diff --git a/freqtrade/configuration/config_validation.py b/freqtrade/configuration/config_validation.py
index 93d93263f..21086c913 100644
--- a/freqtrade/configuration/config_validation.py
+++ b/freqtrade/configuration/config_validation.py
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@ def _validate_whitelist(conf: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
     if conf.get('runmode', RunMode.OTHER) in [RunMode.OTHER, RunMode.PLOT]:
         return
 
-    if (conf.get('pairlist', {}).get('method', 'StaticPairList') == 'StaticPairList'
-       and not conf.get('exchange', {}).get('pair_whitelist')):
-        raise OperationalException("StaticPairList requires pair_whitelist to be set.")
+    for pl in conf.get('pairlists', [{'method': 'StaticPairList'}]):
+        if (pl.get('method') == 'StaticPairList'
+            and not conf.get('exchange', {}).get('pair_whitelist')):
+            raise OperationalException("StaticPairList requires pair_whitelist to be set.")
diff --git a/freqtrade/configuration/configuration.py b/freqtrade/configuration/configuration.py
index be1c7ab4e..b8995edf9 100644
--- a/freqtrade/configuration/configuration.py
+++ b/freqtrade/configuration/configuration.py
@@ -81,6 +81,9 @@ class Configuration:
         if 'ask_strategy' not in config:
             config['ask_strategy'] = {}
 
+        if 'pairlists' not in config:
+            config['pairlists'] = []
+
         # validate configuration before returning
         logger.info('Validating configuration ...')
         validate_config_schema(config)
diff --git a/freqtrade/configuration/deprecated_settings.py b/freqtrade/configuration/deprecated_settings.py
index 8471028aa..3aec85ae2 100644
--- a/freqtrade/configuration/deprecated_settings.py
+++ b/freqtrade/configuration/deprecated_settings.py
@@ -58,9 +58,18 @@ def process_temporary_deprecated_settings(config: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
     process_deprecated_setting(config, 'ask_strategy', 'ignore_roi_if_buy_signal',
                                'experimental', 'ignore_roi_if_buy_signal')
 
+    if config.get('pairlist', {}).get("method") == 'VolumePairList':
+        logger.warning(
+            "DEPRECATED: "
+            f"Using VolumePairList in pairlist is deprecated and must be moved to pairlists. "
+            "Please refer to the docs on configuration details")
+        config['pairlists'].append({'method': 'VolumePairList',
+                                    'config': config.get('pairlist', {}).get('config')
+                                    })
+
     if config.get('pairlist', {}).get('config', {}).get('precision_filter'):
         logger.warning(
             "DEPRECATED: "
             f"Using precision_filter setting is deprecated and has been replaced by"
             "PrecisionFilter. Please refer to the docs on configuration details")
-        config['pairlist'].update({'filters': {'PrecisionFilter': {}}})
+        config['pairlists'].append({'method': 'PrecisionFilter'})
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index d551596f0..b2c76baec 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -242,6 +242,9 @@ def default_conf(testdatadir):
                 "HOT/BTC",
             ]
         },
+        "pairlists": [
+            {"method": "StaticPairList"}
+        ],
         "telegram": {
             "enabled": True,
             "token": "token",
diff --git a/tests/rpc/test_rpc_telegram.py b/tests/rpc/test_rpc_telegram.py
index 766511d2d..bb9d88658 100644
--- a/tests/rpc/test_rpc_telegram.py
+++ b/tests/rpc/test_rpc_telegram.py
@@ -1050,8 +1050,8 @@ def test_whitelist_static(default_conf, update, mocker) -> None:
 
     telegram._whitelist(update=update, context=MagicMock())
     assert msg_mock.call_count == 1
-    assert ('Using whitelist `StaticPairList` with 4 pairs\n`ETH/BTC, LTC/BTC, XRP/BTC, NEO/BTC`'
-            in msg_mock.call_args_list[0][0][0])
+    assert ("Using whitelist `['StaticPairList']` with 4 pairs\n"
+            "`ETH/BTC, LTC/BTC, XRP/BTC, NEO/BTC`" in msg_mock.call_args_list[0][0][0])
 
 
 def test_whitelist_dynamic(default_conf, update, mocker) -> None:
@@ -1062,17 +1062,17 @@ def test_whitelist_dynamic(default_conf, update, mocker) -> None:
         _send_msg=msg_mock
     )
     mocker.patch('freqtrade.exchange.Exchange.exchange_has', MagicMock(return_value=True))
-    default_conf['pairlist'] = {'method': 'VolumePairList',
-                                'config': {'number_assets': 4}
-                                }
+    default_conf['pairlists'] = [{'method': 'VolumePairList',
+                                 'config': {'number_assets': 4}
+                                  }]
     freqtradebot = get_patched_freqtradebot(mocker, default_conf)
 
     telegram = Telegram(freqtradebot)
 
     telegram._whitelist(update=update, context=MagicMock())
     assert msg_mock.call_count == 1
-    assert ('Using whitelist `VolumePairList` with 4 pairs\n`ETH/BTC, LTC/BTC, XRP/BTC, NEO/BTC`'
-            in msg_mock.call_args_list[0][0][0])
+    assert ("Using whitelist `['VolumePairList']` with 4 pairs\n"
+            "`ETH/BTC, LTC/BTC, XRP/BTC, NEO/BTC`" in msg_mock.call_args_list[0][0][0])
 
 
 def test_blacklist_static(default_conf, update, mocker) -> None:
diff --git a/tests/test_configuration.py b/tests/test_configuration.py
index 258088925..6cfae01c6 100644
--- a/tests/test_configuration.py
+++ b/tests/test_configuration.py
@@ -743,9 +743,9 @@ def test_validate_whitelist(default_conf):
 
     conf = deepcopy(default_conf)
 
-    conf.update({"pairlist": {
+    conf.update({"pairlists": [{
         "method": "VolumePairList",
-    }})
+    }]})
     # Dynamic whitelist should not care about pair_whitelist
     validate_config_consistency(conf)
     del conf['exchange']['pair_whitelist']
@@ -963,14 +963,16 @@ def test_process_temporary_deprecated_settings(mocker, default_conf, setting, ca
     assert default_conf[setting[0]][setting[1]] == setting[5]
 
 
-def test_process_deprecated_setting_precision_filter(mocker, default_conf, caplog):
+def test_process_deprecated_setting_pairlists(mocker, default_conf, caplog):
     patched_configuration_load_config_file(mocker, default_conf)
     default_conf.update({'pairlist': {
+        'method': 'VolumePairList',
         'config': {'precision_filter': True}
     }})
 
     process_temporary_deprecated_settings(default_conf)
     assert log_has_re(r'DEPRECATED.*precision_filter.*', caplog)
+    assert log_has_re(r'DEPRECATED.*in pairlist is deprecated and must be moved*', caplog)
 
 
 def test_check_conflicting_settings(mocker, default_conf, caplog):