diff --git a/atom/browser/lib/chrome-extension.js b/atom/browser/lib/chrome-extension.js
index fbb537d052c1..fcbb8c7f15fd 100644
--- a/atom/browser/lib/chrome-extension.js
+++ b/atom/browser/lib/chrome-extension.js
@@ -54,12 +54,16 @@ app.on('will-quit', function() {
     loadedExtensions = Object.keys(extensionInfoMap).map(function(key) {
       return extensionInfoMap[key].srcDirectory;
     });
-    try {
-      fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(loadedExtensionsPath));
-    } catch (error) {
-      // Ignore error
+    if (loadedExtensions.length > 0) {
+      try {
+        fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(loadedExtensionsPath));
+      } catch (error) {
+        // Ignore error
+      }
+      fs.writeFileSync(loadedExtensionsPath, JSON.stringify(loadedExtensions));
+    } else {
+      fs.unlinkSync(loadedExtensionsPath);
     }
-    return fs.writeFileSync(loadedExtensionsPath, JSON.stringify(loadedExtensions));
   } catch (error) {
     // Ignore error
   }
@@ -70,7 +74,7 @@ app.once('ready', function() {
   var BrowserWindow, chromeExtensionHandler, i, init, len, protocol, srcDirectory;
   protocol = electron.protocol, BrowserWindow = electron.BrowserWindow;
 
-  // Load persistented extensions.
+  // Load persisted extensions.
   loadedExtensionsPath = path.join(app.getPath('userData'), 'DevTools Extensions');
   try {
     loadedExtensions = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(loadedExtensionsPath));
diff --git a/spec/api-browser-window-spec.js b/spec/api-browser-window-spec.js
index 89e9b770ab20..a38bdb16904d 100644
--- a/spec/api-browser-window-spec.js
+++ b/spec/api-browser-window-spec.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ const os = require('os');
 const remote = require('electron').remote;
 const screen = require('electron').screen;
 
+const app = remote.require('electron').app;
 const ipcMain = remote.require('electron').ipcMain;
 const BrowserWindow = remote.require('electron').BrowserWindow;
 
@@ -686,4 +687,20 @@ describe('browser-window module', function() {
       }, 'Missing required channel argument');
     });
   });
+
+  describe('dev tool extensions', function () {
+    it('serializes the registered extensions on quit', function () {
+      var extensionName = 'foo';
+      var extensionPath = path.join(__dirname, 'fixtures', 'devtools-extensions', extensionName);
+      var serializedPath = path.join(app.getPath('userData'), 'DevTools Extensions');
+
+      BrowserWindow.addDevToolsExtension(extensionPath);
+      app.emit('will-quit');
+      assert.deepEqual(JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(serializedPath)), [extensionPath]);
+
+      BrowserWindow.removeDevToolsExtension(extensionName);
+      app.emit('will-quit');
+      assert.equal(fs.existsSync(serializedPath), false);
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/spec/fixtures/devtools-extensions/foo/manifest.json b/spec/fixtures/devtools-extensions/foo/manifest.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..bde99de9287a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/fixtures/devtools-extensions/foo/manifest.json
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{
+  "name": "foo"
+}