diff --git a/changelog/@unreleased/pr-1151.v2.yml b/changelog/@unreleased/pr-1151.v2.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..84e808807
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/@unreleased/pr-1151.v2.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+type: improvement
+improvement:
+  description: When palantir-java-format is applied to a repo, configure the intellij
+    project to auto-format on save.
+  links:
+  - https://github.com/palantir/gradle-baseline/pull/1151
diff --git a/gradle-baseline-java/src/main/groovy/com/palantir/baseline/plugins/BaselineIdea.groovy b/gradle-baseline-java/src/main/groovy/com/palantir/baseline/plugins/BaselineIdea.groovy
index 07d5afe39..3f77c1f1a 100644
--- a/gradle-baseline-java/src/main/groovy/com/palantir/baseline/plugins/BaselineIdea.groovy
+++ b/gradle-baseline-java/src/main/groovy/com/palantir/baseline/plugins/BaselineIdea.groovy
@@ -32,42 +32,28 @@ import org.gradle.plugins.ide.idea.GenerateIdeaProject
 import org.gradle.plugins.ide.idea.GenerateIdeaWorkspace
 import org.gradle.plugins.ide.idea.IdeaPlugin
 import org.gradle.plugins.ide.idea.model.IdeaModel
+import org.gradle.plugins.ide.idea.model.ModuleDependency
 
 class BaselineIdea extends AbstractBaselinePlugin {
 
+    static SAVE_ACTIONS_PLUGIN_MINIMUM_VERSION = '1.9.0'
+
     void apply(Project project) {
         this.project = project
 
         project.plugins.apply IdeaPlugin
-        IdeaModel ideaModuleModel = project.extensions.getByType(IdeaModel)
-
-        project.afterEvaluate {
-            // Configure Idea project
-            IdeaModel ideaRootModel = project.rootProject.extensions.findByType(IdeaModel)
-            if (ideaRootModel) {
-                ideaRootModel.project.ipr.withXml { provider ->
-                    def node = provider.asNode()
-                    addCodeStyle(node)
-                    addCopyright(node)
-                    addCheckstyle(node)
-                    addEclipseFormat(node)
-                    addGit(node)
-                    addInspectionProjectProfile(node)
-                    addJavacSettings(node)
-                    addGitHubIssueNavigation(node)
-                }
 
-                ideaRootModel.workspace.iws.withXml { provider ->
-                    def node = provider.asNode()
-                    setRunManagerWorkingDirectory(node)
-                    addEditorSettings(node)
-                }
-            }
-
-            // Configure Idea module
-            moveProjectReferencesToEnd(ideaModuleModel)
+        if (project == project.rootProject) {
+            applyToRootProject(project)
+        } else {
+            // Be defensive - it never makes sense to apply this project to only a subproject but not to the root.
+            project.rootProject.pluginManager.apply(BaselineIdea)
         }
 
+        // Configure Idea module
+        IdeaModel ideaModuleModel = project.extensions.getByType(IdeaModel)
+        moveProjectReferencesToEnd(ideaModuleModel)
+
         // If someone renames a project, leftover {ipr,iml,ipr} files may still exist on disk and
         // confuse users, so we proactively clean them up. Intentionally using an Action<Task> to allow up-to-dateness.
         Action<Task> cleanup = new Action<Task>() {
@@ -90,6 +76,42 @@ class BaselineIdea extends AbstractBaselinePlugin {
         project.getTasks().findByName("idea").doLast(cleanup)
     }
 
+    void applyToRootProject(Project project) {
+        // Configure Idea project
+        IdeaModel ideaRootModel = project.extensions.findByType(IdeaModel)
+        ideaRootModel.project.ipr.withXml { provider ->
+            Node node = provider.asNode()
+            addCodeStyle(node)
+            addCopyright(node)
+            addCheckstyle(node)
+            addEclipseFormat(node)
+            addGit(node)
+            addInspectionProjectProfile(node)
+            addJavacSettings(node)
+            addGitHubIssueNavigation(node)
+        }
+
+        project.afterEvaluate {
+            ideaRootModel.workspace.iws.withXml { provider ->
+                Node node = provider.asNode()
+                setRunManagerWorkingDirectory(node)
+                addEditorSettings(node)
+            }
+        }
+
+        // Suggest and configure the "save actions" plugin if Palantir Java Format is turned on.
+        // This plugin can only be applied to the root project, and it applied as a side-effect of applying
+        // 'com.palantir.java-format' to any subproject.
+        project.getPluginManager().withPlugin("com.palantir.java-format-idea") {
+            ideaRootModel.project.ipr.withXml { provider ->
+                Node node = provider.asNode()
+                configureSaveActions(node)
+                configureExternalDependencies(node)
+            }
+            configureSaveActionsForIntellijImport(project)
+        }
+    }
+
     @CompileStatic
     static Spec<FileTreeElement> isFile(File file) {
         { FileTreeElement details -> details.file == file } as Spec<FileTreeElement>
@@ -167,8 +189,8 @@ class BaselineIdea extends AbstractBaselinePlugin {
                 </option>
               </component>
             """))
-        def externalDependencies = matchOrCreateChild(node, 'component', [name: 'ExternalDependencies'])
-        matchOrCreateChild(externalDependencies, 'plugin', [id: 'EclipseCodeFormatter'])
+        def externalDependencies = GroovyXmlUtils.matchOrCreateChild(node, 'component', [name: 'ExternalDependencies'])
+        GroovyXmlUtils.matchOrCreateChild(externalDependencies, 'plugin', [id: 'EclipseCodeFormatter'])
     }
 
     private void addCheckstyle(node) {
@@ -196,8 +218,8 @@ class BaselineIdea extends AbstractBaselinePlugin {
               </option>
             </component>
             """.stripIndent()))
-        def externalDependencies = matchOrCreateChild(node, 'component', [name: 'ExternalDependencies'])
-        matchOrCreateChild(externalDependencies, 'plugin', [id: 'CheckStyle-IDEA'])
+        def externalDependencies = GroovyXmlUtils.matchOrCreateChild(node, 'component', [name: 'ExternalDependencies'])
+        GroovyXmlUtils.matchOrCreateChild(externalDependencies, 'plugin', [id: 'CheckStyle-IDEA'])
     }
 
     /**
@@ -216,7 +238,7 @@ class BaselineIdea extends AbstractBaselinePlugin {
             '''.stripIndent()))
     }
 
-    private void addInspectionProjectProfile(node) {
+    private static void addInspectionProjectProfile(node) {
         node.append(new XmlParser().parseText("""
             <component name="InspectionProjectProfileManager">
                 <profile version="1.0">
@@ -231,7 +253,7 @@ class BaselineIdea extends AbstractBaselinePlugin {
             """.stripIndent()))
     }
 
-    private void addJavacSettings(node) {
+    private static void addJavacSettings(node) {
         node.append(new XmlParser().parseText("""
             <component name="JavacSettings">
                 <option name="PREFER_TARGET_JDK_COMPILER" value="false" />
@@ -239,7 +261,7 @@ class BaselineIdea extends AbstractBaselinePlugin {
             """.stripIndent()))
     }
 
-    private void addEditorSettings(node) {
+    private static void addEditorSettings(node) {
         node.append(new XmlParser().parseText("""
             <component name="CodeInsightWorkspaceSettings">
                 <option name="optimizeImportsOnTheFly" value="true" />
@@ -247,7 +269,7 @@ class BaselineIdea extends AbstractBaselinePlugin {
             """.stripIndent()))
     }
 
-    private void addGitHubIssueNavigation(node) {
+    private static void addGitHubIssueNavigation(node) {
         GitUtils.maybeGitHubUri().ifPresent { githubUri ->
             node.append(new XmlParser().parseText("""
              <component name="IssueNavigationConfiguration">
@@ -264,31 +286,34 @@ class BaselineIdea extends AbstractBaselinePlugin {
         }
     }
 
+    private static void configureSaveActionsForIntellijImport(Project project) {
+        if (!Boolean.getBoolean("idea.active")) {
+            return
+        }
+        XmlUtils.createOrUpdateXmlFile(
+                project.file(".idea/externalDependencies.xml"),
+                BaselineIdea.&configureExternalDependencies)
+        XmlUtils.createOrUpdateXmlFile(
+                project.file(".idea/saveactions_settings.xml"),
+                BaselineIdea.&configureSaveActions)
+    }
+
     /**
      * Configure the default working directory of RunManager configurations to be the module directory.
      */
     private static void setRunManagerWorkingDirectory(Node node) {
         def runTypes = ['Application', 'JUnit'] as Set
 
-        def runManager = matchOrCreateChild(node, 'component', [name: 'RunManager'])
+        def runManager = GroovyXmlUtils.matchOrCreateChild(node, 'component', [name: 'RunManager'])
         runTypes.each { runType ->
-            def configuration = matchOrCreateChild(runManager, 'configuration',
+            def configuration = GroovyXmlUtils.matchOrCreateChild(runManager, 'configuration',
                     [default: 'true', type: runType],
                     [factoryName: runType])
-            def workingDirectory = matchOrCreateChild(configuration, 'option', [name: 'WORKING_DIRECTORY'])
+            def workingDirectory = GroovyXmlUtils.matchOrCreateChild(configuration, 'option', [name: 'WORKING_DIRECTORY'])
             workingDirectory.'@value' = 'file://$MODULE_DIR$'
         }
     }
 
-    private static Node matchOrCreateChild(Node base, String name, Map attributes = [:], Map defaults = [:]) {
-        def child = base[name].find { it.attributes().entrySet().containsAll(attributes.entrySet()) }
-        if (child) {
-            return child
-        }
-
-        return base.appendNode(name, attributes + defaults)
-    }
-
     /**
      * By default, IntelliJ and Gradle have different classpath behaviour with subprojects.
      *
@@ -304,11 +329,43 @@ class BaselineIdea extends AbstractBaselinePlugin {
      * This moves all project references to the end of the dependencies list, which unifies behaviour
      * between Gradle and IntelliJ.
      */
-    private void moveProjectReferencesToEnd(IdeaModel ideaModel) {
+    private static void moveProjectReferencesToEnd(IdeaModel ideaModel) {
         ideaModel.module.iml.whenMerged { module ->
-            def projectRefs = module.dependencies.findAll { it instanceof org.gradle.plugins.ide.idea.model.ModuleDependency }
+            def projectRefs = module.dependencies.findAll { it instanceof ModuleDependency }
             module.dependencies.removeAll(projectRefs)
             module.dependencies.addAll(projectRefs)
         }
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Configures some defaults on the save-actions plugin, but only if it hasn't been configured before.
+     */
+    private static void configureSaveActions(Node rootNode) {
+        GroovyXmlUtils.matchOrCreateChild(rootNode, 'component', [name: 'SaveActionSettings'], [:]) {
+            // Configure defaults if this plugin is configured for the first time only
+            appendNode('option', [name: 'actions']).appendNode('set').with {
+                appendNode('option', [value: 'activate'])
+                appendNode('option', [value: 'noActionIfCompileErrors'])
+                appendNode('option', [value: 'organizeImports'])
+                appendNode('option', [value: 'reformat'])
+            }
+            appendNode('option', [name: 'configurationPath', value: ''])
+            appendNode('inclusions').appendNode('set').with {
+                appendNode('option', [value: 'src/.*\\.java'])
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static void configureExternalDependencies(Node rootNode) {
+        def externalDependencies =
+                GroovyXmlUtils.matchOrCreateChild(rootNode, 'component', [name: 'ExternalDependencies'])
+        // I kid you not, this is the id for the save actions plugin:
+        // https://github.com/dubreuia/intellij-plugin-save-actions/blob/v1.9.0/src/main/resources/META-INF/plugin.xml#L5
+        // https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/7642-save-actions/
+        GroovyXmlUtils.matchOrCreateChild(
+                externalDependencies,
+                'plugin',
+                [id: 'com.dubreuia'],
+                ['min-version': SAVE_ACTIONS_PLUGIN_MINIMUM_VERSION])
+    }
 }
diff --git a/gradle-baseline-java/src/main/groovy/com/palantir/baseline/plugins/GroovyXmlUtils.groovy b/gradle-baseline-java/src/main/groovy/com/palantir/baseline/plugins/GroovyXmlUtils.groovy
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a498b492e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gradle-baseline-java/src/main/groovy/com/palantir/baseline/plugins/GroovyXmlUtils.groovy
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+/*
+ * (c) Copyright 2020 Palantir Technologies Inc. All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package com.palantir.baseline.plugins
+
+final class GroovyXmlUtils {
+    static Node matchOrCreateChild(
+            Node base,
+            String name,
+            Map attributes = [:],
+            Map defaults = [:],
+            @DelegatesTo(value = Node, strategy = Closure.DELEGATE_FIRST) Closure ifCreated = {}) {
+        def child = base[name].find { it.attributes().entrySet().containsAll(attributes.entrySet()) }
+        if (child) {
+            return child
+        }
+
+        def created = base.appendNode(name, attributes + defaults)
+        ifCreated.delegate = created
+        ifCreated(created)
+        return created
+    }
+}
diff --git a/gradle-baseline-java/src/main/groovy/com/palantir/baseline/plugins/XmlUtils.java b/gradle-baseline-java/src/main/groovy/com/palantir/baseline/plugins/XmlUtils.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a1536cf63
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gradle-baseline-java/src/main/groovy/com/palantir/baseline/plugins/XmlUtils.java
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+/*
+ * (c) Copyright 2020 Palantir Technologies Inc. All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package com.palantir.baseline.plugins;
+
+import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableMap;
+import com.google.common.io.Files;
+import groovy.util.Node;
+import groovy.util.XmlNodePrinter;
+import groovy.util.XmlParser;
+import java.io.BufferedWriter;
+import java.io.File;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.io.PrintWriter;
+import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
+import java.util.function.Consumer;
+import javax.xml.parsers.ParserConfigurationException;
+import org.xml.sax.SAXException;
+
+final class XmlUtils {
+    private XmlUtils() {}
+
+    static void createOrUpdateXmlFile(File configurationFile, Consumer<Node> configure) {
+        Node rootNode;
+        if (configurationFile.isFile()) {
+            try {
+                rootNode = new XmlParser().parse(configurationFile);
+            } catch (IOException | SAXException | ParserConfigurationException e) {
+                throw new RuntimeException("Couldn't parse existing configuration file: " + configurationFile, e);
+            }
+        } else {
+            rootNode = new Node(null, "project", ImmutableMap.of("version", "4"));
+        }
+
+        configure.accept(rootNode);
+
+        try (BufferedWriter writer = Files.newWriter(configurationFile, StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+                PrintWriter printWriter = new PrintWriter(writer)) {
+            XmlNodePrinter nodePrinter = new XmlNodePrinter(printWriter);
+            nodePrinter.setPreserveWhitespace(true);
+            nodePrinter.print(rootNode);
+        } catch (IOException e) {
+            throw new RuntimeException("Failed to write back to configuration file: " + configurationFile, e);
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/gradle-baseline-java/src/test/groovy/com/palantir/baseline/AbstractPluginTest.groovy b/gradle-baseline-java/src/test/groovy/com/palantir/baseline/AbstractPluginTest.groovy
index a47c89100..56283cab0 100644
--- a/gradle-baseline-java/src/test/groovy/com/palantir/baseline/AbstractPluginTest.groovy
+++ b/gradle-baseline-java/src/test/groovy/com/palantir/baseline/AbstractPluginTest.groovy
@@ -86,4 +86,12 @@ class AbstractPluginTest extends Specification {
             return it
         }
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Copied from {@link nebula.test.BaseIntegrationSpec#findModuleName()}, we really should just use that class
+     * instead.
+     */
+    protected String getModuleName() {
+        return getProjectDir().getName().replaceAll(/_\d+/, '')
+    }
 }
diff --git a/gradle-baseline-java/src/test/groovy/com/palantir/baseline/BaselineIdeaIntegrationTest.groovy b/gradle-baseline-java/src/test/groovy/com/palantir/baseline/BaselineIdeaIntegrationTest.groovy
index 763df7bf4..af2982f8d 100644
--- a/gradle-baseline-java/src/test/groovy/com/palantir/baseline/BaselineIdeaIntegrationTest.groovy
+++ b/gradle-baseline-java/src/test/groovy/com/palantir/baseline/BaselineIdeaIntegrationTest.groovy
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ class BaselineIdeaIntegrationTest extends AbstractPluginTest {
         }
         allprojects {
             apply plugin: 'com.palantir.baseline-idea'
+            repositories {
+                maven { url 'https://dl.bintray.com/palantir/releases' }
+                jcenter()
+            }
         }
     '''.stripIndent()
 
@@ -264,4 +268,33 @@ class BaselineIdeaIntegrationTest extends AbstractPluginTest {
         then:
         !otherSubprojectIml.exists()
     }
+
+    def "idea configures the save-action plugin when PJF is enabled on a subproject"() {
+        buildFile << standardBuildFile
+        multiProject.addSubproject('formatted-project', """
+            apply plugin: 'com.palantir.java-format'
+        """.stripIndent())
+
+        when:
+        with('idea').build()
+
+        then:
+        def iprFile = new File(projectDir, "${moduleName}.ipr")
+        def ipr = new XmlSlurper().parse(iprFile)
+        ipr.component.find { it.@name == "ExternalDependencies" }
+        ipr.component.find { it.@name == "SaveActionSettings" }
+    }
+
+    def "idea does not configure the save-action plugin when PJF is not enabled"() {
+        buildFile << standardBuildFile
+
+        when:
+        with('idea').build()
+
+        then:
+        def iprFile = new File(projectDir, "${moduleName}.ipr")
+        def ipr = new XmlSlurper().parse(iprFile)
+        !ipr.component.find { it.@name == "ExternalDependencies" }
+        !ipr.component.find { it.@name == "SaveActionSettings" }
+    }
 }