diff --git a/ckan/cli/cli.py b/ckan/cli/cli.py
index ac489a4706f..343a21a2f0c 100644
--- a/ckan/cli/cli.py
+++ b/ckan/cli/cli.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 import six
 import click
+import sys
 
 import ckan.plugins as p
 import ckan.cli as ckan_cli
@@ -46,6 +47,12 @@ def __init__(self, conf=None):
 
 
 def _init_ckan_config(ctx, param, value):
+
+    # This is necessary to allow the user to create
+    # a config file when one isn't already present
+    if len(sys.argv) > 1 and sys.argv[1] == 'generate' and not value:
+        return
+
     ctx.obj = CkanCommand(value)
     if six.PY2:
         ctx.meta["flask_app"] = ctx.obj.app.apps["flask_app"]._wsgi_app
diff --git a/ckan/cli/generate.py b/ckan/cli/generate.py
index b8b7fe33056..2187dc1507e 100644
--- a/ckan/cli/generate.py
+++ b/ckan/cli/generate.py
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@
 import os
 import sys
 import click
+import uuid
+import string
+import secrets
 from ckan.cli import error_shout
 
 
@@ -77,3 +80,32 @@ def extension(output_dir):
 
     cookiecutter(template_loc, no_input=True, extra_context=context,
                  output_dir=output_dir)
+
+
+@generate.command(name=u'config',
+                  short_help=u'Create a ckan.ini file.')
+@click.argument('output_path', nargs=1)
+def make_config(output_path):
+    """Generate a new CKAN configuration ini file."""
+
+    # Output to current directory if no path is specified
+    if '/' not in output_path:
+        output_path = os.path.join(os.getcwd(), output_path)
+
+    cur_loc = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
+    template_loc = os.path.join(cur_loc, '..', 'config', 'deployment.ini_tmpl')
+    template_variables = {
+        'app_instance_uuid': uuid.uuid4(),
+        'app_instance_secret': secrets.token_urlsafe(20)[:25]
+    }
+
+    with open(template_loc, 'r') as file_in:
+        template = string.Template(file_in.read())
+
+        try:
+            with open(output_path, 'w') as file_out:
+                file_out.writelines(template.substitute(template_variables))
+
+        except IOError as e:
+            error_shout(e)
+            sys.exit(1)
diff --git a/ckan/config/deployment.ini_tmpl b/ckan/config/deployment.ini_tmpl
index 0da5e347cee..398ea656f55 100644
--- a/ckan/config/deployment.ini_tmpl
+++ b/ckan/config/deployment.ini_tmpl
@@ -29,13 +29,13 @@ cache_dir = /tmp/%(ckan.site_id)s/
 beaker.session.key = ckan
 
 # This is the secret token that the beaker library uses to hash the cookie sent
-# to the client. `paster make-config` generates a unique value for this each
+# to the client. `ckan generate config` generates a unique value for this each
 # time it generates a config file.
-beaker.session.secret = ${app_instance_secret}
+beaker.session.secret = $app_instance_secret
 
-# `paster make-config` generates a unique value for this each time it generates
+# `ckan generate config` generates a unique value for this each time it generates
 # a config file.
-app_instance_uuid = ${app_instance_uuid}
+app_instance_uuid = $app_instance_uuid
 
 # repoze.who config
 who.config_file = %(here)s/who.ini
diff --git a/doc/maintaining/installing/install-from-source.rst b/doc/maintaining/installing/install-from-source.rst
index a3c62235034..86608f0eb55 100644
--- a/doc/maintaining/installing/install-from-source.rst
+++ b/doc/maintaining/installing/install-from-source.rst
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ Create the CKAN config file:
 
 .. parsed-literal::
 
-    paster make-config ckan |development.ini|
+    ckan generate config |development.ini|
 
 Edit the ``development.ini`` file in a text editor, changing the following
 options:
diff --git a/requirements-py2.txt b/requirements-py2.txt
index 7a3af7a2074..3ede51432ab 100644
--- a/requirements-py2.txt
+++ b/requirements-py2.txt
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ pysolr==3.6.0
 python-dateutil==2.8.0
 python-editor==1.0.4      # via alembic
 python-magic==0.4.15
+python2-secrets==1.0.5
 pytz==2016.7
 PyUtilib==5.7.1
 pyyaml==5.1