diff --git a/src/standard/configure.html b/src/standard/configure.html
index 023104e9a9..c492bdeac7 100644
--- a/src/standard/configure.html
+++ b/src/standard/configure.html
@@ -149,14 +149,17 @@
                 var node = this._nodes[x.effect.index];
                 var name = x.effect.propertyName;
                 // seeding configuration only
-                if (node._propertyEffects && node._propertyEffects[name]) {
+                var isAttr = (x.effect.kind == 'attribute');
+                var hasEffect = (node._propertyEffects && 
+                  node._propertyEffects[name]);
+                if (node._configValue && (hasEffect || !isAttr)) {
                   var value = (p === x.effect.value) ? config[p] :
                     this._get(x.effect.value, config);
-                  if (x.effect.kind == 'attribute') {
+                  if (isAttr) {
                     // For attribute bindings, flow through the same ser/deser
                     // process to ensure the value is the same as if it were
                     // bound through the attribute
-                    value = node.deserialize(node.serialize(value),
+                    value = node.deserialize(this.serialize(value),
                       node._propertyInfo[name].type);
                   }
                   node._configValue(name, value);
diff --git a/test/unit/configure-elements.html b/test/unit/configure-elements.html
index 06b3475799..a56bdafa4f 100644
--- a/test/unit/configure-elements.html
+++ b/test/unit/configure-elements.html
@@ -146,9 +146,28 @@
   </script>
 </dom-module>
 
+<dom-module id="x-configure-simple-child">
+  <script>
+    Polymer({
+
+      is: 'x-configure-simple-child',
+
+      properties: {
+        noeffect: String
+      },
+
+      ready: function() {
+        this.hasPropertyAtReadyTime = (this.noeffect !== undefined);
+      }
+
+    });
+  </script>
+</dom-module>
+
 <dom-module id="x-configure-host">
   <template>
     <x-configure-child id="child" content="{{content}}" object="{{object.goo}}" attr$="{{attrValue}}" attr-dash$="{{attrValue}}" attr-number$="{{attrNumber}}" attr-boolean$="{{attrBoolean}}"></x-configure-child>
+    <x-configure-simple-child id="simple" noeffect="{{simple}}"></x-configure-simple-child>
   </template>
   <script>
     Polymer({
@@ -185,6 +204,9 @@
         },
         attrBoolean: {
           value: false
+        },
+        simple: {
+          value: 'simple'
         }
       }
 
diff --git a/test/unit/configure.html b/test/unit/configure.html
index 8e8eeba0a9..29ecb5dffe 100644
--- a/test/unit/configure.html
+++ b/test/unit/configure.html
@@ -109,6 +109,11 @@
       assert.strictEqual(e.$.child.attrBooleanChanged.getCall(0).args[0], false);
     });
 
+    test('bindings to properties without effects configured', function() {
+      var e = document.createElement('x-configure-host');
+      assert.isTrue(e.$.simple.hasPropertyAtReadyTime, 'property value not configured and therefore not set at ready time');
+    });
+
     test('pre-register property assignment does not break getters and setters', function() {
       // don't test if __proto__ is polyfilled (IE10); cannot be fixed in this case.
       if (Polymer.Settings.usePolyfillProto) {