diff --git a/mycroft/skills/mycroft_skill/mycroft_skill.py b/mycroft/skills/mycroft_skill/mycroft_skill.py
index b0aa023bfb..0db9064e45 100644
--- a/mycroft/skills/mycroft_skill/mycroft_skill.py
+++ b/mycroft/skills/mycroft_skill/mycroft_skill.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ from mycroft.util.log import LOG
 from .event_container import EventContainer, create_wrapper, get_handler_name
 from ..event_scheduler import EventSchedulerInterface
 from ..intent_service_interface import IntentServiceInterface
-from ..settings import get_local_settings, save_settings
+from ..settings import save_settings, Settings
 from ..skill_data import (
     load_vocabulary,
     load_regex,
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ class MycroftSkill:
         # Get directory of skill
         self.root_dir = dirname(abspath(sys.modules[self.__module__].__file__))
         if use_settings:
-            self.settings = get_local_settings(self.root_dir, self.name)
+            self.settings = Settings(self)
         else:
             self.settings = None
         self.settings_change_callback = None
diff --git a/mycroft/skills/settings.py b/mycroft/skills/settings.py
index 4d46cabfeb..ebd1da5288 100644
--- a/mycroft/skills/settings.py
+++ b/mycroft/skills/settings.py
@@ -74,14 +74,17 @@ ONE_MINUTE = 60
 def get_local_settings(skill_dir, skill_name) -> dict:
     """Build a dictionary using the JSON string stored in settings.json."""
     settings_path = Path(skill_dir).joinpath('settings.json')
-    with open(str(settings_path)) as settings_file:
-        try:
-            skill_settings = json.load(settings_file)
-        # TODO change to check for JSONDecodeError in 19.08
-        except Exception:
-            log_msg = 'Failed to load {} settings from settings.json'
-            LOG.exception(log_msg.format(skill_name))
-            skill_settings = {}
+    if settings_path.is_file():
+        with open(str(settings_path)) as settings_file:
+            try:
+                skill_settings = json.load(settings_file)
+            # TODO change to check for JSONDecodeError in 19.08
+            except Exception:
+                log_msg = 'Failed to load {} settings from settings.json'
+                LOG.exception(log_msg.format(skill_name))
+                skill_settings = {}
+    else:
+        skill_settings = {}
 
     return skill_settings
 
@@ -362,3 +365,36 @@ class SkillSettingsDownloader:
                     data={skill_gid: remote_settings}
                 )
                 self.bus.emit(message)
+
+
+# TODO: remove in 20.02
+class Settings:
+    def __init__(self, skill):
+        self._skill = skill
+        self._settings = get_local_settings(skill.root_dir, skill.name)
+
+    def __getattr__(self, attr):
+        if attr not in ['store', 'set_changed_callback']:
+            return getattr(self._settings, attr)
+        else:
+            return super().getattr(attr)
+
+    def __setitem__(self, key, val):
+        self._settings[key] = val
+
+    def __getitem__(self, key):
+        return self._settings[key]
+
+    def __iter__(self):
+        return iter(self._settings)
+
+    def __contains__(self, key):
+        return key in self._settings
+
+    def store(self, force=False):
+        LOG.warning('DEPRECATED - use mycroft.skills.settings.save_settings()')
+        save_settings(self._skill.root_dir, self._settings)
+
+    def set_changed_callback(self, callback):
+        LOG.warning('DEPRECATED - set the settings_changed_callback attribute')
+        self._skill.settings_change_callback = callback
diff --git a/test/unittests/skills/test_settings.py b/test/unittests/skills/test_settings.py
index a698ad10da..21a705e956 100644
--- a/test/unittests/skills/test_settings.py
+++ b/test/unittests/skills/test_settings.py
@@ -13,13 +13,15 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 #
 import json
-from unittest.mock import call, Mock, patch
-from os import remove
+import tempfile
 from pathlib import Path
+from unittest import TestCase
+from unittest.mock import call, Mock, patch
 
 from mycroft.skills.settings import (
     SkillSettingsDownloader,
-    SettingsMetaUploader
+    SettingsMetaUploader,
+    Settings
 )
 from ..base import MycroftUnitTestBase
 
@@ -287,3 +289,55 @@ class TestSettingsDownloader(MycroftUnitTestBase):
             [remote_skill_settings],
             self.message_bus_mock.message_data
         )
+
+
+class TestSettings(TestCase):
+    def setUp(self) -> None:
+        temp_dir = tempfile.mkdtemp()
+        self.temp_dir = Path(temp_dir)
+        self.skill_mock = Mock()
+        self.skill_mock.root_dir = str(self.temp_dir)
+        self.skill_mock.name = 'test_skill'
+
+    def test_empty_settings(self):
+        settings = Settings(self.skill_mock)
+        self.assertDictEqual(settings._settings, {})
+
+    def test_settings_file_exists(self):
+        settings_path = self.temp_dir.joinpath('settings.json')
+        with open(settings_path, 'w') as settings_file:
+            settings_file.write('{"foo": "bar"}\n')
+
+        settings = Settings(self.skill_mock)
+        self.assertDictEqual(settings._settings, {'foo': 'bar'})
+        self.assertEqual(settings['foo'], 'bar')
+        self.assertNotIn('store', settings)
+        self.assertIn('foo', settings)
+
+    def test_change_settings(self):
+        settings = Settings(self.skill_mock)
+        settings['foo'] = 'bar'
+        self.assertDictEqual(settings._settings, {'foo': 'bar'})
+        self.assertIn('foo', settings)
+
+    def test_store_settings(self):
+        settings = Settings(self.skill_mock)
+        settings['foo'] = 'bar'
+        settings.store()
+        settings_path = self.temp_dir.joinpath('settings.json')
+        with open(settings_path) as settings_file:
+            file_contents = settings_file.read()
+
+        self.assertEqual(file_contents, '{"foo": "bar"}')
+
+    def test_set_changed_callback(self):
+        def test_callback():
+            pass
+
+        settings = Settings(self.skill_mock)
+        settings.set_changed_callback(test_callback)
+
+        self.assertEqual(
+            self.skill_mock.settings_change_callback,
+            test_callback
+        )