Andrew Considine scored the only goal as Aberdeen ended a run of 25 league defeats at Celtic Park to secure second spot.
Considine scored his fourth goal of the season early in the second half and despite the goal glut at Easter Road, with Rangers drawing 5-5 with Hibernian, the Dons had done their job to secure second place.
A number of key saves from Joe Lewis kept the clean sheet in tact and a resounding defensive effort made sure of a fourth successive runner-up spot and a first league win at Parkhead since October 2004.
A red card for Shay Logan after the final whistle added some late spice to the day, on what was largely a well-contested game.
The Dons made two changes from the 1-1 draw with Rangers, with the suspended Scott McKenna and Ryan Christie – ineligible to face his parent club – dropping out. That meant starts for Mark Reynolds in the centre of defence and Greg Stewart as part of a front three.
Celtic, who received the Scottish Premiership trophy after the game, made six alterations from the goal-less draw with Kilmarnock. Jack Hendry, Jozo Simunovic, Calvin Miller, Scott Armstrong, Patrick Roberts and Scott Sinclair were all removed, with Dedryck Boyata, Mikael Lustig, Kieran Tierney, Olivier Ntcham, Tom Rogic and Moussa Dembele all recalled.
Aberdeen were out to get their first victory over the Old Firm this season and went about it in the right way early on. Greg Stewart nearly punished Lustig for a foul on Gary Mackay-Steven, angling his free-kick from 20 yards across goal and against the crossbar.
The champions responded on 11 minutes through Dembele, who got the better of Anthony O’Connor in the left channel and forced Joe Lewis to advance sharply and block.
Celtic Park was already in party mode but when news of Rangers being 3-0 down to Hibernian emerged on 22 minutes, the whole place erupted. But three goals from the Gers dampened any celebrations and the rest of the first half was fairly uneventful at Parkhead, with the Dons nullifying Celtic as an attacking threat but unable to really force a save from Scott Bain.
It took them less than two minutes of the second half to beat Bain. Kenny McLean, playing his last game for the Dons, escaped the attention of Ntcham and played in Considine, who rattled a low shot in off the Celtic goalkeeper.
Rangers sneaking in front 10 minutes into the second half put greater weight on the Dons’ result and they had both Lewis and O’Connor to thank for denying first Ntcham and then Callum McGregor.
While the goals kept flowing in Leith, the game had largely fallen flat at Celtic Park, much to Aberdeen’s liking.
Celtic threatened late, with Lewis reacting well to beat away Leigh Griffiths’ free-kick and smuggle away the striker’s header at his near post, preserving Aberdeen’s vital three points.
After the final whistle had gone Logan was shown a red card for goading the Celtic fans, which Boyata took issue with and remonstrated with the Dons defender. Logan had to be led away by Dons coach Paul Sheerin, before matters could boil over further.