diff --git a/babel.config.js b/babel.config.js
index b56ad5b149478..7679cc1e83704 100644
--- a/babel.config.js
+++ b/babel.config.js
@@ -3,5 +3,6 @@ module.exports = function( api ) {
 
 	return {
 		presets: [ '@wordpress/babel-preset-default' ],
+		plugins: [ 'babel-plugin-inline-json-import' ],
 	};
 };
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 40ebb372807de..3d13faa76d405 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -4065,6 +4065,15 @@
 				}
 			}
 		},
+		"babel-plugin-inline-json-import": {
+			"version": "0.3.2",
+			"resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/babel-plugin-inline-json-import/-/babel-plugin-inline-json-import-0.3.2.tgz",
+			"integrity": "sha512-QNNJx08KjmMT25Cw7rAPQ6dlREDPiZGDyApHL8KQ9vrQHbrr4PTi7W8g1tMMZPz0jEMd39nx/eH7xjnDNxq5sA==",
+			"dev": true,
+			"requires": {
+				"decache": "^4.5.1"
+			}
+		},
 		"babel-runtime": {
 			"version": "6.26.0",
 			"resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/babel-runtime/-/babel-runtime-6.26.0.tgz",
@@ -4699,6 +4708,12 @@
 			"integrity": "sha1-JtII6onje1y95gJQoV8DHBak1ms=",
 			"dev": true
 		},
+		"callsite": {
+			"version": "1.0.0",
+			"resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/callsite/-/callsite-1.0.0.tgz",
+			"integrity": "sha1-KAOY5dZkvXQDi28JBRU+borxvCA=",
+			"dev": true
+		},
 		"callsites": {
 			"version": "3.0.0",
 			"resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/callsites/-/callsites-3.0.0.tgz",
@@ -7211,6 +7226,15 @@
 			"integrity": "sha1-qiT/uaw9+aI1GDfPstJ5NgzXhJI=",
 			"dev": true
 		},
+		"decache": {
+			"version": "4.5.1",
+			"resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/decache/-/decache-4.5.1.tgz",
+			"integrity": "sha512-5J37nATc6FmOTLbcsr9qx7Nm28qQyg1SK4xyEHqM0IBkNhWFp0Sm+vKoWYHD8wq+OUEb9jLyaKFfzzd1A9hcoA==",
+			"dev": true,
+			"requires": {
+				"callsite": "^1.0.0"
+			}
+		},
 		"decamelize": {
 			"version": "1.2.0",
 			"resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/decamelize/-/decamelize-1.2.0.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 0f979954ba2dc..ee92bafcfda43 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@
 		"@wordpress/npm-package-json-lint-config": "file:packages/npm-package-json-lint-config",
 		"@wordpress/postcss-themes": "file:packages/postcss-themes",
 		"@wordpress/scripts": "file:packages/scripts",
+		"babel-plugin-inline-json-import": "0.3.2",
 		"benchmark": "2.1.4",
 		"browserslist": "4.4.1",
 		"chalk": "2.4.1",
diff --git a/packages/block-library/src/index.js b/packages/block-library/src/index.js
index 81a0e9bec632b..65c4dd6d4144f 100644
--- a/packages/block-library/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/block-library/src/index.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
 	setDefaultBlockName,
 	setFreeformContentHandlerName,
 	setUnregisteredTypeHandlerName,
+	unstable__bootstrapServerSideBlockDefinitions, // eslint-disable-line camelcase
 } from '@wordpress/blocks';
 
 /**
@@ -120,7 +121,10 @@ export const registerCoreBlocks = () => {
 		if ( ! block ) {
 			return;
 		}
-		const { name, settings } = block;
+		const { metadata, settings, name } = block;
+		if ( metadata ) {
+			unstable__bootstrapServerSideBlockDefinitions( { [ name ]: metadata } ); // eslint-disable-line camelcase
+		}
 		registerBlockType( name, settings );
 	} );
 
diff --git a/packages/block-library/src/text-columns/block.json b/packages/block-library/src/text-columns/block.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..cf86b62ec572c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/block-library/src/text-columns/block.json
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+{
+	"name": "core/text-columns",
+	"icon": "columns",
+	"category": "layout",
+	"attributes": {
+		"content": {
+			"type": "array",
+			"source": "query",
+			"selector": "p",
+			"query": {
+				"children": {
+					"type": "string",
+					"source": "html"
+				}
+			},
+			"default": [ {}, {} ]
+		},
+		"columns": {
+			"type": "number",
+			"default": 2
+		},
+		"width": {
+			"type": "string"
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/packages/block-library/src/text-columns/index.js b/packages/block-library/src/text-columns/index.js
index f14b3b8153baa..6ec2e8b977109 100644
--- a/packages/block-library/src/text-columns/index.js
+++ b/packages/block-library/src/text-columns/index.js
@@ -18,7 +18,14 @@ import {
 } from '@wordpress/block-editor';
 import deprecated from '@wordpress/deprecated';
 
-export const name = 'core/text-columns';
+/**
+ * Internal dependencies
+ */
+import metadata from './block.json';
+
+const { name } = metadata;
+
+export { metadata, name };
 
 export const settings = {
 	// Disable insertion as this block is deprecated and ultimately replaced by the Columns block.
@@ -30,32 +37,6 @@ export const settings = {
 
 	description: __( 'This block is deprecated. Please use the Columns block instead.' ),
 
-	icon: 'columns',
-
-	category: 'layout',
-
-	attributes: {
-		content: {
-			type: 'array',
-			source: 'query',
-			selector: 'p',
-			query: {
-				children: {
-					type: 'string',
-					source: 'html',
-				},
-			},
-			default: [ {}, {} ],
-		},
-		columns: {
-			type: 'number',
-			default: 2,
-		},
-		width: {
-			type: 'string',
-		},
-	},
-
 	transforms: {
 		to: [
 			{
diff --git a/packages/blocks/src/api/registration.js b/packages/blocks/src/api/registration.js
index f6d5a29544803..61b1d8f2c3c44 100644
--- a/packages/blocks/src/api/registration.js
+++ b/packages/blocks/src/api/registration.js
@@ -49,12 +49,15 @@ import { isValidIcon, normalizeIconObject } from './utils';
 let serverSideBlockDefinitions = {};
 
 /**
- * Set the server side block definition of blocks.
+ * Sets the server side block definition of blocks.
  *
  * @param {Object} definitions Server-side block definitions
  */
 export function unstable__bootstrapServerSideBlockDefinitions( definitions ) { // eslint-disable-line camelcase
-	serverSideBlockDefinitions = definitions;
+	serverSideBlockDefinitions = {
+		...serverSideBlockDefinitions,
+		...definitions,
+	};
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/playground/.babelrc b/playground/.babelrc
index 4e7ed80cab13c..5b8ba9724e13a 100644
--- a/playground/.babelrc
+++ b/playground/.babelrc
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 	"plugins": [
 		[ "@babel/plugin-transform-react-jsx", {
 			"pragma": "createElement"
-		} ]
+		} ],
+		"babel-plugin-inline-json-import"
 	]
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}