diff --git a/src/Composer/Command/ConfigCommand.php b/src/Composer/Command/ConfigCommand.php
index ce6d2d0ba..3577b336e 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Command/ConfigCommand.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Command/ConfigCommand.php
@@ -306,14 +306,6 @@ EOT
             'process-timeout' => array('is_numeric', 'intval'),
             'use-include-path' => array($booleanValidator, $booleanNormalizer),
             'use-github-api' => array($booleanValidator, $booleanNormalizer),
-            'preferred-install' => array(
-                function ($val) {
-                    return in_array($val, array('auto', 'source', 'dist'), true);
-                },
-                function ($val) {
-                    return $val;
-                },
-            ),
             'store-auths' => array(
                 function ($val) {
                     return in_array($val, array('true', 'false', 'prompt'), true);
@@ -458,6 +450,16 @@ EOT
                 },
             ),
         );
+        $uniqueOrDotNestedArray = array(
+        	'preferred-install' => array(
+		        function ($val) {
+			        return in_array($val, array('auto', 'source', 'dist'), true);
+		        },
+		        function ($val) {
+			        return $val;
+		        },
+	        ),
+        );
 
         if ($input->getOption('unset') && (isset($uniqueConfigValues[$settingKey]) || isset($multiConfigValues[$settingKey]))) {
             if ($settingKey === 'disable-tls' && $this->config->get('disable-tls')) {
@@ -478,6 +480,34 @@ EOT
 
             return 0;
         }
+	    if (isset($uniqueOrDotNestedArray[$settingKey])) {
+
+		    try {
+		    	$this->handleSingleValue($settingKey, $uniqueOrDotNestedArray[$settingKey], $values, 'addConfigSetting');
+		    } catch ( \RuntimeException $e ) {
+
+			    if ( $input->getOption( 'unset' ) ) {
+				    $this->configSource->removeProperty( $settingKey );
+
+				    return 0;
+			    }
+
+			    $valueData = explode( '.', $values[0] );
+
+			    if ( ! isset( $valueData[0], $valueData[1] ) ) {
+				    throw new \RuntimeException( 'Invalid pattern format. It should be my-organization/stable-package.dist' );
+			    }
+
+			    list( $validator, $normalizer ) = $uniqueOrDotNestedArray[ $settingKey ];
+			    if ( ! $validator( $valueData[1] ) ) {
+				    throw new \RuntimeException( 'Invalid option for install method. It accepts only: auto, source, and dist' );
+			    }
+
+			    $this->configSource->addProperty( 'config.' . $settingKey . '.' . $valueData[0], $valueData[1] );
+		    }
+
+		    return 0;
+	    }
 
         // handle properties
         $uniqueProps = array(
diff --git a/src/Composer/Json/JsonManipulator.php b/src/Composer/Json/JsonManipulator.php
index e64a56f71..8c6efd325 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Json/JsonManipulator.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Json/JsonManipulator.php
@@ -167,6 +167,10 @@ class JsonManipulator
 
     public function addProperty($name, $value)
     {
+	    if ( substr( $name, 0, 7 ) === 'config.' ) {
+		    return $this->addConfigSetting( substr( $name, 7 ), $value );
+	    }
+
         if (substr($name, 0, 6) === 'extra.') {
             return $this->addSubNode('extra', substr($name, 6), $value);
         }
@@ -180,6 +184,10 @@ class JsonManipulator
 
     public function removeProperty($name)
     {
+	    if ( substr( $name, 0, 7 ) === 'config.' ) {
+		    return $this->removeConfigSetting( substr( $name, 7 ) );
+	    }
+
         if (substr($name, 0, 6) === 'extra.') {
             return $this->removeSubNode('extra', substr($name, 6));
         }
diff --git a/tests/Composer/Test/Json/JsonManipulatorTest.php b/tests/Composer/Test/Json/JsonManipulatorTest.php
index 8bc7831af..4f70e8669 100644
--- a/tests/Composer/Test/Json/JsonManipulatorTest.php
+++ b/tests/Composer/Test/Json/JsonManipulatorTest.php
@@ -1814,6 +1814,51 @@ class JsonManipulatorTest extends TestCase
 ', $manipulator->getContents());
     }
 
+	public function testAddConfigWithPackage() {
+		$manipulator = new JsonManipulator('{
+    "repositories": [
+        {
+            "type": "package",
+            "package": {
+                "authors": [],
+                "extra": {
+                    "package-xml": "package.xml"
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    ],
+    "config": {
+        "platform": {
+            "php": "5.3.9"
+        }
+    }
+}');
+
+		$this->assertTrue($manipulator->addProperty('config.preferred-install.my-organization/stable-package', 'dist'));
+		$this->assertEquals('{
+    "repositories": [
+        {
+            "type": "package",
+            "package": {
+                "authors": [],
+                "extra": {
+                    "package-xml": "package.xml"
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    ],
+    "config": {
+        "platform": {
+            "php": "5.3.9"
+        },
+        "preferred-install": {
+            "my-organization/stable-package": "dist"
+        }
+    }
+}
+', $manipulator->getContents());
+	}
+
     public function testAddRepositoryCanInitializeEmptyRepositories()
     {
         $manipulator = new JsonManipulator('{