diff --git a/spec/config-spec.coffee b/spec/config-spec.coffee
index bc9c4600d..b098098ed 100644
--- a/spec/config-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/config-spec.coffee
@@ -486,15 +486,12 @@ describe "Config", ->
         type: 'integer'
         default: 12
 
-    describe 'when the value has an integer type', ->
+    describe 'when the value has an "integer" type', ->
       beforeEach ->
         schema =
-          type: 'object'
-          properties:
-            anInt:
-              type: 'integer'
-              default: 12
-        atom.config.setSchema('foo.bar', schema)
+          type: 'integer'
+          default: 12
+        atom.config.setSchema('foo.bar.anInt', schema)
 
       it 'coerces a string to an int', ->
         atom.config.set('foo.bar.anInt', '123')
@@ -504,13 +501,72 @@ describe "Config", ->
         atom.config.set('foo.bar.anInt', 12.3)
         expect(atom.config.get('foo.bar.anInt')).toBe 12
 
-    describe 'when the value has a number type', ->
+      it 'will not set non-integers', ->
+        atom.config.set('foo.bar.anInt', null)
+        expect(atom.config.get('foo.bar.anInt')).toBe 12
+
+    describe 'when the value has an "integer" and "string" type', ->
+      beforeEach ->
+        schema =
+          type: ['integer', 'string']
+          default: 12
+        atom.config.setSchema('foo.bar.anInt', schema)
+
+      it 'can coerce an int, and fallback to a string', ->
+        atom.config.set('foo.bar.anInt', '123')
+        expect(atom.config.get('foo.bar.anInt')).toBe 123
+
+        atom.config.set('foo.bar.anInt', 'cats')
+        expect(atom.config.get('foo.bar.anInt')).toBe 'cats'
+
+    describe 'when the value has a "number" type', ->
       beforeEach ->
         schema =
           type: 'number'
           default: 12.1
-        atom.config.setSchema('foo.bar.anInt', schema)
+        atom.config.setSchema('foo.bar.aFloat', schema)
 
       it 'coerces a string to a float', ->
-        atom.config.set('foo.bar.anInt', '12.23')
-        expect(atom.config.get('foo.bar.anInt')).toBe 12.23
+        atom.config.set('foo.bar.aFloat', '12.23')
+        expect(atom.config.get('foo.bar.aFloat')).toBe 12.23
+
+    describe 'when the value has a "boolean" type', ->
+      beforeEach ->
+        schema =
+          type: 'boolean'
+          default: true
+        atom.config.setSchema('foo.bar.aBool', schema)
+
+      it 'coerces various types to a boolean', ->
+        atom.config.set('foo.bar.aBool', 'true')
+        expect(atom.config.get('foo.bar.aBool')).toBe true
+        atom.config.set('foo.bar.aBool', 'false')
+        expect(atom.config.get('foo.bar.aBool')).toBe false
+        atom.config.set('foo.bar.aBool', 'TRUE')
+        expect(atom.config.get('foo.bar.aBool')).toBe true
+        atom.config.set('foo.bar.aBool', 'FALSE')
+        expect(atom.config.get('foo.bar.aBool')).toBe false
+        atom.config.set('foo.bar.aBool', 1)
+        expect(atom.config.get('foo.bar.aBool')).toBe true
+        atom.config.set('foo.bar.aBool', 0)
+        expect(atom.config.get('foo.bar.aBool')).toBe false
+        atom.config.set('foo.bar.aBool', {})
+        expect(atom.config.get('foo.bar.aBool')).toBe true
+        atom.config.set('foo.bar.aBool', null)
+        expect(atom.config.get('foo.bar.aBool')).toBe false
+
+    describe 'when the value has an "string" type', ->
+      beforeEach ->
+        schema =
+          type: 'string'
+          default: 'ok'
+        atom.config.setSchema('foo.bar.aString', schema)
+
+      it 'allows strings', ->
+        atom.config.set('foo.bar.aString', 'yep')
+        expect(atom.config.get('foo.bar.aString')).toBe 'yep'
+
+      it 'will not set non-strings', ->
+        atom.config.set('foo.bar.aString', null)
+        expect(atom.config.get('foo.bar.aString')).toBe 'ok'
+
diff --git a/src/config.coffee b/src/config.coffee
index b770883a8..b49a2fc5d 100644
--- a/src/config.coffee
+++ b/src/config.coffee
@@ -39,9 +39,16 @@ class Config
         @addTypeFilter(typeName, filterFunction)
 
   @executeTypeFilters: (value, schema) ->
-    if filterFunctions = @typeFilters[schema.type]
-      for filter in filterFunctions
-        value = filter.call(this, value, schema)
+    types = schema.type
+    types = [types] unless Array.isArray(types)
+    for type in types
+      try
+        if filterFunctions = @typeFilters[type]
+          for filter in filterFunctions
+            value = filter.call(this, value, schema)
+          break
+      catch e
+        ;
     value
 
   # Created during initialization, available as `atom.config`
@@ -384,6 +391,28 @@ class Config
 
 Config.addTypeFilters
   'integer':
-    coercion: (value, schema) -> parseInt(value)
+    coercion: (value, schema) ->
+      value = parseInt(value)
+      throw new Error() if isNaN(value)
+      value
+
   'number':
     coercion: (value, schema) -> parseFloat(value)
+
+  'boolean':
+    coercion: (value, schema) ->
+      switch typeof value
+        when 'string'
+          value.toLowerCase() in ['true', 't']
+        else
+          !!value
+
+  'string': (value, schema) ->
+    throw new Error unless typeof value is 'string'
+    value
+
+  'null':
+    # null sort of isnt supported. It will just unset in this case
+    coercion: (value, schema) ->
+      throw new Error() unless value == null
+      value