diff --git a/spec/integration/fixtures/atom-home/config-openEmptyEditorOnStart.cson b/spec/integration/fixtures/atom-home/config-openEmptyEditorOnStart.cson
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..84ea0be11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/integration/fixtures/atom-home/config-openEmptyEditorOnStart.cson
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+"*":
+  welcome:
+    showOnStartup: false
+  "exception-reporting":
+    userId: "7c0a3c52-795c-5e20-5323-64efcf91f212"
+  core:
+    openEmptyEditorOnStart: false
diff --git a/spec/integration/startup-spec.coffee b/spec/integration/startup-spec.coffee
index d2583ed27..67f4dc0a8 100644
--- a/spec/integration/startup-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/integration/startup-spec.coffee
@@ -196,6 +196,13 @@ describe "Starting Atom", ->
           , 5000)
           .waitForExist("atom-workspace")
           .waitForPaneItemCount(1, 5000)
+          
+    it "doesn't open a new window if openEmptyEditorOnStart is disabled", ->
+      fs.writeFileSync(path.join(atomHome, 'config.cson'), fs.readFileSync(path.join(__dirname, 'fixtures', 'atom-home', 'config-openEmptyEditorOnStart.cson')))
+      runAtom [], {ATOM_HOME: atomHome}, (client) ->
+        client
+          .waitForExist("atom-workspace")
+          .waitForPaneItemCount(0, 5000)
 
     it "reopens any previously opened windows", ->
       runAtom [tempDirPath], {ATOM_HOME: atomHome}, (client) ->
diff --git a/src/atom.coffee b/src/atom.coffee
index 28058f8dd..05228b6ca 100644
--- a/src/atom.coffee
+++ b/src/atom.coffee
@@ -669,6 +669,7 @@ class Atom extends Model
     @windowEventHandler?.unsubscribe()
 
   openInitialEmptyEditorIfNecessary: ->
+    return unless @config.get('core.openEmptyEditorOnStart')
     if @getLoadSettings().initialPaths?.length is 0 and @workspace.getPaneItems().length is 0
       @workspace.open(null)
 
diff --git a/src/config-schema.coffee b/src/config-schema.coffee
index a1bd91cc7..d8eeb6fe3 100644
--- a/src/config-schema.coffee
+++ b/src/config-schema.coffee
@@ -89,6 +89,10 @@ module.exports =
           'windows1258',
           'windows866'
         ]
+      openEmptyEditorOnStart:
+        description: 'Automatically opens an empty editor when atom starts.'
+        type: 'boolean'
+        default: true
 
   editor:
     type: 'object'