diff --git a/.github/workflows/minimal.yml b/.github/workflows/minimal.yml
index b1705bdf98..0ce211cbde 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/minimal.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/minimal.yml
@@ -24,5 +24,5 @@ jobs:
       shell: "bash -l {0}"
       run: |
         conda activate minimal
-        python -m pip install -e .
+        python -m pip install .
         pytest -svx
diff --git a/.github/workflows/python-package.yml b/.github/workflows/python-package.yml
index d9bc362d12..9261187caf 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/python-package.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/python-package.yml
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ jobs:
         python -m pip install --upgrade pip
         python -m pip install -U pip setuptools wheel codecov line_profiler
         python -m pip install -rrequirements_dev_minimal.txt numpy${{ matrix.numpy_version}} -rrequirements_dev_optional.txt pymongo redis
-        python -m pip install -e . 
+        python -m pip install .
         python -m pip freeze
     - name: Tests
       shell: "bash -l {0}"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/windows-testing.yml b/.github/workflows/windows-testing.yml
index 0d746ced99..a4e20b7131 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/windows-testing.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/windows-testing.yml
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ jobs:
           python -m pip install --upgrade pip
           python -m pip install -U pip setuptools wheel
           python -m pip install -r requirements_dev_numpy.txt -r requirements_dev_minimal.txt -r requirements_dev_optional.txt
-          python -m pip install -e .
+          python -m pip install .
           python -m pip freeze
           npm install -g azurite
       - name: Run Tests
diff --git a/docs/release.rst b/docs/release.rst
index d37516f8a6..6c814cbedb 100644
--- a/docs/release.rst
+++ b/docs/release.rst
@@ -6,6 +6,17 @@ Release notes
 Unreleased
 ----------
 
+.. _release_2.10.2:
+
+2.10.2
+------
+
+Bug fixes
+~~~~~~~~~
+
+* Fix NestedDirectoryStore datasets without dimension_separator metadata.
+  By :user:`Josh Moore <joshmoore>`; :issue:`850`.
+
 .. _release_2.10.1:
 
 2.10.1
diff --git a/fixture/flat/.zarray b/fixture/flat/.zarray
index 8ec79419da..f265bb0674 100644
--- a/fixture/flat/.zarray
+++ b/fixture/flat/.zarray
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
         "id": "blosc",
         "shuffle": 1
     },
+    "dimension_separator": ".",
     "dtype": "<i8",
     "fill_value": 0,
     "filters": null,
@@ -19,4 +20,4 @@
         2
     ],
     "zarr_format": 2
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/fixture/flat_legacy/.zarray b/fixture/flat_legacy/.zarray
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8ec79419da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fixture/flat_legacy/.zarray
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+{
+    "chunks": [
+        2,
+        2
+    ],
+    "compressor": {
+        "blocksize": 0,
+        "clevel": 5,
+        "cname": "lz4",
+        "id": "blosc",
+        "shuffle": 1
+    },
+    "dtype": "<i8",
+    "fill_value": 0,
+    "filters": null,
+    "order": "C",
+    "shape": [
+        2,
+        2
+    ],
+    "zarr_format": 2
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/fixture/flat_legacy/0.0 b/fixture/flat_legacy/0.0
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cab0cbca72
Binary files /dev/null and b/fixture/flat_legacy/0.0 differ
diff --git a/fixture/nested_legacy/.zarray b/fixture/nested_legacy/.zarray
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..681537c948
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fixture/nested_legacy/.zarray
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+{
+    "chunks": [
+        2,
+        2
+    ],
+    "compressor": {
+        "blocksize": 0,
+        "clevel": 5,
+        "cname": "lz4",
+        "id": "blosc",
+        "shuffle": 1
+    },
+    "dtype": "<i8",
+    "fill_value": 0,
+    "filters": null,
+    "order": "C",
+    "shape": [
+        2,
+        2
+    ],
+    "zarr_format": 2
+}
diff --git a/fixture/nested_legacy/0/0 b/fixture/nested_legacy/0/0
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cab0cbca72
Binary files /dev/null and b/fixture/nested_legacy/0/0 differ
diff --git a/zarr/core.py b/zarr/core.py
index ba3f2c1e2d..c1a1c341ff 100644
--- a/zarr/core.py
+++ b/zarr/core.py
@@ -195,7 +195,18 @@ def _load_metadata_nosync(self):
             self._dtype = meta['dtype']
             self._fill_value = meta['fill_value']
             self._order = meta['order']
-            self._dimension_separator = meta.get('dimension_separator', '.')
+
+            dimension_separator = meta.get('dimension_separator', None)
+            if dimension_separator is None:
+                try:
+                    dimension_separator = self._store._dimension_separator
+                except (AttributeError, KeyError):
+                    pass
+
+                # Fallback for any stores which do not choose a default
+                if dimension_separator is None:
+                    dimension_separator = "."
+            self._dimension_separator = dimension_separator
 
             # setup compressor
             config = meta['compressor']
diff --git a/zarr/meta.py b/zarr/meta.py
index 53b2b779db..8a7d760c0f 100644
--- a/zarr/meta.py
+++ b/zarr/meta.py
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ def decode_array_metadata(s: Union[MappingType, str]) -> MappingType[str, Any]:
         else:
             object_codec = None
 
+        dimension_separator = meta.get('dimension_separator', None)
         fill_value = decode_fill_value(meta['fill_value'], dtype, object_codec)
         meta = dict(
             zarr_format=meta['zarr_format'],
@@ -57,8 +58,9 @@ def decode_array_metadata(s: Union[MappingType, str]) -> MappingType[str, Any]:
             fill_value=fill_value,
             order=meta['order'],
             filters=meta['filters'],
-            dimension_separator=meta.get('dimension_separator', '.'),
         )
+        if dimension_separator:
+            meta['dimension_separator'] = dimension_separator
 
     except Exception as e:
         raise MetadataError('error decoding metadata: %s' % e)
diff --git a/zarr/tests/test_dim_separator.py b/zarr/tests/test_dim_separator.py
index 566745e665..5e17bbe279 100644
--- a/zarr/tests/test_dim_separator.py
+++ b/zarr/tests/test_dim_separator.py
@@ -12,8 +12,10 @@
 needs_fsspec = pytest.mark.skipif(not have_fsspec, reason="needs fsspec")
 
 
-@pytest.fixture(params=("static_nested",
-                        "static_flat",
+@pytest.fixture(params=("static_flat",
+                        "static_flat_legacy",
+                        "static_nested",
+                        "static_nested_legacy",
                         "directory_nested",
                         "directory_flat",
                         "directory_default",
@@ -35,14 +37,16 @@ def dataset(tmpdir, request):
 
     if which.startswith("static"):
         project_root = pathlib.Path(zarr.__file__).resolve().parent.parent
-        if which.endswith("nested"):
-            static = project_root / "fixture/nested"
-            generator = NestedDirectoryStore
-        else:
-            static = project_root / "fixture/flat"
-            generator = DirectoryStore
+        suffix = which[len("static_"):]
+        static = project_root / "fixture" / suffix
 
         if not static.exists():  # pragma: no cover
+
+            if "nested" in which:
+                generator = NestedDirectoryStore
+            else:
+                generator = DirectoryStore
+
             # store the data - should be one-time operation
             s = generator(str(static))
             a = zarr.open(store=s, mode="w", shape=(2, 2), dtype="<i8")
@@ -69,22 +73,57 @@ def dataset(tmpdir, request):
     return str(loc)
 
 
-def verify(array):
-    assert_array_equal(array[:], [[1, 2], [3, 4]])
+def verify(array, expect_failure=False):
+    try:
+        assert_array_equal(array[:], [[1, 2], [3, 4]])
+    except AssertionError:
+        if expect_failure:
+            pytest.xfail()
+        else:
+            raise  # pragma: no cover
 
 
 def test_open(dataset):
-    verify(zarr.open(dataset, "r"))
+    """
+    Use zarr.open to open the dataset fixture. Legacy nested datatsets
+    without the dimension_separator metadata are not expected to be
+    openable.
+    """
+    failure = "nested_legacy" in dataset
+    verify(zarr.open(dataset, "r"), failure)
 
 
 @needs_fsspec
 def test_fsstore(dataset):
-    verify(Array(store=FSStore(dataset)))
+    """
+    Use FSStore to open the dataset fixture. Legacy nested datatsets
+    without the dimension_separator metadata are not expected to be
+    openable.
+    """
+    failure = "nested_legacy" in dataset
+    verify(Array(store=FSStore(dataset)), failure)
 
 
 def test_directory(dataset):
-    verify(zarr.Array(store=DirectoryStore(dataset)))
+    """
+    Use DirectoryStore to open the dataset fixture. Legacy nested datatsets
+    without the dimension_separator metadata are not expected to be
+    openable.
+    """
+    failure = "nested_legacy" in dataset
+    verify(zarr.Array(store=DirectoryStore(dataset)), failure)
 
 
 def test_nested(dataset):
-    verify(Array(store=NestedDirectoryStore(dataset)))
+    """
+    Use NestedDirectoryStore to open the dataset fixture. This is the only
+    method that is expected to successfully open legacy nested datasets
+    without the dimension_separator metadata. However, for none-Nested
+    datasets without any metadata, NestedDirectoryStore will fail.
+    """
+    failure = (
+        "flat_legacy" in dataset or
+        "directory_default" in dataset or
+        "fs_default" in dataset
+    )
+    verify(Array(store=NestedDirectoryStore(dataset)), failure)