diff --git a/src/package-manager.js b/src/package-manager.js
index 7718c8618..0f4484a5b 100644
--- a/src/package-manager.js
+++ b/src/package-manager.js
@@ -758,7 +758,12 @@ module.exports = class PackageManager {
     if (!suppressSerialization && this.isPackageActive(pack.name)) {
       this.serializePackage(pack)
     }
-    await pack.deactivate()
+
+    const deactivationResult = pack.deactivate()
+    if (deactivationResult && typeof deactivationResult.then === 'function') {
+      await deactivationResult;
+    }
+
     delete this.activePackages[pack.name]
     delete this.activatingPackages[pack.name]
     this.emitter.emit('did-deactivate-package', pack)
diff --git a/src/package.coffee b/src/package.coffee
index 556847bc9..fdd89bc74 100644
--- a/src/package.coffee
+++ b/src/package.coffee
@@ -506,18 +506,30 @@ class Package
     @configSchemaRegisteredOnActivate = false
     @deactivateResources()
     @deactivateKeymaps()
-    result = Promise.resolve()
-    if @mainActivated
-      try
-        result = Promise.resolve(@mainModule?.deactivate?()).then =>
-          @mainModule?.deactivateConfig?()
-          @mainActivated = false
-          @mainInitialized = false
-      catch e
-        console.error "Error deactivating package '#{@name}'", e.stack
-    result = result.then =>
+
+    unless @mainActivated
       @emitter.emit 'did-deactivate'
-    result
+      return
+
+    try
+      deactivationResult = @mainModule?.deactivate?()
+    catch e
+      console.error "Error deactivating package '#{@name}'", e.stack
+
+    # We support then-able async promises as well as sync ones from deactivate
+    if deactivationResult?.then is 'function'
+      deactivationResult.then => @afterDeactivation()
+    else
+      @afterDeactivation()
+
+  afterDeactivation: ->
+    try
+      @mainModule?.deactivateConfig?()
+    catch e
+      console.error "Error deactivating package '#{@name}'", e.stack
+    @mainActivated = false
+    @mainInitialized = false
+    @emitter.emit 'did-deactivate'
 
   deactivateResources: ->
     grammar.deactivate() for grammar in @grammars