diff --git a/src/dev/typescript/projects.ts b/src/dev/typescript/projects.ts
index b93d3a0ac5371..447d5d70ba213 100644
--- a/src/dev/typescript/projects.ts
+++ b/src/dev/typescript/projects.ts
@@ -42,5 +42,5 @@ export function filterProjectsByFlag(projectFlag?: string) {
   }
 
   const tsConfigPath = resolve(projectFlag);
-  return PROJECTS.filter(project => project.tsConfigPath === tsConfigPath);
+  return PROJECTS.filter(project => project.tsConfigPath.includes(tsConfigPath));
 }
diff --git a/tslint.yaml b/tslint.yaml
index e65bb1e931aa7..1da41b7b71c72 100644
--- a/tslint.yaml
+++ b/tslint.yaml
@@ -32,3 +32,7 @@ rules:
        * specific language governing permissions and limitations
        * under the License.
        */
+
+linterOptions:
+  exclude:
+     - ./**/*.json
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/apm/typings/global_types.d.ts b/x-pack/plugins/apm/typings/global_types.d.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index ba1e9e998727f..0000000000000
--- a/x-pack/plugins/apm/typings/global_types.d.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
- * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License;
- * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
- */
-
-// allow JSON files to be imported directly without TSLint errors
-// see: https://github.com/palantir/tslint/issues/1264#issuecomment-228433367
-// and: https://github.com/Microsoft/TypeScript/wiki/Breaking-Changes#arbitrary-expressions-are-forbidden-in-export-assignments-in-ambient-contexts
-declare module '*.json' {
-  const json: any;
-  export default json;
-}
diff --git a/x-pack/tsconfig.json b/x-pack/tsconfig.json
index 0f4b296e666b6..cbc59ed44ecbb 100644
--- a/x-pack/tsconfig.json
+++ b/x-pack/tsconfig.json
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
     "test/**/*"
   ],
   "compilerOptions": {
+    "resolveJsonModule": true,
     "paths": {
       "ui/*": [
         "src/ui/public/*"