diff --git a/src/kernel/jsonconf.c b/src/kernel/jsonconf.c
index 9103cc875..a7fbadd06 100644
--- a/src/kernel/jsonconf.c
+++ b/src/kernel/jsonconf.c
@@ -314,6 +314,36 @@ void json_directions(cJSON *json) {
     }
 }
 
+static void json_skill(cJSON *json, struct locale *lang) {
+    cJSON *child;
+    if (json->type!=cJSON_Object) {
+        log_error_n("skill for locale `%s` not a json object: %d", locale_name(lang), json->type);
+        return;
+    }
+    for (child=json->child;child;child=child->next) {
+        skill_t sk = findskill(child->string);
+        if (sk!=NOSKILL) {
+            if (child->type==cJSON_String) {
+                init_skill(lang, sk, child->valuestring);
+                locale_setstring(lang, mkname("skill", skillnames[sk]), child->valuestring);
+            }
+            else if (child->type==cJSON_Array) {
+                cJSON *entry;
+                for (entry=child->child;entry;entry=entry->next) {
+                    init_skill(lang, sk, entry->valuestring);
+                    if ((entry==child->child)) {
+                        locale_setstring(lang, mkname("skill", skillnames[sk]), entry->valuestring); 
+                    }
+                }
+            } else {
+                log_error_n("invalid type %d for skill `%s`", child->type, child->string);
+            }
+        } else {
+            log_error_n("unknown skill `%s` for locale `%s`", child->string, locale_name(lang));
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 static void json_keyword(cJSON *json, struct locale *lang) {
     cJSON *child;
     if (json->type!=cJSON_Object) {
@@ -344,6 +374,18 @@ static void json_keyword(cJSON *json, struct locale *lang) {
     }
 }
 
+void json_skills(cJSON *json) {
+    cJSON *child;
+    if (json->type!=cJSON_Object) {
+        log_error_n("skills is not a json object: %d", json->type);
+        return;
+    }
+    for (child=json->child;child;child=child->next) {
+        struct locale * lang = get_or_create_locale(child->string);
+        json_skill(child, lang);
+    }
+}
+
 void json_keywords(cJSON *json) {
     cJSON *child;
     if (json->type!=cJSON_Object) {
@@ -386,6 +428,9 @@ void json_config(cJSON *json) {
         else if (strcmp(child->string, "keywords")==0) {
             json_keywords(child);
         }
+        else if (strcmp(child->string, "skills")==0) {
+            json_skills(child);
+        }
         else if (strcmp(child->string, "buildings")==0) {
             json_buildings(child);
         }
diff --git a/src/kernel/jsonconf.test.c b/src/kernel/jsonconf.test.c
index 6d43e114f..26827ae42 100644
--- a/src/kernel/jsonconf.test.c
+++ b/src/kernel/jsonconf.test.c
@@ -182,6 +182,30 @@ static void test_directions(CuTest * tc)
     test_cleanup();
 }
 
+static void test_skills(CuTest * tc)
+{
+    const char * data = "{\"skills\": { \"de\" : { \"alchemy\" : \"ALCHEMIE\", \"crossbow\" : [ \"ARMBRUST\", \"KREUZBOGEN\" ] }}}";
+    const struct locale * lang;
+
+    cJSON *json = cJSON_Parse(data);
+
+    test_cleanup();
+    lang = get_or_create_locale("de");
+    CuAssertPtrNotNull(tc, json);
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, NOSKILL, get_skill("potato", lang));
+
+    json_config(json);
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, NOSKILL, get_skill("potato", lang));
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, SK_CROSSBOW, get_skill("armbrust", lang));
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, SK_CROSSBOW, get_skill("kreuz", lang));
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, SK_ALCHEMY, get_skill("alchemie", lang));
+
+    CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "ALCHEMIE", locale_string(lang, "skill::alchemy"));
+    CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "ARMBRUST", locale_string(lang, "skill::crossbow"));
+
+    test_cleanup();
+}
+
 static void test_keywords(CuTest * tc)
 {
     const char * data = "{\"keywords\": { \"de\" : { \"move\" : \"NACH\", \"study\" : [ \"LERNEN\", \"STUDIEREN\" ] }}}";
@@ -208,6 +232,7 @@ CuSuite *get_jsonconf_suite(void)
 {
     CuSuite *suite = CuSuiteNew();
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_keywords);
+    SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_skills);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_directions);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_ships);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_buildings);