diff --git a/lib/config/defaults.js b/lib/config/defaults.js
index cb05710818be130b6257c8b57e60f12e7829fa4b..d8dd82f10d33180c78a8fab40ef3b62140bce968 100644
--- a/lib/config/defaults.js
+++ b/lib/config/defaults.js
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ function getConfig() {
   const options = configDefinitions.getOptions();
   const config = {};
   options.forEach(option => {
-    if (!option.parents) {
+    if (!option.parent) {
       config[option.name] = getDefault(option);
     }
   });
diff --git a/lib/config/definitions.js b/lib/config/definitions.js
index 1690e0aba57c77e6887e86b5939f6129f78b5936..57d7560816a77b2bc1b8c88a93f1cea5ce898c50 100644
--- a/lib/config/definitions.js
+++ b/lib/config/definitions.js
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ const options = [
     type: 'list',
     allowString: true,
     stage: 'depType',
-    parents: ['packageRules'],
+    parent: 'packageRules',
     mergeable: true,
     cli: false,
     env: false,
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ const options = [
     type: 'list',
     allowString: true,
     stage: 'depType',
-    parents: ['packageRules'],
+    parent: 'packageRules',
     mergeable: true,
     cli: false,
     env: false,
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ const options = [
     type: 'list',
     allowString: true,
     stage: 'depType',
-    parents: ['packageRules'],
+    parent: 'packageRules',
     mergeable: true,
     cli: false,
     env: false,
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ const options = [
     type: 'list',
     allowString: true,
     stage: 'depType',
-    parents: ['packageRules'],
+    parent: 'packageRules',
     mergeable: true,
     cli: false,
     env: false,
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@ const options = [
     type: 'list',
     allowString: true,
     stage: 'depType',
-    parents: ['packageRules'],
+    parent: 'packageRules',
     mergeable: true,
     cli: false,
     env: false,
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ const options = [
       'A version or version range to match against the current version of a package. Valid only within `packageRules` object',
     type: 'string',
     stage: 'depType',
-    parents: ['packageRules'],
+    parent: 'packageRules',
     mergeable: true,
     cli: false,
     env: false,
@@ -392,7 +392,7 @@ const options = [
     name: 'allowedVersions',
     description: 'A semver range defining allowed versions for dependencies',
     type: 'string',
-    parents: ['packageRules'],
+    parent: 'packageRules',
     stage: 'package',
     cli: false,
     env: false,