diff --git a/extensions/css/client/src/cssMain.ts b/extensions/css/client/src/cssMain.ts
index 4eed918351f22be36fdd87f3711597a28a2b82b8..21fadbc51440dc844b7ce709d3d875ecfc0b1cbb 100644
--- a/extensions/css/client/src/cssMain.ts
+++ b/extensions/css/client/src/cssMain.ts
@@ -59,13 +59,15 @@ export function activate(context: ExtensionContext) {
 			blockComment: ['/*', '*/']
 		},
 		brackets: [['{', '}'], ['[', ']'], ['(', ')']],
-		autoClosingPairs: [
-			{ open: '{', close: '}' },
-			{ open: '[', close: ']' },
-			{ open: '(', close: ')' },
-			{ open: '"', close: '"', notIn: ['string'] },
-			{ open: '\'', close: '\'', notIn: ['string'] }
-		]
+		__characterPairSupport: {
+			autoClosingPairs: [
+				{ open: '{', close: '}' },
+				{ open: '[', close: ']' },
+				{ open: '(', close: ')' },
+				{ open: '"', close: '"', notIn: ['string'] },
+				{ open: '\'', close: '\'', notIn: ['string'] }
+			]
+		}
 	});
 
 	languages.setLanguageConfiguration('less', {
@@ -75,14 +77,16 @@ export function activate(context: ExtensionContext) {
 			lineComment: '//'
 		},
 		brackets: [['{', '}'], ['[', ']'], ['(', ')'], ['<', '>']],
-		autoClosingPairs: [
-			{ open: '"', close: '"', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] },
-			{ open: '\'', close: '\'', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] },
-			{ open: '{', close: '}', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] },
-			{ open: '[', close: ']', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] },
-			{ open: '(', close: ')', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] },
-			{ open: '<', close: '>', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] },
-		]
+		__characterPairSupport: {
+			autoClosingPairs: [
+				{ open: '"', close: '"', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] },
+				{ open: '\'', close: '\'', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] },
+				{ open: '{', close: '}', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] },
+				{ open: '[', close: ']', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] },
+				{ open: '(', close: ')', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] },
+				{ open: '<', close: '>', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] },
+			]
+		}
 	});
 
 	languages.setLanguageConfiguration('scss', {
@@ -92,14 +96,16 @@ export function activate(context: ExtensionContext) {
 			lineComment: '//'
 		},
 		brackets: [['{', '}'], ['[', ']'], ['(', ')'], ['<', '>']],
-		autoClosingPairs: [
-			{ open: '"', close: '"', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] },
-			{ open: '\'', close: '\'', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] },
-			{ open: '{', close: '}', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] },
-			{ open: '[', close: ']', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] },
-			{ open: '(', close: ')', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] },
-			{ open: '<', close: '>', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] },
-		]
+		__characterPairSupport: {
+			autoClosingPairs: [
+				{ open: '"', close: '"', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] },
+				{ open: '\'', close: '\'', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] },
+				{ open: '{', close: '}', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] },
+				{ open: '[', close: ']', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] },
+				{ open: '(', close: ')', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] },
+				{ open: '<', close: '>', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] },
+			]
+		}
 	});
 
 	commands.registerCommand('_css.applyCodeAction', applyCodeAction);
diff --git a/extensions/json/client/src/jsonMain.ts b/extensions/json/client/src/jsonMain.ts
index 790b12f086b1d2a38221642dafcf08208182e7d3..458734d609654e834c1c2ad683693035fbd27dbe 100644
--- a/extensions/json/client/src/jsonMain.ts
+++ b/extensions/json/client/src/jsonMain.ts
@@ -90,14 +90,16 @@ export function activate(context: ExtensionContext) {
 
 		languages.setLanguageConfiguration('json', {
 			wordPattern: /(-?\d*\.\d\w*)|([^\[\{\]\}\:\"\,\s]+)/g,
-			autoClosingPairs: [
-				{ open: '{', close: '}' },
-				{ open: '[', close: ']' },
-				{ open: '(', close: ')' },
-				{ open: '"', close: '"', notIn: ['string'] },
-				{ open: '\'', close: '\'', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] },
-				{ open: '`', close: '`', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] }
-			]
+			__characterPairSupport: {
+				autoClosingPairs: [
+					{ open: '{', close: '}' },
+					{ open: '[', close: ']' },
+					{ open: '(', close: ')' },
+					{ open: '"', close: '"', notIn: ['string'] },
+					{ open: '\'', close: '\'', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] },
+					{ open: '`', close: '`', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] }
+				]
+			}
 		});
 	});
 }
diff --git a/extensions/php/src/phpMain.ts b/extensions/php/src/phpMain.ts
index d09cdcaee51e08c0ff973fd27296563ef9a9ad0e..56d41d39a4474a947c4f97180ca2af8aa7bd384d 100644
--- a/extensions/php/src/phpMain.ts
+++ b/extensions/php/src/phpMain.ts
@@ -28,12 +28,14 @@ export function activate(context: ExtensionContext): any {
 	languages.setLanguageConfiguration('php', {
 		wordPattern: /(-?\d*\.\d\w*)|([^\-\`\~\!\@\#\%\^\&\*\(\)\=\+\[\{\]\}\\\|\;\:\'\"\,\.\<\>\/\?\s]+)/g,
 
-		autoClosingPairs: [
-			{ open: '{', close: '}' },
-			{ open: '[', close: ']' },
-			{ open: '(', close: ')' },
-			{ open: '"', close: '"', notIn: ['string'] },
-			{ open: '\'', close: '\'', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] }
-		]
+		__characterPairSupport: {
+			autoClosingPairs: [
+				{ open: '{', close: '}' },
+				{ open: '[', close: ']' },
+				{ open: '(', close: ')' },
+				{ open: '"', close: '"', notIn: ['string'] },
+				{ open: '\'', close: '\'', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] }
+			]
+		}
 	});
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/extensions/typescript/src/typescriptMain.ts b/extensions/typescript/src/typescriptMain.ts
index 9a7e581b38f287cec181cd63f1c362bd2096a1f6..5305ae01e8636fbdf6a34b8f1fc25cb28239a377 100644
--- a/extensions/typescript/src/typescriptMain.ts
+++ b/extensions/typescript/src/typescriptMain.ts
@@ -210,14 +210,16 @@ class LanguageProvider {
 					docComment: { scope: 'comment.documentation', open: '/**', lineStart: ' * ', close: ' */' }
 				},
 
-				autoClosingPairs: [
-					{ open: '{', close: '}' },
-					{ open: '[', close: ']' },
-					{ open: '(', close: ')' },
-					{ open: '"', close: '"', notIn: ['string'] },
-					{ open: '\'', close: '\'', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] },
-					{ open: '`', close: '`', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] }
-				]
+				__characterPairSupport: {
+					autoClosingPairs: [
+						{ open: '{', close: '}' },
+						{ open: '[', close: ']' },
+						{ open: '(', close: ')' },
+						{ open: '"', close: '"', notIn: ['string'] },
+						{ open: '\'', close: '\'', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] },
+						{ open: '`', close: '`', notIn: ['string', 'comment'] }
+					]
+				}
 			});
 		});
 	}
diff --git a/src/vs/vscode.d.ts b/src/vs/vscode.d.ts
index 3ac18189e7e9a84ed5708c82a6dcddc7d9ac8092..84bc601ed672c0e25422f5db40bb083cf5e00b38 100644
--- a/src/vs/vscode.d.ts
+++ b/src/vs/vscode.d.ts
@@ -2447,26 +2447,6 @@ declare namespace vscode {
 		 */
 		onEnterRules?: OnEnterRule[];
 
-		/**
-		 * The language's auto closing pairs. The 'close' character is automatically inserted with the
-		 * 'open' character is typed. If not set, the configured brackets will be used.
-		 */
-		autoClosingPairs?: {
-			open: string;
-			close: string;
-			notIn?: string[];
-		}[];
-
-		/**
-		 * The language's surrounding pairs. When the 'open' character is typed on a selection, the
-		 * selected string is surrounded by the open and close characters. If not set, the autoclosing pairs
-		 * settings will be used.
-		 */
-		surroundingPairs?: {
-			open: string;
-			close: string;
-		}[];
-
 		/**
 		 * **Deprecated** Do not use.
 		 *
@@ -2490,7 +2470,7 @@ declare namespace vscode {
 		/**
 		 * **Deprecated** Do not use.
 		 *
-		 * @deprecated Use autoClosingPairs and surroundingPairs instead.
+		 * @deprecated Use the language configuration file instead.
 		 */
 		__characterPairSupport?: {
 			autoClosingPairs: {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostLanguageFeatures.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostLanguageFeatures.ts
index 03844829489b9a416d84eadc887d9ba33e172474..ea7968bc36f89201de82b81ea3e04d354042f034 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostLanguageFeatures.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostLanguageFeatures.ts
@@ -837,12 +837,6 @@ export class ExtHostLanguageFeatures {
 			this._documents.setWordDefinitionFor(languageId, null);
 		}
 
-		// backward compatibility, migrate deprecated setting
-		if (configuration.__characterPairSupport && !configuration.autoClosingPairs) {
-			configuration.autoClosingPairs = configuration.__characterPairSupport.autoClosingPairs;
-			delete configuration.__characterPairSupport;
-		}
-
 		const handle = this._nextHandle();
 		this._proxy.$setLanguageConfiguration(handle, languageId, configuration);
 		return this._createDisposable(handle);
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/mainThreadLanguageFeatures.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/mainThreadLanguageFeatures.ts
index 40c1d608ce300976cc069af1d9f164ac44189197..1afe4059d94452b6eb2e91c2de813074f78056df 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/mainThreadLanguageFeatures.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/mainThreadLanguageFeatures.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import {CancellationToken} from 'vs/base/common/cancellation';
 import {Position as EditorPosition} from 'vs/editor/common/core/position';
 import {Range as EditorRange} from 'vs/editor/common/core/range';
 import {ExtHostContext, ExtHostLanguageFeaturesShape} from './extHostProtocol';
-import {LanguageConfigurationRegistry} from 'vs/editor/common/modes/languageConfigurationRegistry';
+import {LanguageConfigurationRegistry, LanguageConfiguration} from 'vs/editor/common/modes/languageConfigurationRegistry';
 
 export class MainThreadLanguageFeatures {
 
@@ -203,7 +203,12 @@ export class MainThreadLanguageFeatures {
 
 	// --- configuration
 
-	$setLanguageConfiguration(handle: number, languageId:string, configuration: vscode.LanguageConfiguration): TPromise<any> {
+	$setLanguageConfiguration(handle: number, languageId: string, configuration: vscode.LanguageConfiguration): TPromise<any> {
+
+		if (configuration.__characterPairSupport) {
+			(<LanguageConfiguration> configuration).autoClosingPairs = configuration.__characterPairSupport.autoClosingPairs;
+		}
+
 		this._registrations[handle] = LanguageConfigurationRegistry.register(languageId, configuration);
 		return undefined;
 	}