diff --git a/core/frontend/services/apps/proxy.js b/core/frontend/services/apps/proxy.js
index ca4d6a2e12..099ab78d9d 100644
--- a/core/frontend/services/apps/proxy.js
+++ b/core/frontend/services/apps/proxy.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-const helpers = require('../../services/themes/handlebars/register');
+const helpers = require('../../services/theme-engine/handlebars/register');
 const routingService = require('../../services/routing');
 
 module.exports.getInstance = function getInstance() {
diff --git a/core/frontend/services/proxy.js b/core/frontend/services/proxy.js
index 20244131f2..8f96e3d5fd 100644
--- a/core/frontend/services/proxy.js
+++ b/core/frontend/services/proxy.js
@@ -61,12 +61,12 @@ module.exports = {
     },
 
     // The local template thing, should this be merged with the channels one?
-    templates: require('./themes/handlebars/template'),
+    templates: require('./theme-engine/handlebars/template'),
 
     // Various utils, needs cleaning up / simplifying
     socialUrls: require('@tryghost/social-urls'),
     blogIcon: require('../../server/lib/image').blogIcon,
     urlService: require('./url'),
     urlUtils: require('../../shared/url-utils'),
-    localUtils: require('./themes/handlebars/utils')
+    localUtils: require('./theme-engine/handlebars/utils')
 };
diff --git a/core/frontend/services/themes/handlebars/helpers.js b/core/frontend/services/theme-engine/handlebars/helpers.js
similarity index 100%
rename from core/frontend/services/themes/handlebars/helpers.js
rename to core/frontend/services/theme-engine/handlebars/helpers.js
diff --git a/core/frontend/services/themes/handlebars/register.js b/core/frontend/services/theme-engine/handlebars/register.js
similarity index 100%
rename from core/frontend/services/themes/handlebars/register.js
rename to core/frontend/services/theme-engine/handlebars/register.js
diff --git a/core/frontend/services/themes/handlebars/template.js b/core/frontend/services/theme-engine/handlebars/template.js
similarity index 100%
rename from core/frontend/services/themes/handlebars/template.js
rename to core/frontend/services/theme-engine/handlebars/template.js
diff --git a/core/frontend/services/themes/handlebars/utils.js b/core/frontend/services/theme-engine/handlebars/utils.js
similarity index 100%
rename from core/frontend/services/themes/handlebars/utils.js
rename to core/frontend/services/theme-engine/handlebars/utils.js
diff --git a/core/frontend/services/theme-engine/index.js b/core/frontend/services/theme-engine/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5a47b18808
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/frontend/services/theme-engine/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+module.exports = {
+    loadCoreHelpers: require('./handlebars/helpers').loadCoreHelpers
+};
diff --git a/core/frontend/services/themes/index.js b/core/frontend/services/themes/index.js
index e2ec1a1ed4..5dcac05b1d 100644
--- a/core/frontend/services/themes/index.js
+++ b/core/frontend/services/themes/index.js
@@ -102,7 +102,6 @@ module.exports = {
     },
     storage: require('./storage'),
     middleware: require('./middleware'),
-    loadCoreHelpers: require('./handlebars/helpers').loadCoreHelpers,
     /**
      * Load all inactive themes
      */
diff --git a/core/server/web/site/app.js b/core/server/web/site/app.js
index 7992c64fe1..590c578368 100644
--- a/core/server/web/site/app.js
+++ b/core/server/web/site/app.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ const urlService = require('../../../frontend/services/url');
 const urlUtils = require('../../../shared/url-utils');
 const sitemapHandler = require('../../../frontend/services/sitemap/handler');
 const appService = require('../../../frontend/services/apps');
+const themeEngine = require('../../../frontend/services/theme-engine');
 const themeService = require('../../../frontend/services/themes');
 const themeMiddleware = themeService.middleware;
 const membersMiddleware = require('../../services/members').middleware;
@@ -114,7 +115,7 @@ module.exports = function setupSiteApp(options = {}) {
     // We do this here, at the top level, because helpers require so much stuff.
     // Moving this to being inside themes, where it probably should be requires the proxy to be refactored
     // Else we end up with circular dependencies
-    themeService.loadCoreHelpers();
+    themeEngine.loadCoreHelpers();
     debug('Helpers done');
 
     // Global handling for member session, ensures a member is logged in to the frontend
diff --git a/test/unit/services/apps/proxy_spec.js b/test/unit/services/apps/proxy_spec.js
index c4aed1f891..26b08fba28 100644
--- a/test/unit/services/apps/proxy_spec.js
+++ b/test/unit/services/apps/proxy_spec.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 const should = require('should');
 const sinon = require('sinon');
-const helpers = require('../../../../core/frontend/services/themes/handlebars/register');
+const helpers = require('../../../../core/frontend/services/theme-engine/handlebars/register');
 const AppProxy = require('../../../../core/frontend/services/apps/proxy');
 const routing = require('../../../../core/frontend/services/routing');
 
diff --git a/test/unit/services/themes/handlebars/helpers_spec.js b/test/unit/services/theme-engine/handlebars/helpers_spec.js
similarity index 97%
rename from test/unit/services/themes/handlebars/helpers_spec.js
rename to test/unit/services/theme-engine/handlebars/helpers_spec.js
index 7816946002..5160aceecb 100644
--- a/test/unit/services/themes/handlebars/helpers_spec.js
+++ b/test/unit/services/theme-engine/handlebars/helpers_spec.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ const _ = require('lodash');
 const hbs = require('../../../../../core/frontend/services/theme-engine/engine');
 
 // Stuff we are testing
-const helpers = require('../../../../../core/frontend/services/themes/handlebars/helpers');
+const helpers = require('../../../../../core/frontend/services/theme-engine/handlebars/helpers');
 
 describe('Helpers', function () {
     const hbsHelpers = ['each', 'if', 'unless', 'with', 'helperMissing', 'blockHelperMissing', 'log', 'lookup', 'block', 'contentFor'];
diff --git a/test/unit/services/themes/handlebars/template_spec.js b/test/unit/services/theme-engine/handlebars/template_spec.js
similarity index 100%
rename from test/unit/services/themes/handlebars/template_spec.js
rename to test/unit/services/theme-engine/handlebars/template_spec.js