diff --git a/core/shared/config/helpers.js b/core/shared/config/helpers.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1acb43637f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/shared/config/helpers.js
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+const path = require('path');
+
+const isPrivacyDisabled = function isPrivacyDisabled(privacyFlag) {
+    if (!this.get('privacy')) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    // CASE: disable all privacy features
+    if (this.get('privacy').useTinfoil === true) {
+        // CASE: you can still enable single features
+        if (this.get('privacy')[privacyFlag] === true) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    return this.get('privacy')[privacyFlag] === false;
+};
+
+/**
+ * we can later support setting folder names via custom config values
+ */
+const getContentPath = function getContentPath(type) {
+    switch (type) {
+    case 'images':
+        return path.join(this.get('paths:contentPath'), 'images/');
+    case 'themes':
+        return path.join(this.get('paths:contentPath'), 'themes/');
+    case 'adapters':
+        return path.join(this.get('paths:contentPath'), 'adapters/');
+    case 'logs':
+        return path.join(this.get('paths:contentPath'), 'logs/');
+    case 'data':
+        return path.join(this.get('paths:contentPath'), 'data/');
+    case 'settings':
+        return path.join(this.get('paths:contentPath'), 'settings/');
+    default:
+        // new Error is allowed here, as we do not want config to depend on @tryghost/error
+        // @TODO: revisit this decision when @tryghost/error is no longer dependent on all of ghost-ignition
+        // eslint-disable-next-line no-restricted-syntax
+        throw new Error('getContentPath was called with: ' + type);
+    }
+};
+
+module.exports = {
+    isPrivacyDisabled,
+    getContentPath
+};
diff --git a/core/shared/config/loader.js b/core/shared/config/loader.js
index e6ef778418..a0f420b9c8 100644
--- a/core/shared/config/loader.js
+++ b/core/shared/config/loader.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ const path = require('path');
 const _debug = require('@tryghost/debug')._base;
 const debug = _debug('ghost:config');
 const localUtils = require('./utils');
+const helpers = require('./helpers');
 const env = process.env.NODE_ENV || 'development';
 
 function loadNconf(options) {
@@ -36,15 +37,16 @@ function loadNconf(options) {
 
     // ## Config Methods
 
-    // Bind internal-only methods, not sure this is needed
+    // Bind internal-only methods
+    // @TODO change how we use these so we don't expose them
     nconf.makePathsAbsolute = localUtils.makePathsAbsolute.bind(nconf);
     nconf.sanitizeDatabaseProperties = localUtils.sanitizeDatabaseProperties.bind(nconf);
     nconf.doesContentPathExist = localUtils.doesContentPathExist.bind(nconf);
     nconf.checkUrlProtocol = localUtils.checkUrlProtocol.bind(nconf);
 
     // Expose dynamic utility methods
-    nconf.isPrivacyDisabled = localUtils.isPrivacyDisabled.bind(nconf);
-    nconf.getContentPath = localUtils.getContentPath.bind(nconf);
+    nconf.isPrivacyDisabled = helpers.isPrivacyDisabled.bind(nconf);
+    nconf.getContentPath = helpers.getContentPath.bind(nconf);
 
     // ## Sanitization
 
diff --git a/core/shared/config/utils.js b/core/shared/config/utils.js
index 34e7ab4350..e2ec49e625 100644
--- a/core/shared/config/utils.js
+++ b/core/shared/config/utils.js
@@ -2,50 +2,6 @@ const path = require('path');
 const fs = require('fs-extra');
 const _ = require('lodash');
 
-// Dynamic, public utilities
-
-exports.isPrivacyDisabled = function isPrivacyDisabled(privacyFlag) {
-    if (!this.get('privacy')) {
-        return false;
-    }
-
-    // CASE: disable all privacy features
-    if (this.get('privacy').useTinfoil === true) {
-        // CASE: you can still enable single features
-        if (this.get('privacy')[privacyFlag] === true) {
-            return false;
-        }
-
-        return true;
-    }
-
-    return this.get('privacy')[privacyFlag] === false;
-};
-
-/**
- * we can later support setting folder names via custom config values
- */
-exports.getContentPath = function getContentPath(type) {
-    switch (type) {
-    case 'images':
-        return path.join(this.get('paths:contentPath'), 'images/');
-    case 'themes':
-        return path.join(this.get('paths:contentPath'), 'themes/');
-    case 'adapters':
-        return path.join(this.get('paths:contentPath'), 'adapters/');
-    case 'logs':
-        return path.join(this.get('paths:contentPath'), 'logs/');
-    case 'data':
-        return path.join(this.get('paths:contentPath'), 'data/');
-    case 'settings':
-        return path.join(this.get('paths:contentPath'), 'settings/');
-    default:
-        throw new Error('getContentPath was called with: ' + type);
-    }
-};
-
-// Internal-only utilties
-
 /**
  * transform all relative paths to absolute paths
  * @TODO: re-write this function a little bit so we don't have to add the parent path - that is hard to understand
@@ -54,7 +10,7 @@ exports.getContentPath = function getContentPath(type) {
  * Path must match minimum one / or \
  * Path can be a "." to re-present current folder
  */
-exports.makePathsAbsolute = function makePathsAbsolute(obj, parent) {
+const makePathsAbsolute = function makePathsAbsolute(obj, parent) {
     const self = this;
 
     _.each(obj, function (configValue, pathsKey) {
@@ -70,12 +26,11 @@ exports.makePathsAbsolute = function makePathsAbsolute(obj, parent) {
     });
 };
 
-/**
- * @TODO:
- *   - content/logs folder is required right now, otherwise Ghost want start
- */
-exports.doesContentPathExist = function doesContentPathExist() {
+const doesContentPathExist = function doesContentPathExist() {
     if (!fs.pathExistsSync(this.get('paths:contentPath'))) {
+        // new Error is allowed here, as we do not want config to depend on @tryghost/error
+        // @TODO: revisit this decision when @tryghost/error is no longer dependent on all of ghost-ignition
+        // eslint-disable-next-line no-restricted-syntax
         throw new Error('Your content path does not exist! Please double check `paths.contentPath` in your custom config file e.g. config.production.json.');
     }
 };
@@ -83,10 +38,13 @@ exports.doesContentPathExist = function doesContentPathExist() {
 /**
 * Check if the URL in config has a protocol and sanitise it if not including a warning that it should be changed
 */
-exports.checkUrlProtocol = function checkUrlProtocol() {
+const checkUrlProtocol = function checkUrlProtocol() {
     const url = this.get('url');
 
     if (!url.match(/^https?:\/\//i)) {
+        // new Error is allowed here, as we do not want config to depend on @tryghost/error
+        // @TODO: revisit this decision when @tryghost/error is no longer dependent on all of ghost-ignition
+        // eslint-disable-next-line no-restricted-syntax
         throw new Error('URL in config must be provided with protocol, eg. "http://my-ghost-blog.com"');
     }
 };
@@ -98,7 +56,7 @@ exports.checkUrlProtocol = function checkUrlProtocol() {
  * this.clear('key') does not work
  * https://github.com/indexzero/nconf/issues/235#issuecomment-257606507
  */
-exports.sanitizeDatabaseProperties = function sanitizeDatabaseProperties() {
+const sanitizeDatabaseProperties = function sanitizeDatabaseProperties() {
     const database = this.get('database');
 
     if (this.get('database:client') === 'mysql') {
@@ -112,3 +70,10 @@ exports.sanitizeDatabaseProperties = function sanitizeDatabaseProperties() {
 
     this.set('database', database);
 };
+
+module.exports = {
+    makePathsAbsolute,
+    doesContentPathExist,
+    checkUrlProtocol,
+    sanitizeDatabaseProperties
+};