model
         throw error
 
     state.displayBuffer = displayBuffer
+    state.config = atomEnvironment.config
     state.registerEditor = true
     new this(state)
 
-  constructor: ({@softTabs, @scrollRow, @scrollColumn, initialLine, initialColumn, tabLength, softWrapped, @displayBuffer, buffer, registerEditor, suppressCursorCreation, @mini, @placeholderText, lineNumberGutterVisible, largeFileMode}={}) ->
+  constructor: (params={}) ->
     super
 
+    {
+      @softTabs, @scrollRow, @scrollColumn, initialLine, initialColumn, tabLength,
+      softWrapped, @displayBuffer, buffer, registerEditor, suppressCursorCreation,
+      @mini, @placeholderText, lineNumberGutterVisible, largeFileMode, @config
+    } = params
+
     @emitter = new Emitter
     @disposables = new CompositeDisposable
     @cursors = []
@@ -105,7 +112,7 @@ class TextEditor extends Model
 
     @languageMode = new LanguageMode(this)
 
-    @setEncoding(atom.config.get('core.fileEncoding', scope: @getRootScopeDescriptor()))
+    @setEncoding(@config.get('core.fileEncoding', scope: @getRootScopeDescriptor()))
 
     @gutterContainer = new GutterContainer(this)
     @lineNumberGutter = @gutterContainer.addGutter
@@ -146,7 +153,7 @@ class TextEditor extends Model
 
   subscribeToTabTypeConfig: ->
     @tabTypeSubscription?.dispose()
-    @tabTypeSubscription = atom.config.observe 'editor.tabType', scope: @getRootScopeDescriptor(), =>
+    @tabTypeSubscription = @config.observe 'editor.tabType', scope: @getRootScopeDescriptor(), =>
       @softTabs = @shouldUseSoftTabs(defaultValue: @softTabs)
 
   destroyed: ->
@@ -454,7 +461,10 @@ class TextEditor extends Model
   copy: ->
     displayBuffer = @displayBuffer.copy()
     softTabs = @getSoftTabs()
-    newEditor = new TextEditor({@buffer, displayBuffer, @tabLength, softTabs, suppressCursorCreation: true, registerEditor: true})
+    newEditor = new TextEditor({
+      @buffer, displayBuffer, @tabLength, softTabs, suppressCursorCreation: true,
+      registerEditor: true, @config
+    })
     for marker in @findMarkers(editorId: @id)
       marker.copy(editorId: newEditor.id, preserveFolds: true)
     newEditor
@@ -592,14 +602,14 @@ class TextEditor extends Model
   # Essential: Saves the editor's text buffer.
   #
   # See {TextBuffer::save} for more details.
-  save: -> @buffer.save(backup: atom.config.get('editor.backUpBeforeSaving'))
+  save: -> @buffer.save(backup: @config.get('editor.backUpBeforeSaving'))
 
   # Essential: Saves the editor's text buffer as the given path.
   #
   # See {TextBuffer::saveAs} for more details.
   #
   # * `filePath` A {String} path.
-  saveAs: (filePath) -> @buffer.saveAs(filePath, backup: atom.config.get('editor.backUpBeforeSaving'))
+  saveAs: (filePath) -> @buffer.saveAs(filePath, backup: @config.get('editor.backUpBeforeSaving'))
 
   # Determine whether the user should be prompted to save before closing
   # this editor.
@@ -746,7 +756,7 @@ class TextEditor extends Model
     return false unless @emitWillInsertTextEvent(text)
 
     groupingInterval = if options.groupUndo
-      atom.config.get('editor.undoGroupingInterval')
+      @config.get('editor.undoGroupingInterval')
     else
       0
 
@@ -2380,10 +2390,10 @@ class TextEditor extends Model
   #
   # Returns a {Boolean}
   shouldUseSoftTabs: ({defaultValue}) ->
-    tabType = atom.config.get('editor.tabType', scope: @getRootScopeDescriptor())
+    tabType = @config.get('editor.tabType', scope: @getRootScopeDescriptor())
     switch tabType
       when 'auto'
-        @usesSoftTabs() ? defaultValue ? atom.config.get('editor.softTabs') ? true
+        @usesSoftTabs() ? defaultValue ? @config.get('editor.softTabs') ? true
       when 'hard'
         false
       when 'soft'
@@ -2906,10 +2916,10 @@ class TextEditor extends Model
   ###
 
   shouldAutoIndent: ->
-    atom.config.get("editor.autoIndent", scope: @getRootScopeDescriptor())
+    @config.get("editor.autoIndent", scope: @getRootScopeDescriptor())
 
   shouldAutoIndentOnPaste: ->
-    atom.config.get("editor.autoIndentOnPaste", scope: @getRootScopeDescriptor())
+    @config.get("editor.autoIndentOnPaste", scope: @getRootScopeDescriptor())
 
   ###
   Section: Event Handlers
diff --git a/src/workspace.coffee b/src/workspace.coffee
index 51910f90f..c0f13b714 100644
--- a/src/workspace.coffee
+++ b/src/workspace.coffee
@@ -458,7 +458,7 @@ class Workspace extends Model
       @buildTextEditor(_.extend({buffer, largeFileMode}, options))
 
   buildTextEditor: (params) ->
-    new TextEditor(params)
+    new TextEditor(_.extend({@config}, params))
 
   # Public: Asynchronously reopens the last-closed item's URI if it hasn't already been
   # reopened.