diff --git a/.eslintignore b/.eslintignore
index f9cce2b787d3..134b70dc496e 100644
--- a/.eslintignore
+++ b/.eslintignore
@@ -138,8 +138,9 @@ devtools/shared/qrcode/tests/mochitest/test_decode.html
 devtools/shared/tests/mochitest/*.html
 devtools/shared/webconsole/test/test_*.html
 
-# Ignore devtools pre-processed files
+# Ignore devtools preferences files
 devtools/client/preferences/**
+devtools/shim/devtools-startup-prefs.js
 
 # Ignore devtools third-party libs
 devtools/shared/jsbeautify/*
diff --git a/browser/installer/package-manifest.in b/browser/installer/package-manifest.in
index aa4a636f77fc..e7206bf67fd1 100644
--- a/browser/installer/package-manifest.in
+++ b/browser/installer/package-manifest.in
@@ -630,6 +630,7 @@
 ; [DevTools Shim Files]
 @RESPATH@/browser/chrome/devtools-shim@JAREXT@
 @RESPATH@/browser/chrome/devtools-shim.manifest
+@RESPATH@/browser/@PREF_DIR@/devtools-startup-prefs.js
 
 ; shell icons
 #ifdef XP_UNIX
diff --git a/devtools/client/preferences/devtools.js b/devtools/client/preferences/devtools.js
index 00c3eba1d359..62d37fb46517 100644
--- a/devtools/client/preferences/devtools.js
+++ b/devtools/client/preferences/devtools.js
@@ -352,8 +352,5 @@ pref("devtools.editor.autocomplete", true);
 // version for each user.
 pref("devtools.telemetry.tools.opened.version", "{}");
 
-// Enable the JSON View tool (an inspector for application/json documents).
-pref("devtools.jsonview.enabled", true);
-
 // Enable the HTML responsive design mode for all channels.
 pref("devtools.responsive.html.enabled", true);
diff --git a/devtools/shim/devtools-startup-prefs.js b/devtools/shim/devtools-startup-prefs.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..6e6610681188
--- /dev/null
+++ b/devtools/shim/devtools-startup-prefs.js
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+/* This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+ * License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
+ * file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/. */
+
+// This Devtools preferences file will be loaded as a usual Firefox preferences file.
+// Most DevTools prefs are included with the addon and loaded dynamically during the addon
+// startup. For preferences that are required before the addon is loaded or that we can't
+// process in JS, they can be defined in this file.
+// Note that this preference file follows Firefox release cycle.
+
+// Enable the JSON View tool (an inspector for application/json documents).
+pref("devtools.jsonview.enabled", true);
diff --git a/devtools/shim/moz.build b/devtools/shim/moz.build
index 4c73beef419b..142c93303f71 100644
--- a/devtools/shim/moz.build
+++ b/devtools/shim/moz.build
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@
 
 JAR_MANIFESTS += ['jar.mn']
 
+JS_PREFERENCE_FILES += [
+    'devtools-startup-prefs.js',
+]
+
 # Register the about:debugging page only for 'addon' and 'all' builds.
 if CONFIG['MOZ_DEVTOOLS'] != 'server':
     EXTRA_COMPONENTS += [