diff --git a/spec/text-editor-registry-spec.js b/spec/text-editor-registry-spec.js
index ea779b00e..dfaf57dd2 100644
--- a/spec/text-editor-registry-spec.js
+++ b/spec/text-editor-registry-spec.js
@@ -338,5 +338,17 @@ describe('TextEditorRegistry', function () {
       atom.config.set('editor.preferredLineLength', 80)
       expect(editor.getPreferredLineLength()).toBe(80)
     })
+
+    it('enables or disables back-up-before-save based on the config', function () {
+      editor.setBackUpBeforeSaving(true)
+      expect(editor.doesBackUpBeforeSaving()).toBe(true)
+
+      atom.config.set('editor.backUpBeforeSaving', false)
+      registry.maintainConfig(editor)
+      expect(editor.doesBackUpBeforeSaving()).toBe(false)
+
+      atom.config.set('editor.backUpBeforeSaving', true)
+      expect(editor.doesBackUpBeforeSaving()).toBe(true)
+    })
   })
 })
diff --git a/src/text-editor-registry.js b/src/text-editor-registry.js
index 0742a8477..8c52ab6ad 100644
--- a/src/text-editor-registry.js
+++ b/src/text-editor-registry.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ const EDITOR_SETTER_NAMES_BY_SETTING_KEY = [
   ['editor.softWrapHangingIndent', 'setSoftWrapIndentLength'],
   ['editor.softWrapAtPreferredLineLength', 'setSoftWrapAtPreferredLineLength'],
   ['editor.preferredLineLength', 'setPreferredLineLength'],
+  ['editor.backUpBeforeSaving', 'setBackUpBeforeSaving'],
 ]
 
 // Experimental: This global registry tracks registered `TextEditors`.
diff --git a/src/text-editor.coffee b/src/text-editor.coffee
index 796280ae9..4a66f3140 100644
--- a/src/text-editor.coffee
+++ b/src/text-editor.coffee
@@ -728,17 +728,21 @@ class TextEditor extends Model
   Section: File Operations
   ###
 
+  setBackUpBeforeSaving: (@backUpBeforeSaving) ->
+
+  doesBackUpBeforeSaving: -> @backUpBeforeSaving
+
   # Essential: Saves the editor's text buffer.
   #
   # See {TextBuffer::save} for more details.
-  save: -> @buffer.save(backup: @config.get('editor.backUpBeforeSaving'))
+  save: -> @buffer.save(backup: @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: @config.get('editor.backUpBeforeSaving'))
+  saveAs: (filePath) -> @buffer.saveAs(filePath, backup: @backUpBeforeSaving)
 
   # Determine whether the user should be prompted to save before closing
   # this editor.