diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 28d47f2528e..83007547fd1 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@
     "file-saver": "^1.3.3",
     "firebase": "^3.6.5",
     "isomorphic-fetch": "^2.2.1",
+    "jsonic": "^0.3.0",
     "lodash.debounce": "^4.0.8",
     "neo4j-driver": "~1.2.0",
     "node-noop": "^1.0.0",
diff --git a/src/shared/modules/commands/commandsDuck.test.js b/src/shared/modules/commands/commandsDuck.test.js
index 74aeacaff18..9393ba9a8f6 100644
--- a/src/shared/modules/commands/commandsDuck.test.js
+++ b/src/shared/modules/commands/commandsDuck.test.js
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ import { send } from 'shared/modules/requests/requestsDuck'
 import * as frames from 'shared/modules/stream/streamDuck'
 import { disconnectAction } from 'shared/modules/connections/connectionsDuck'
 import { merge, set } from 'shared/modules/params/paramsDuck'
-import { update as updateSettings } from 'shared/modules/settings/settingsDuck'
+import { update as updateSettings, replace as replaceSettings } from 'shared/modules/settings/settingsDuck'
 import { cleanCommand, getInterpreter } from 'services/commandUtils'
 
 const bus = createBus()
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ describe('commandsDuck', () => {
     test('does the right thing for :config x: 2', (done) => {
       // Given
       const cmd = store.getState().settings.cmdchar + 'config'
-      const cmdString = cmd + ' x: 2'
+      const cmdString = cmd + ' "x": 2'
       const id = 1
       const action = commands.executeCommand(cmdString, id)
       bus.take('NOOP', (currentAction) => {
@@ -206,6 +206,31 @@ describe('commandsDuck', () => {
       // Then
       // See above
     })
+    test('does the right thing for :config {"x": 2, "y":3}', (done) => {
+      // Given
+      const cmd = store.getState().settings.cmdchar + 'config'
+      const cmdString = cmd + ' {"x": 2, "y":3}'
+      const id = 1
+      const action = commands.executeCommand(cmdString, id)
+      bus.take('NOOP', (currentAction) => {
+        // Then
+        expect(store.getActions()).toEqual([
+          action,
+          addHistory(cmdString, maxHistory),
+          { type: commands.KNOWN_COMMAND },
+          replaceSettings({x: 2, y: 3}),
+          frames.add({...action, type: 'pre', result: JSON.stringify({cmdchar: ':', maxHistory: 20}, null, 2)}),
+          { type: 'NOOP' }
+        ])
+        done()
+      })
+
+      // When
+      store.dispatch(action)
+
+      // Then
+      // See above
+    })
 
     test('does the right thing for :config', (done) => {
       // Given
diff --git a/src/shared/modules/commands/helpers/config.js b/src/shared/modules/commands/helpers/config.js
index a1991894788..9612ac7edcc 100644
--- a/src/shared/modules/commands/helpers/config.js
+++ b/src/shared/modules/commands/helpers/config.js
@@ -19,11 +19,12 @@
  */
 
 import { getSettings, update, replace } from 'shared/modules/settings/settingsDuck'
-import { extractCommandParameters, splitStringOnFirst } from 'services/commandUtils'
+import { splitStringOnFirst } from 'services/commandUtils'
 import { getRemoteContentHostnameWhitelist } from 'shared/modules/dbMeta/dbMetaDuck'
 import { hostIsAllowed } from 'services/utils'
 import { getJSON } from 'services/remote'
 import { isValidURL } from 'shared/modules/commands/helpers/http'
+import jsonic from 'jsonic'
 
 export function handleGetConfigCommand (action, cmdchar, store) {
   const settingsState = getSettings(store.getState())
@@ -36,25 +37,39 @@ export function handleUpdateConfigCommand (action, cmdchar, put, store) {
   const parts = splitStringOnFirst(strippedCmd, ' ')
   const p = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
     if (parts[1] === undefined || parts[1] === '') return resolve(true) // Nothing to do
-    if (!isValidURL(parts[1].trim())) { // Not an URL. Parse as command line params
-      const params = extractCommandParameters(`config`, strippedCmd)
-      if (!params) return reject(new Error('Could not parse input. Usage: `:config x: 2`.'))
-      put(update(params))
-      return resolve(params)
+    const param = parts[1].trim()
+    if (!isValidURL(param)) { // Not an URL. Parse as command line params
+      if (/^"?\{[^}]*\}"?$/.test(param)) { // JSON object string {"x": 2, "y":"string"}
+        try {
+          const res = jsonic(param.replace(/^"/, '').replace(/"$/, '')) // Remove any surrounding quotes
+          put(replace(res))
+          return resolve(res)
+        } catch (e) {
+          return reject(new Error('Could not parse input. Usage: `:config {"x":1,"y":"string"}`. ' + e))
+        }
+      } else { // Single param
+        try {
+          const json = '{' + param + '}'
+          const res = jsonic(json)
+          put(update(res))
+          return resolve(res)
+        } catch (e) {
+          return reject(new Error('Could not parse input. Usage: `:config "x": 2`. ' + e))
+        }
+      }
     }
     // It's an URL
-    const url = parts[1].trim()
     const whitelist = getRemoteContentHostnameWhitelist(store.getState())
-    if (!hostIsAllowed(url, whitelist)) { // Make sure we're allowed to request entities on this host
+    if (!hostIsAllowed(param, whitelist)) { // Make sure we're allowed to request entities on this host
       return reject(new Error('Hostname is not allowed according to server whitelist'))
     }
-    getJSON(url)
+    getJSON(param)
       .then((res) => {
         put(replace(res))
         resolve(res)
       })
       .catch((e) => {
-        reject(new Error(e))
+        reject(e)
       })
   })
   return p
diff --git a/src/shared/modules/commands/helpers/config.test.js b/src/shared/modules/commands/helpers/config.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2c013af5673
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/shared/modules/commands/helpers/config.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,185 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2002-2017 "Neo Technology,"
+ * Network Engine for Objects in Lund AB [http://neotechnology.com]
+ *
+ * This file is part of Neo4j.
+ *
+ * Neo4j is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+/* global jest, describe, test, expect, afterEach */
+
+import nock from 'nock'
+import * as config from './config'
+import { update, replace } from 'shared/modules/settings/settingsDuck'
+
+function FetchError (message) {
+  this.name = 'FetchError'
+  this.message = message
+}
+FetchError.prototype = Object.create(Error.prototype)
+FetchError.prototype.constructor = FetchError
+
+describe('commandsDuck config helper', () => {
+  const store = {
+    getState: () => {
+      return {
+        meta: {
+          settings: {
+            'browser.remote_content_hostname_whitelist': 'okurl.com'
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  afterEach(() => {
+    nock.cleanAll()
+  })
+  test('fails on :config x x x and shows error hint', () => {
+    // Given
+    const action = { cmd: ':config x x x: 2' }
+    const cmdchar = ':'
+    const put = jest.fn()
+
+    // When
+    const p = config.handleUpdateConfigCommand(action, cmdchar, put, store)
+
+    // Then
+    return expect(p)
+      .rejects.toEqual(new Error('Could not parse input. Usage: `:config "x": 2`. SyntaxError: Expected ":" but "x" found.'))
+      .then(() => expect(put).not.toHaveBeenCalled())
+  })
+  test('handles :config "x": 2 and calls the update action creator', () => {
+    // Given
+    const action = { cmd: ':config "x": 2' }
+    const cmdchar = ':'
+    const put = jest.fn()
+
+    // When
+    const p = config.handleUpdateConfigCommand(action, cmdchar, put, store)
+
+    // Then
+    return p.then((res) => {
+      expect(res).toEqual({x: 2})
+      expect(put).toHaveBeenCalledWith(update({x: 2}))
+    })
+  })
+  test('handles :config x: 2 and calls the update action creator', () => {
+    // Given
+    const action = { cmd: ':config x: 2' }
+    const cmdchar = ':'
+    const put = jest.fn()
+
+    // When
+    const p = config.handleUpdateConfigCommand(action, cmdchar, put, store)
+
+    // Then
+    return p.then((res) => {
+      expect(res).toEqual({x: 2})
+      expect(put).toHaveBeenCalledWith(update({x: 2}))
+    })
+  })
+  test('handles :config "x y": 2 and calls the update action creator', () => {
+    // Given
+    const action = { cmd: ':config "x y": 2' }
+    const cmdchar = ':'
+    const put = jest.fn()
+
+    // When
+    const p = config.handleUpdateConfigCommand(action, cmdchar, put, store)
+
+    // Then
+    return p.then((res) => {
+      expect(res).toEqual({'x y': 2})
+      expect(put).toHaveBeenCalledWith(update({'x y': 2}))
+    })
+  })
+  test('handles :config {"hej": "ho", "let\'s": "go"} and calls the replace action creator', () => {
+    // Given
+    const action = { cmd: ':config {"hej": "ho", "let\'s": "go"}' }
+    const cmdchar = ':'
+    const put = jest.fn()
+
+    // When
+    const p = config.handleUpdateConfigCommand(action, cmdchar, put, store)
+
+    // Then
+    return p.then((res) => {
+      expect(res).toEqual({hej: 'ho', "let's": 'go'})
+      expect(put).toHaveBeenCalledWith(replace({hej: 'ho', "let's": 'go'}))
+    })
+  })
+  test('handles :config {x: 1, y: 2} and calls the replace action creator', () => {
+    // Given
+    const action = { cmd: ':config {x: 1, y: 2}' }
+    const cmdchar = ':'
+    const put = jest.fn()
+
+    // When
+    const p = config.handleUpdateConfigCommand(action, cmdchar, put, store)
+
+    // Then
+    return p.then((res) => {
+      expect(res).toEqual({x: 1, y: 2})
+      expect(put).toHaveBeenCalledWith(replace({x: 1, y: 2}))
+    })
+  })
+  test('rejects hostnames not in whitelist', () => {
+    // Given
+    const action = { cmd: ':config https://bad.com/cnf.json' }
+    const cmdchar = ':'
+    const put = jest.fn()
+
+    // When
+    const p = config.handleUpdateConfigCommand(action, cmdchar, put, store)
+
+    // Then
+    return expect(p)
+      .rejects.toEqual(new Error('Hostname is not allowed according to server whitelist'))
+      .then(() => expect(put).not.toHaveBeenCalled())
+  })
+  test('handles :config https://okurl.com/cnf.json and calls the replace action creator', () => {
+    // Given
+    const json = JSON.stringify({x: 1, y: 'hello'})
+    nock('https://okurl.com').get('/cnf.json').reply(200, json)
+    const action = { cmd: ':config https://okurl.com/cnf.json' }
+    const cmdchar = ':'
+    const put = jest.fn()
+
+    // When
+    const p = config.handleUpdateConfigCommand(action, cmdchar, put, store)
+
+    // Then
+    return p.then((res) => {
+      expect(res).toEqual(JSON.parse(json))
+      expect(put).toHaveBeenCalledWith(replace(JSON.parse(json)))
+    })
+  })
+  test('indicates error parsing remote content', () => {
+    // Given
+    const json = 'no json'
+    nock('https://okurl.com').get('/cnf.json').reply(200, json)
+    const action = { cmd: ':config https://okurl.com/cnf.json' }
+    const cmdchar = ':'
+    const put = jest.fn()
+
+    // When
+    const p = config.handleUpdateConfigCommand(action, cmdchar, put, store)
+
+    // Then
+    return expect(p)
+      .rejects.toEqual(new Error(new FetchError('invalid json response body at https://okurl.com/cnf.json reason: Unexpected token o in JSON at position 1')))
+      .then(() => expect(put).not.toHaveBeenCalled())
+  })
+})
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 4457577ab16..cd671bd3a84 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -3785,6 +3785,10 @@ jsonfile@^2.1.0:
   optionalDependencies:
     graceful-fs "^4.1.6"
 
+jsonic@^0.3.0:
+  version "0.3.0"
+  resolved "https://neo.jfrog.io/neo/api/npm/npm/jsonic/-/jsonic-0.3.0.tgz#b545da95f54392e58b3dda05f5f2e377a6c9d1bf"
+
 jsonify@~0.0.0:
   version "0.0.0"
   resolved "https://neo.jfrog.io/neo/api/npm/npm/jsonify/-/jsonify-0.0.0.tgz#2c74b6ee41d93ca51b7b5aaee8f503631d252a73"