diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/core/templates.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/core/templates.ts
index 2604a7b416..a879599789 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/core/templates.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/core/templates.ts
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ export const schemaTemplate = {
       `    [${genString(meta.configKey)}]?: typeof ${genDynamicImport(meta.importName, { wrapper: false })}.default extends NuxtModule<infer O> ? Partial<O> : Record<string, any>`
       ),
       '  }',
-      generateTypes(resolveSchema(nuxt.options.runtimeConfig),
+      generateTypes(resolveSchema(Object.fromEntries(Object.entries(nuxt.options.runtimeConfig).filter(([key]) => key !== 'public'))),
         {
           interfaceName: 'RuntimeConfig',
           addExport: false,
@@ -143,6 +143,14 @@ export const schemaTemplate = {
           allowExtraKeys: false,
           indentation: 2
         }),
+      generateTypes(resolveSchema(nuxt.options.runtimeConfig.public),
+        {
+          interfaceName: 'PublicRuntimeConfig',
+          addExport: false,
+          addDefaults: false,
+          allowExtraKeys: false,
+          indentation: 2
+        }),
       '}'
     ].join('\n')
   }
diff --git a/packages/schema/src/types/config.ts b/packages/schema/src/types/config.ts
index 0446e1aa26..827c3fbdc6 100644
--- a/packages/schema/src/types/config.ts
+++ b/packages/schema/src/types/config.ts
@@ -16,15 +16,12 @@ export interface NuxtOptions extends ConfigSchema {
 
 type RuntimeConfigNamespace = Record<string, any>
 
-/** @deprecated use RuntimeConfig interface */
 export interface PublicRuntimeConfig extends RuntimeConfigNamespace { }
 
+// TODO: remove before release of 3.0.0
 /** @deprecated use RuntimeConfig interface */
-export interface PrivateRuntimeConfig extends PublicRuntimeConfig { }
+export interface PrivateRuntimeConfig extends RuntimeConfigNamespace { }
 
-type LegacyRuntimeConfig = PublicRuntimeConfig & Partial<PrivateRuntimeConfig>
-
-export interface RuntimeConfig extends LegacyRuntimeConfig, RuntimeConfigNamespace {
-  app: RuntimeConfigNamespace
-  public: RuntimeConfigNamespace
+export interface RuntimeConfig extends PrivateRuntimeConfig, RuntimeConfigNamespace {
+  public: PublicRuntimeConfig
 }