diff --git a/lib/compiler.js b/lib/compiler.js
index 5d1938e..9f9b1ac 100644
--- a/lib/compiler.js
+++ b/lib/compiler.js
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ module.exports = function compile(options) {
   var appRootDir = options.appRootDir = options.appRootDir || process.cwd();
   var env = options.env || process.env.NODE_ENV || 'development';
 
-  var appConfig = options.app || ConfigLoader.loadAppConfig(appRootDir, env);
+  var appConfig = options.config || ConfigLoader.loadAppConfig(appRootDir, env);
   assertIsValidConfig('app', appConfig);
 
   var modelsRootDir = options.modelsRootDir || appRootDir;
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ module.exports = function compile(options) {
     modelsRootDir, modelsConfig, modelSources);
 
   return {
-    app: appConfig,
+    config: appConfig,
     dataSources: dataSourcesConfig,
     models: modelInstructions,
     files: {
diff --git a/lib/config-loader.js b/lib/config-loader.js
index 7cafb35..e218abd 100644
--- a/lib/config-loader.js
+++ b/lib/config-loader.js
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ var ConfigLoader = exports;
  * @returns {Object}
  */
 ConfigLoader.loadAppConfig = function(rootDir, env) {
-  return loadNamed(rootDir, env, 'app', mergeAppConfig);
+  return loadNamed(rootDir, env, 'config', mergeAppConfig);
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/lib/executor.js b/lib/executor.js
index 221e55e..f97f930 100644
--- a/lib/executor.js
+++ b/lib/executor.js
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ function setHost(app, instructions) {
     process.env.OPENSHIFT_SLS_IP ||
     process.env.OPENSHIFT_NODEJS_IP ||
     process.env.HOST ||
-    instructions.app.host ||
+    instructions.config.host ||
     process.env.npm_package_config_host ||
     app.get('host');
 
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ function setPort(app, instructions) {
     process.env.OPENSHIFT_SLS_PORT,
     process.env.OPENSHIFT_NODEJS_PORT,
     process.env.PORT,
-    instructions.app.port,
+    instructions.config.port,
     process.env.npm_package_config_port,
     app.get('port'),
     3000
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ function setPort(app, instructions) {
 
 function setApiRoot(app, instructions) {
   var restApiRoot =
-    instructions.app.restApiRoot ||
+    instructions.config.restApiRoot ||
     app.get('restApiRoot') ||
     '/api';
 
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ function setApiRoot(app, instructions) {
 }
 
 function applyAppConfig(app, instructions) {
-  var appConfig = instructions.app;
+  var appConfig = instructions.config;
   for(var configKey in appConfig) {
     var cur = app.get(configKey);
     if(cur === undefined || cur === null) {
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ function enableAnonymousSwagger(app, instructions) {
   var swagger = app.remotes().exports.swagger;
   if (!swagger) return;
 
-  var appConfig = instructions.app;
+  var appConfig = instructions.config;
   var requireTokenForSwagger = appConfig.swagger &&
     appConfig.swagger.requireToken;
   swagger.requireToken = requireTokenForSwagger || false;
diff --git a/test/compiler.test.js b/test/compiler.test.js
index 77fa7b7..5145345 100644
--- a/test/compiler.test.js
+++ b/test/compiler.test.js
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ describe('compiler', function() {
     var options, instructions, appConfig;
     beforeEach(function() {
       options = {
-        app: {
+        config: {
           port: 3000,
           host: '127.0.0.1',
           restApiRoot: '/rest-api',
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ describe('compiler', function() {
         }
       };
       instructions = boot.compile(options);
-      appConfig = instructions.app;
+      appConfig = instructions.config;
     });
 
     it('has port setting', function() {
@@ -148,13 +148,13 @@ describe('compiler', function() {
     it('merges app configs from multiple files', function() {
       appdir.createConfigFilesSync();
 
-      appdir.writeConfigFileSync('app.local.json', { cfgLocal: 'applied' });
+      appdir.writeConfigFileSync('config.local.json', { cfgLocal: 'applied' });
 
       var env = process.env.NODE_ENV || 'development';
-      appdir.writeConfigFileSync('app.' + env + '.json', { cfgEnv: 'applied' });
+      appdir.writeConfigFileSync('config.' + env + '.json', { cfgEnv: 'applied' });
 
       var instructions = boot.compile(appdir.PATH);
-      var appConfig = instructions.app;
+      var appConfig = instructions.config;
 
       expect(appConfig).to.have.property('cfgLocal', 'applied');
       expect(appConfig).to.have.property('cfgEnv', 'applied');
@@ -169,11 +169,11 @@ describe('compiler', function() {
 
     it('supports .js for custom app config files', function() {
       appdir.createConfigFilesSync();
-      appdir.writeFileSync('app.local.js',
+      appdir.writeFileSync('config.local.js',
         'module.exports = { fromJs: true };');
 
       var instructions = boot.compile(appdir.PATH);
-      var appConfig = instructions.app;
+      var appConfig = instructions.config;
 
       expect(appConfig).to.have.property('fromJs', true);
     });
diff --git a/test/executor.test.js b/test/executor.test.js
index 1460214..08cddec 100644
--- a/test/executor.test.js
+++ b/test/executor.test.js
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ describe('executor', function() {
   });
 
   var dummyInstructions = someInstructions({
-    app: {
+    config: {
       port: 3000,
       host: '127.0.0.1',
       restApiRoot: '/rest-api',
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ describe('executor', function() {
     function bootWithDefaults() {
       app = loopback();
       boot.execute(app, someInstructions({
-        app: {
+        config: {
           port: undefined,
           host: undefined
         }
@@ -242,12 +242,12 @@ describe('executor', function() {
     }
 
     it('should honor 0 for free port', function() {
-      boot.execute(app, someInstructions({ app: { port: 0 } }));
+      boot.execute(app, someInstructions({ config: { port: 0 } }));
       assert.equal(app.get('port'), 0);
     });
 
     it('should default to port 3000', function() {
-      boot.execute(app, someInstructions({ app: { port: undefined } }));
+      boot.execute(app, someInstructions({ config: { port: undefined } }));
       assert.equal(app.get('port'), 3000);
     });
   });
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ assert.isFunc = function (obj, name) {
 
 function someInstructions(values) {
   var result = {
-    app: values.app || {},
+    config: values.config || {},
     models: values.models || [],
     dataSources: values.dataSources || { db: { connector: 'memory' } },
     files: {
diff --git a/test/fixtures/simple-app/app.json b/test/fixtures/simple-app/config.json
similarity index 100%
rename from test/fixtures/simple-app/app.json
rename to test/fixtures/simple-app/config.json
diff --git a/test/helpers/appdir.js b/test/helpers/appdir.js
index 4db2e10..4961d07 100644
--- a/test/helpers/appdir.js
+++ b/test/helpers/appdir.js
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ appdir.init = function(cb) {
 appdir.createConfigFilesSync = function(appConfig, dataSources, models) {
   appConfig = extend({
   }, appConfig);
-  appdir.writeConfigFileSync ('app.json', appConfig);
+  appdir.writeConfigFileSync ('config.json', appConfig);
 
   dataSources = extend({
     db: {