diff --git a/core/frontend/services/themes/middleware.js b/core/frontend/services/themes/middleware.js
index 1ffca7f8f8..a88c154dbf 100644
--- a/core/frontend/services/themes/middleware.js
+++ b/core/frontend/services/themes/middleware.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ const urlUtils = require('../../../server/lib/url-utils');
 const config = require('../../../server/config');
 const common = require('../../../server/lib/common');
 const settingsCache = require('../../../server/services/settings/cache');
+const labs = require('../../../server/services/labs');
 const activeTheme = require('./active');
 
 // ### Ensure Active Theme
@@ -75,7 +76,8 @@ function updateGlobalTemplateOptions(req, res, next) {
     // @TODO: bind this once and then update based on events?
     // @TODO: decouple theme layer from settings cache using the Content API
     const siteData = settingsCache.getPublic();
-    const labsData = _.cloneDeep(settingsCache.get('labs'));
+    const labsData = labs.getAll();
+
     const themeData = {
         posts_per_page: activeTheme.get().config('posts_per_page'),
         image_sizes: activeTheme.get().config('image_sizes')
diff --git a/core/server/services/labs.js b/core/server/services/labs.js
index 2ec3a6de85..bb35ae66c2 100644
--- a/core/server/services/labs.js
+++ b/core/server/services/labs.js
@@ -3,15 +3,24 @@ const _ = require('lodash');
 const Promise = require('bluebird');
 const SafeString = require('../../frontend/services/themes/engine').SafeString;
 const common = require('../lib/common');
+const deprecatedFeatures = ['subscribers', 'publicAPI'];
+
 let labs = module.exports = {};
 
-labs.isSet = function isSet(flag) {
-    var labsConfig = settingsCache.get('labs');
-    return labsConfig && labsConfig[flag] && labsConfig[flag] === true;
+labs.getAll = () => {
+    let labs = _.cloneDeep(settingsCache.get('labs')) || {};
+    // Remove old labs flags that should always be false now
+    deprecatedFeatures.forEach((feature) => {
+        delete labs[feature];
+    });
+
+    return labs;
 };
 
-labs.getAll = () => {
-    return settingsCache.get('labs');
+labs.isSet = function isSet(flag) {
+    var labsConfig = labs.getAll();
+
+    return !!(labsConfig && labsConfig[flag] && labsConfig[flag] === true);
 };
 
 labs.enabledHelper = function enabledHelper(options, callback) {
diff --git a/core/test/unit/services/labs_spec.js b/core/test/unit/services/labs_spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5b91e593d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/test/unit/services/labs_spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+const should = require('should');
+const sinon = require('sinon');
+const settingsCache = require('../../../server/services/settings/cache');
+
+const labs = require('../../../server/services/labs');
+
+describe('Labs Service', function () {
+    let labsCacheStub;
+
+    beforeEach(function () {
+        labsCacheStub = sinon.stub(settingsCache, 'get').withArgs('labs');
+    });
+
+    afterEach(function () {
+        sinon.restore();
+    });
+
+    it('can getAll, even if empty', function () {
+        labs.getAll().should.eql({});
+    });
+
+    it('can getAll from cache', function () {
+        labsCacheStub.returns({members: true, foo: 'bar'});
+
+        labs.getAll().should.eql({members: true, foo: 'bar'});
+    });
+
+    it('can getAll from cache, ignoring deprecated', function () {
+        labsCacheStub.returns({members: true, foo: 'bar', subscribers: false, publicAPI: true});
+
+        labs.getAll().should.eql({members: true, foo: 'bar'});
+    });
+
+    it('isSet returns true string flag', function () {
+        labsCacheStub.returns({foo: 'bar'});
+
+        labs.isSet('foo').should.be.true;
+    });
+
+    it('isSet returns false for undefined', function () {
+        labsCacheStub.returns({foo: 'bar'});
+
+        labs.isSet('bar').should.be.false;
+    });
+
+    it('isSet always returns false for deprecated', function () {
+        labsCacheStub.returns({subscribers: true, publicAPI: true});
+
+        labs.isSet('subscribers').should.be.false;
+        labs.isSet('publicAPI').should.be.false;
+    });
+});