diff --git a/cmd/config.go b/cmd/config.go
index 30e544365..d06dd3962 100644
--- a/cmd/config.go
+++ b/cmd/config.go
@@ -9,8 +9,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/pulumi/pulumi/pkg/pack"
 
-	"github.com/pulumi/pulumi/pkg/util/contract"
-
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
@@ -65,7 +63,7 @@ func parseConfigKey(key string) (tokens.ModuleMember, error) {
 	// As a convience, we'll treat any key with no delimiter as if:
 	// <program-name>:config:<key> had been written instead
 	if !strings.Contains(key, tokens.TokenDelimiter) {
-		_, pkg, err := getPackage()
+		pkg, err := getPackage()
 		if err != nil {
 			return "", err
 		}
@@ -77,7 +75,7 @@ func parseConfigKey(key string) (tokens.ModuleMember, error) {
 }
 
 func prettyKey(key string) string {
-	_, pkg, err := getPackage()
+	pkg, err := getPackage()
 	if err != nil {
 		return key
 	}
@@ -85,7 +83,7 @@ func prettyKey(key string) string {
 	return prettyKeyForPackage(key, pkg)
 }
 
-func prettyKeyForPackage(key string, pkg pack.Package) string {
+func prettyKeyForPackage(key string, pkg *pack.Package) string {
 	s := key
 	defaultPrefix := fmt.Sprintf("%s:config:", pkg.Name)
 
@@ -136,43 +134,44 @@ func getConfig(stackName tokens.QName, key tokens.ModuleMember) error {
 }
 
 func getConfiguration(stackName tokens.QName) (map[tokens.ModuleMember]string, error) {
-	target, _, err := getStack(stackName)
+	pkg, err := getPackage()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	contract.Assert(target != nil)
-	return target.Config, nil
+	return pkg.Stacks[stackName].Config, nil
 }
 
 func deleteConfiguration(stackName tokens.QName, key tokens.ModuleMember) error {
-	target, snapshot, err := getStack(stackName)
+	pkg, err := getPackage()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	contract.Assert(target != nil)
-
-	if target.Config != nil {
-		delete(target.Config, key)
+	if pkg.Stacks[stackName].Config != nil {
+		delete(pkg.Stacks[stackName].Config, key)
 	}
 
-	return saveStack(target, snapshot)
+	return savePackage(pkg)
 }
 
 func setConfiguration(stackName tokens.QName, key tokens.ModuleMember, value string) error {
-	target, snapshot, err := getStack(stackName)
+	pkg, err := getPackage()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	contract.Assert(target != nil)
-
-	if target.Config == nil {
-		target.Config = make(map[tokens.ModuleMember]string)
+	if pkg.Stacks == nil {
+		pkg.Stacks = make(map[tokens.QName]pack.StackInfo)
 	}
 
-	target.Config[key] = value
+	if pkg.Stacks[stackName].Config == nil {
+		si := pkg.Stacks[stackName]
+		si.Config = make(map[tokens.ModuleMember]string)
+		pkg.Stacks[stackName] = si
+	}
 
-	return saveStack(target, snapshot)
+	pkg.Stacks[stackName].Config[key] = value
+
+	return savePackage(pkg)
 }
diff --git a/cmd/config_test.go b/cmd/config_test.go
index ceb6aa84f..ff8879582 100644
--- a/cmd/config_test.go
+++ b/cmd/config_test.go
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestPrettyKeyForPackage(t *testing.T) {
-	pkg := pack.Package{Name: tokens.PackageName("test-package"), Runtime: "nodejs"}
+	pkg := &pack.Package{Name: tokens.PackageName("test-package"), Runtime: "nodejs"}
 
 	assert.Equal(t, "foo", prettyKeyForPackage("test-package:config:foo", pkg))
 	assert.Equal(t, "other-package:config:bar", prettyKeyForPackage("other-package:config:bar", pkg))
diff --git a/cmd/provider_local.go b/cmd/provider_local.go
index 7c3f6cf6f..164f402d0 100644
--- a/cmd/provider_local.go
+++ b/cmd/provider_local.go
@@ -22,6 +22,18 @@ func (p localStackProvider) GetTarget(name tokens.QName) (*deploy.Target, error)
 	contract.Require(name != "", "name")
 
 	target, _, err := getStack(name)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	pkg, err := getPackage()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	if pkg.Stacks != nil {
+		target.Config = pkg.Stacks[name].Config
+	}
 
 	return target, err
 }
diff --git a/cmd/util.go b/cmd/util.go
index 9f9af89e6..9dbc37242 100644
--- a/cmd/util.go
+++ b/cmd/util.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 
-	"github.com/pulumi/pulumi/pkg/encoding"
 	"github.com/pulumi/pulumi/pkg/pack"
 
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
@@ -103,39 +102,40 @@ func displayEvents(events <-chan engine.Event, done chan bool, debug bool) {
 	}
 }
 
-func getPackage() (string, pack.Package, error) {
+func getPackage() (*pack.Package, error) {
+	pkgPath, err := getPackageFilePath()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	pkg, err := pack.Load(pkgPath)
+
+	return pkg, err
+}
+
+func savePackage(pkg *pack.Package) error {
+	pkgPath, err := getPackageFilePath()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return pack.Save(pkgPath, pkg)
+}
+
+func getPackageFilePath() (string, error) {
 	dir, err := os.Getwd()
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", pack.Package{}, err
+		return "", err
 	}
 
 	pkgPath, err := workspace.DetectPackage(dir)
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", pack.Package{}, err
+		return "", err
 	}
 
 	if pkgPath == "" {
-		return "", pack.Package{}, errors.Errorf("could not find Pulumi.yaml, started search in %s", dir)
+		return "", errors.Errorf("could not find Pulumi.yaml, started search in %s", dir)
 	}
 
-	m, _ := encoding.Detect(pkgPath)
-
-	b, err := ioutil.ReadFile(pkgPath)
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", pack.Package{}, err
-	}
-
-	var pkg pack.Package
-
-	err = m.Unmarshal(b, &pkg)
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", pack.Package{}, err
-	}
-
-	err = pkg.Validate()
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", pack.Package{}, err
-	}
-
-	return pkgPath, pkg, err
+	return pkgPath, nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/pack/package.go b/pkg/pack/package.go
index ab9edf843..837c46db6 100644
--- a/pkg/pack/package.go
+++ b/pkg/pack/package.go
@@ -33,9 +33,16 @@ type Package struct {
 
 	Analyzers *Analyzers `json:"analyzers,omitempty" yaml:"analyzers,omitempty"` // any analyzers enabled for this project.
 
+	Stacks map[tokens.QName]StackInfo `json:"stacks,omitempty" yaml:"stacks,omitempty"` // optional stack specific information.
+
 	Doc *diag.Document `json:"-" yaml:"-"` // the document from which this package came.
 }
 
+// StackInfo holds stack specific information about a package
+type StackInfo struct {
+	Config map[tokens.ModuleMember]string `json:"config,omitempty" yaml:"config,omitempty"` // optional config.
+}
+
 var _ diag.Diagable = (*Package)(nil)
 
 func (pkg *Package) Where() (*diag.Document, *diag.Location) {