diff --git a/lib/worker-helpers.js b/lib/worker-helpers.js
index 9a8f5368..a6b80e42 100644
--- a/lib/worker-helpers.js
+++ b/lib/worker-helpers.js
@@ -128,16 +128,21 @@ function getESLintInstance(fileDir, config, projectPath) {
 }
 
 function getConfigPath(fileDir) {
-  const configFile = (0, _atomLinter.findCached)(fileDir, ['.eslintrc.js', '.eslintrc.yaml', '.eslintrc.yml', '.eslintrc.json', '.eslintrc']);
+  const configFile = (0, _atomLinter.findCached)(fileDir, ['.eslintrc.js', '.eslintrc.yaml', '.eslintrc.yml', '.eslintrc.json', '.eslintrc', 'package.json']);
   if (configFile) {
+    if (_path2.default.basename(configFile) === 'package.json') {
+      // eslint-disable-next-line import/no-dynamic-require
+      if (require(configFile).eslintConfig) {
+        return configFile;
+      }
+      // If we are here, we found a package.json without an eslint config
+      // in a dir without any other eslint config files
+      // (because 'package.json' is last in the call to findCached)
+      // So, keep looking from the parent directory
+      return getConfigPath(_path2.default.resolve(_path2.default.dirname(configFile), '..'));
+    }
     return configFile;
   }
-
-  const packagePath = (0, _atomLinter.findCached)(fileDir, 'package.json');
-  // eslint-disable-next-line import/no-dynamic-require
-  if (packagePath && Boolean(require(packagePath).eslintConfig)) {
-    return packagePath;
-  }
   return null;
 }
 
diff --git a/spec/fixtures/configs/package-json/nested/foo.js b/spec/fixtures/configs/package-json/nested/foo.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..be92fda5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/fixtures/configs/package-json/nested/foo.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+var foo = 42;
diff --git a/spec/fixtures/configs/package-json/nested/package.json b/spec/fixtures/configs/package-json/nested/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f68a5ea2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/fixtures/configs/package-json/nested/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+{
+  "name": "test-fixture",
+  "version": "0.0.1",
+  "description": "",
+  "main": "foo.js",
+  "author": "",
+  "license": ""
+}
diff --git a/spec/worker-helpers-spec.js b/spec/worker-helpers-spec.js
index 70812734..94a9f0d0 100644
--- a/spec/worker-helpers-spec.js
+++ b/spec/worker-helpers-spec.js
@@ -141,6 +141,16 @@ describe('Worker Helpers', () => {
       const expectedPath = Path.join(fileDir, '.eslintrc.json')
       expect(Helpers.getConfigPath(fileDir)).toBe(expectedPath)
     })
+    it('finds package.json with an eslintConfig property', () => {
+      const fileDir = getFixturesPath(Path.join('configs', 'package-json'))
+      const expectedPath = Path.join(fileDir, 'package.json')
+      expect(Helpers.getConfigPath(fileDir)).toBe(expectedPath)
+    })
+    it('ignores package.json with no eslintConfig property', () => {
+      const fileDir = getFixturesPath(Path.join('configs', 'package-json', 'nested'))
+      const expectedPath = getFixturesPath(Path.join('configs', 'package-json', 'package.json'))
+      expect(Helpers.getConfigPath(fileDir)).toBe(expectedPath)
+    })
   })
 
   describe('getRelativePath', () => {
diff --git a/src/worker-helpers.js b/src/worker-helpers.js
index 975cda1f..e8dec11c 100644
--- a/src/worker-helpers.js
+++ b/src/worker-helpers.js
@@ -104,17 +104,22 @@ export function getESLintInstance(fileDir, config, projectPath) {
 export function getConfigPath(fileDir) {
   const configFile =
     findCached(fileDir, [
-      '.eslintrc.js', '.eslintrc.yaml', '.eslintrc.yml', '.eslintrc.json', '.eslintrc'
+      '.eslintrc.js', '.eslintrc.yaml', '.eslintrc.yml', '.eslintrc.json', '.eslintrc', 'package.json'
     ])
   if (configFile) {
+    if (Path.basename(configFile) === 'package.json') {
+      // eslint-disable-next-line import/no-dynamic-require
+      if (require(configFile).eslintConfig) {
+        return configFile
+      }
+      // If we are here, we found a package.json without an eslint config
+      // in a dir without any other eslint config files
+      // (because 'package.json' is last in the call to findCached)
+      // So, keep looking from the parent directory
+      return getConfigPath(Path.resolve(Path.dirname(configFile), '..'))
+    }
     return configFile
   }
-
-  const packagePath = findCached(fileDir, 'package.json')
-  // eslint-disable-next-line import/no-dynamic-require
-  if (packagePath && Boolean(require(packagePath).eslintConfig)) {
-    return packagePath
-  }
   return null
 }