diff --git a/packages/angular/cli/commands/config-impl.ts b/packages/angular/cli/commands/config-impl.ts
index 37b1156219c2..b6ad2d52e0d5 100644
--- a/packages/angular/cli/commands/config-impl.ts
+++ b/packages/angular/cli/commands/config-impl.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import {
 } from '@angular-devkit/core';
 import { writeFileSync } from 'fs';
 import { Command } from '../models/command';
-import { Arguments } from '../models/interface';
+import { Arguments, CommandScope } from '../models/interface';
 import {
   getWorkspace,
   getWorkspaceRaw,
@@ -178,6 +178,10 @@ export class ConfigCommand extends Command<ConfigCommandSchema> {
   public async run(options: ConfigCommandSchema & Arguments) {
     const level = options.global ? 'global' : 'local';
 
+    if (!options.global) {
+      await this.validateScope(CommandScope.InProject);
+    }
+
     let config =
       (getWorkspace(level) as {} as { _workspace: experimental.workspace.WorkspaceSchema });
 
diff --git a/packages/angular/cli/commands/config.json b/packages/angular/cli/commands/config.json
index db5a1b665a0e..899d563a2be4 100644
--- a/packages/angular/cli/commands/config.json
+++ b/packages/angular/cli/commands/config.json
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
   "$longDescription": "",
 
   "$aliases": [],
-  "$scope": "in",
+  "$scope": "all",
   "$type": "native",
   "$impl": "./config-impl#ConfigCommand",
 
diff --git a/packages/angular/cli/models/command.ts b/packages/angular/cli/models/command.ts
index 793c57ed2528..da2079c149ea 100644
--- a/packages/angular/cli/models/command.ts
+++ b/packages/angular/cli/models/command.ts
@@ -114,8 +114,8 @@ export abstract class Command<T extends BaseCommandOptions = BaseCommandOptions>
     }
   }
 
-  async validateScope(): Promise<void> {
-    switch (this.description.scope) {
+  async validateScope(scope?: CommandScope): Promise<void> {
+    switch (scope === undefined ? this.description.scope : scope) {
       case CommandScope.OutProject:
         if (this.workspace.configFile) {
           this.logger.fatal(tags.oneLine`
diff --git a/tests/legacy-cli/e2e/tests/commands/config/config-global.ts b/tests/legacy-cli/e2e/tests/commands/config/config-global.ts
index 0df85d890619..8327836fc500 100644
--- a/tests/legacy-cli/e2e/tests/commands/config/config-global.ts
+++ b/tests/legacy-cli/e2e/tests/commands/config/config-global.ts
@@ -5,29 +5,44 @@ import { ng } from '../../../utils/process';
 import { expectToFail } from '../../../utils/utils';
 
 
-export default function() {
-  return Promise.resolve()
-    .then(() => expectToFail(() => ng('config', '--global', 'schematics.@schematics/angular.component.inlineStyle')))
-    .then(() => ng('config', '--global', 'schematics.@schematics/angular.component.inlineStyle', 'false'))
-    .then(() => ng('config', '--global', 'schematics.@schematics/angular.component.inlineStyle'))
-    .then(({ stdout }) => {
-      if (!stdout.match(/false\n?/)) {
-        throw new Error(`Expected "false", received "${JSON.stringify(stdout)}".`);
-      }
-    })
-    // This test requires schema querying capabilities
-    // .then(() => expectToFail(() => {
-    //   return ng('config', '--global', 'schematics.@schematics/angular.component.inlineStyle', 'INVALID_BOOLEAN');
-    // }))
-    .then(() => ng('config', '--global', 'schematics.@schematics/angular.component.inlineStyle', 'true'))
-    .then(() => ng('config', '--global', 'schematics.@schematics/angular.component.inlineStyle'))
-    .then(({ stdout }) => {
-      if (!stdout.match(/true\n?/)) {
-        throw new Error(`Expected "true", received "${JSON.stringify(stdout)}".`);
-      }
-    })
-    .then(() => expectToFail(() => ng('config', '--global', 'cli.warnings.notreal', 'true')))
-    .then(() => ng('config', '--global', 'cli.warnings.versionMismatch', 'false'))
-    .then(() => expectFileToExist(path.join(homedir(), '.angular-config.json')))
-    .then(() => deleteFile(path.join(homedir(), '.angular-config.json')));
+export default async function() {
+  await expectToFail(() => ng(
+    'config',
+    '--global',
+    'schematics.@schematics/angular.component.inlineStyle',
+  ));
+
+  await ng('config', '--global', 'schematics.@schematics/angular.component.inlineStyle', 'false');
+  let output = await ng(
+    'config',
+    '--global',
+    'schematics.@schematics/angular.component.inlineStyle',
+  );
+  if (!output.stdout.match(/false\n?/)) {
+    throw new Error(`Expected "false", received "${JSON.stringify(output.stdout)}".`);
+  }
+
+  // This test requires schema querying capabilities
+  // .then(() => expectToFail(() => {
+  //   return ng('config', '--global', 'schematics.@schematics/angular.component.inlineStyle', 'INVALID_BOOLEAN');
+  // }))
+
+  const cwd = process.cwd();
+  process.chdir('/');
+  try {
+    await ng('config', '--global', 'schematics.@schematics/angular.component.inlineStyle', 'true');
+  } finally {
+    process.chdir(cwd);
+  }
+
+  output = await ng('config', '--global', 'schematics.@schematics/angular.component.inlineStyle');
+  if (!output.stdout.match(/true\n?/)) {
+    throw new Error(`Expected "true", received "${JSON.stringify(output.stdout)}".`);
+  }
+
+  await expectToFail(() => ng('config', '--global', 'cli.warnings.notreal', 'true'));
+
+  await ng('config', '--global', 'cli.warnings.versionMismatch', 'false');
+  await expectFileToExist(path.join(homedir(), '.angular-config.json'));
+  await deleteFile(path.join(homedir(), '.angular-config.json'));
 }