diff --git a/packages/@vue/cli-service/__tests__/Service.spec.js b/packages/@vue/cli-service/__tests__/Service.spec.js
index 4f1b242302..cf01610159 100644
--- a/packages/@vue/cli-service/__tests__/Service.spec.js
+++ b/packages/@vue/cli-service/__tests__/Service.spec.js
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ test('env loading for custom mode', () => {
 test('loading plugins from package.json', () => {
   mockPkg({
     devDependencies: {
-      'bar': '^1.0.0',
+      bar: '^1.0.0',
       '@vue/cli-plugin-babel': '^4.2.0',
       'vue-cli-plugin-foo': '^1.0.0'
     }
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ test('api: --skip-plugins', () => {
     id: 'test-command',
     apply: api => {
       api.registerCommand('foo', _args => {
-        return
+
       })
     }
   },
diff --git a/packages/@vue/cli-service/__tests__/ServiceESM.spec.js b/packages/@vue/cli-service/__tests__/ServiceESM.spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..88957c63c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/@vue/cli-service/__tests__/ServiceESM.spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+const { join } = require('path')
+const Service = require('../lib/Service')
+
+const mockDir = join(__dirname, 'mockESM')
+const configPath = join(mockDir, 'vue.config.cjs')
+
+const createService = () => {
+  const service = new Service(mockDir, {
+    plugins: [],
+    useBuiltIn: false
+  })
+  service.init()
+  return service
+}
+
+// vue.config.cjs has higher priority
+
+test('load project options from package.json', async () => {
+  const service = createService()
+  expect(service.projectOptions.lintOnSave).toBe('default')
+})
+
+test('load project options from vue.config.cjs', async () => {
+  jest.mock(configPath, () => ({ lintOnSave: true }), { virtual: true })
+  const service = createService()
+  expect(service.projectOptions.lintOnSave).toBe(true)
+})
+
+test('load project options from vue.config.cjs as a function', async () => {
+  jest.mock(configPath, () => function () { return { lintOnSave: true } }, { virtual: true })
+  const service = createService()
+  expect(service.projectOptions.lintOnSave).toBe(true)
+})
diff --git a/packages/@vue/cli-service/__tests__/mockESM/package.json b/packages/@vue/cli-service/__tests__/mockESM/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bdd0885ceb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/@vue/cli-service/__tests__/mockESM/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{
+  "type": "module",
+  "vue": {
+    "lintOnSave": "default"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/@vue/cli-service/lib/Service.js b/packages/@vue/cli-service/lib/Service.js
index 434c6b5e81..21db7ffaee 100644
--- a/packages/@vue/cli-service/lib/Service.js
+++ b/packages/@vue/cli-service/lib/Service.js
@@ -10,6 +10,22 @@ const { chalk, warn, error, isPlugin, resolvePluginId, loadModule, resolvePkg }
 
 const { defaults, validate } = require('./options')
 
+const loadConfig = configPath => {
+  let fileConfig = require(configPath)
+
+  if (typeof fileConfig === 'function') {
+    fileConfig = fileConfig()
+  }
+
+  if (!fileConfig || typeof fileConfig !== 'object') {
+    error(
+      `Error loading ${chalk.bold('vue.config.js')}: should export an object or a function that returns object.`
+    )
+    fileConfig = null
+  }
+  return fileConfig
+}
+
 module.exports = class Service {
   constructor (context, { plugins, pkg, inlineOptions, useBuiltIn } = {}) {
     process.VUE_CLI_SERVICE = this
@@ -299,31 +315,43 @@ module.exports = class Service {
 
   loadUserOptions () {
     // vue.config.js
+    // vue.config.cjs
     let fileConfig, pkgConfig, resolved, resolvedFrom
+    const esm = this.pkg.type && this.pkg.type === 'module'
+    const jsConfigPath = path.resolve(this.context, 'vue.config.js')
+    const cjsConfigPath = path.resolve(this.context, 'vue.config.cjs')
     const configPath = (
       process.env.VUE_CLI_SERVICE_CONFIG_PATH ||
-      path.resolve(this.context, 'vue.config.js')
+      jsConfigPath
     )
-    try {
-      fileConfig = require(configPath)
-
-      if (typeof fileConfig === 'function') {
-        fileConfig = fileConfig()
-      }
 
-      if (!fileConfig || typeof fileConfig !== 'object') {
-        error(
-          `Error loading ${chalk.bold('vue.config.js')}: should export an object or a function that returns object.`
-        )
-        fileConfig = null
-      }
+    try {
+      fileConfig = loadConfig(configPath)
     } catch (e) {
       if (e.code !== 'MODULE_NOT_FOUND') {
+        if (e.code === 'ERR_REQUIRE_ESM') {
+          warn(`Rename ${chalk.bold('vue.config.js')} to ${chalk.bold('vue.config.cjs')} when ECMAScript modules is enabled`)
+        }
         error(`Error loading ${chalk.bold('vue.config.js')}:`)
         throw e
       }
     }
 
+    // vue.config.js not found, esm enabled, no env set
+    if (!fileConfig && esm && !process.env.VUE_CLI_SERVICE_CONFIG_PATH) {
+      try {
+        fileConfig = loadConfig(cjsConfigPath)
+      } catch (e) {
+        if (e.code !== 'MODULE_NOT_FOUND') {
+          error(`Error loading ${chalk.bold('vue.config.cjs')}:`)
+          throw e
+        }
+      }
+      if (fileConfig) {
+        warn(`ECMAScript modules is detected, config loaded from ${chalk.bold('vue.config.cjs')}`)
+      }
+    }
+
     // package.vue
     pkgConfig = this.pkg.vue
     if (pkgConfig && typeof pkgConfig !== 'object') {
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 92f2ee79d7..2fbe678840 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -5112,7 +5112,7 @@ cheerio@^1.0.0-rc.2:
     lodash "^4.15.0"
     parse5 "^3.0.1"
 
-"chokidar@>=2.0.0 <4.0.0":
+"chokidar@>=2.0.0 <4.0.0", chokidar@^3.3.0:
   version "3.3.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/chokidar/-/chokidar-3.3.1.tgz#c84e5b3d18d9a4d77558fef466b1bf16bbeb3450"
   integrity sha512-4QYCEWOcK3OJrxwvyyAOxFuhpvOVCYkr33LPfFNBjAD/w3sEzWsp2BUOkI4l9bHvWioAd0rc6NlHUOEaWkTeqg==
@@ -5127,7 +5127,7 @@ cheerio@^1.0.0-rc.2:
   optionalDependencies:
     fsevents "~2.1.2"
 
-chokidar@^2.0.0, chokidar@^2.0.2, chokidar@^2.0.3, chokidar@^2.0.4, chokidar@^2.1.8:
+chokidar@^2.0.0, chokidar@^2.0.2, chokidar@^2.0.3, chokidar@^2.1.8:
   version "2.1.8"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/chokidar/-/chokidar-2.1.8.tgz#804b3a7b6a99358c3c5c61e71d8728f041cff917"
   integrity sha512-ZmZUazfOzf0Nve7duiCKD23PFSCs4JPoYyccjUFF3aQkQadqBhfzhjkwBH2mNOG9cTBwhamM37EIsIkZw3nRgg==
@@ -8352,14 +8352,14 @@ forever-agent@~0.6.1:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/forever-agent/-/forever-agent-0.6.1.tgz#fbc71f0c41adeb37f96c577ad1ed42d8fdacca91"
   integrity sha1-+8cfDEGt6zf5bFd60e1C2P2sypE=
 
-fork-ts-checker-webpack-plugin@^1.5.1:
-  version "1.6.0"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/fork-ts-checker-webpack-plugin/-/fork-ts-checker-webpack-plugin-1.6.0.tgz#a81fd1c6bf5258fa5318cf3e9a7e9bac006f7917"
-  integrity sha512-vqOY5gakcoon2s12V7MMe01OPwfgqulUWFzm+geQaPPOBKjW1I7aqqoBVlU0ECn97liMB0ECs16pRdIGe9qdRw==
+fork-ts-checker-webpack-plugin@^3.1.1:
+  version "3.1.1"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/fork-ts-checker-webpack-plugin/-/fork-ts-checker-webpack-plugin-3.1.1.tgz#a1642c0d3e65f50c2cc1742e9c0a80f441f86b19"
+  integrity sha512-DuVkPNrM12jR41KM2e+N+styka0EgLkTnXmNcXdgOM37vtGeY+oCBK/Jx0hzSeEU6memFCtWb4htrHPMDfwwUQ==
   dependencies:
     babel-code-frame "^6.22.0"
     chalk "^2.4.1"
-    chokidar "^2.0.4"
+    chokidar "^3.3.0"
     micromatch "^3.1.10"
     minimatch "^3.0.4"
     semver "^5.6.0"