diff --git a/docs/config-api.md b/docs/config-api.md
index 4cc71db3..11727a7c 100644
--- a/docs/config-api.md
+++ b/docs/config-api.md
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ For this reason it is usually advisable to use `System.config` instead of settin
 * [defaultJSExtensions](#defaultjsextensions)
 * [depCache](#depcache)
 * [map](#map)
-* [meta](#meta)
+* [modules](#modules)
 * [packages](#packages)
 * [paths](#paths)
 * [traceurOptions](#traceuroptions)
@@ -140,13 +140,16 @@ System.import('package/path.js');
 
 > Note map configuration used to support contextual submaps but this has been deprecated for package configuration.
 
-#### meta
+<a name="meta">
+#### modules
 Type: `Object`
 Default: `{}`
 
-Module meta provides an API for SystemJS to understand how to load modules correctly.
+_Previously called **meta**_
 
-Meta is how we set the module format of a module, or know how to shim dependencies of a global script.
+Package modules provides a meta API for SystemJS to understand how to load modules correctly.
+
+The module meta is how we set the module format of a module, or know how to shim dependencies of a global script.
 
 ```javascript
 System.config({
diff --git a/lib/core.js b/lib/core.js
index a4fac2dd..6325f4b2 100644
--- a/lib/core.js
+++ b/lib/core.js
@@ -257,7 +257,15 @@ SystemJSLoader.prototype.config = function(cfg) {
       if (!this.packages[prop] && this.defaultJSExtensions && p.substr(p.length - 3, 3) != '.js')
         prop = prop.substr(0, prop.length - 3);
 
-      this.packages[prop]= this.packages[prop] || {};
+      this.packages[prop] = this.packages[prop] || {};
+
+      // meta backwards compatibility
+      if (cfg.packages[p].meta) {
+        warn.call(this, 'Package ' + p + ' is configured with meta, which is deprecated as it has been renamed to modules.');
+        cfg.packages[p].modules = cfg.packages[p].meta;
+        delete cfg.packages[p].meta;
+      }
+
       for (var q in cfg.packages[p])
         if (indexOf.call(packageProperties, q) == -1)
           warn.call(this, '"' + q + '" is not a valid package configuration option in package ' + p);
diff --git a/lib/package.js b/lib/package.js
index a936ca44..60ede93a 100644
--- a/lib/package.js
+++ b/lib/package.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
  *     main: 'index.js', // when not set, package name is requested directly
  *     format: 'amd',
  *     defaultExtension: 'ts', // defaults to 'js', can be set to false
- *     meta: {
+ *     modules: {
  *       '*.ts': {
  *         loader: 'typescript'
  *       },
@@ -51,12 +51,12 @@
  * - map and defaultExtension are applied to the main
  * - defaultExtension adds the extension only if no other extension is present
  * - defaultJSExtensions applies after map when defaultExtension is not set
- * - if a meta value is available for a module, map and defaultExtension are skipped
+ * - if a modules value is available for a module, map and defaultExtension are skipped
  * - like global map, package map also applies to subpaths (sizzle/x, ./vendor/another/sub)
  * - condition module map is '@env' module in package or '@system-env' globally
  *
- * In addition, the following meta properties will be allowed to be package
- * -relative as well in the package meta config:
+ * In addition, the following modules properties will be allowed to be package
+ * -relative as well in the package module config:
  *   
  *   - loader
  *   - alias
@@ -156,8 +156,8 @@
     var skipExtension = !!(isPlugin || subPath.indexOf('#?') != -1 || subPath.match(interpolationRegEx));
 
     // exact meta or meta with any content after the last wildcard skips extension
-    if (!skipExtension && pkg.meta)
-      getMetaMatches(pkg.meta, pkgName, subPath, function(metaPattern, matchMeta, matchDepth) {
+    if (!skipExtension && pkg.modules)
+      getMetaMatches(pkg.modules, pkgName, subPath, function(metaPattern, matchMeta, matchDepth) {
         if (matchDepth == 0 || metaPattern.lastIndexOf('*') != metaPattern.length - 1)
           skipExtension = true;
       });
@@ -416,6 +416,12 @@
             if (cfg.systemjs)
               cfg = cfg.systemjs;
 
+            // meta backwards compatibility
+            if (cfg.meta) {
+              cfg.modules = cfg.meta;
+              warn.call(loader, 'Package config file ' + pkgConfigPath + ' is configured with meta, which is deprecated as it has been renamed to modules.');
+            }
+
             // remove any non-system properties if generic config file (eg package.json)
             for (var p in cfg) {
               if (indexOf.call(packageProperties, p) == -1)
@@ -512,9 +518,9 @@
           }
 
           var meta = {};
-          if (pkg.meta) {
+          if (pkg.modules) {
             var bestDepth = 0;
-            getMetaMatches(pkg.meta, pkgName, subPath, function(metaPattern, matchMeta, matchDepth) {
+            getMetaMatches(pkg.modules, pkgName, subPath, function(metaPattern, matchMeta, matchDepth) {
               if (matchDepth > bestDepth)
                 bestDepth = matchDepth;
               extendMeta(meta, matchMeta, matchDepth && bestDepth > matchDepth);
diff --git a/lib/proto.js b/lib/proto.js
index 7331887a..ae80b29a 100644
--- a/lib/proto.js
+++ b/lib/proto.js
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ function extend(a, b, prepend) {
 }
 
 // package configuration options
-var packageProperties = ['main', 'format', 'defaultExtension', 'meta', 'map', 'basePath', 'depCache'];
+var packageProperties = ['main', 'format', 'defaultExtension', 'modules', 'map', 'basePath', 'depCache'];
 
 // meta first-level extends where:
 // array + array appends