diff --git a/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/__tests__/to_editable_config.js b/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/__tests__/to_editable_config.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..7a9a78d34f0a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/__tests__/to_editable_config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+
+var toEditableConfig = require('plugins/kibana/settings/sections/advanced/lib/to_editable_config');
+var expect = require('expect.js');
+
+describe('Settings', function () {
+  describe('Advanced', function () {
+    describe('toEditableConfig(def, name, value)', function () {
+      it('sets name', function () {
+        expect(invoke({ name: 'who' }).name).to.equal('who');
+      });
+
+      it('sets value', function () {
+        expect(invoke({ value: 'what' }).value).to.equal('what');
+      });
+
+      it('sets type', function () {
+        expect(invoke({ value: 'what' }).type).to.be('string');
+        expect(invoke({ value: 0 }).type).to.be('number');
+        expect(invoke({ value: [] }).type).to.be('array');
+      });
+
+      context('when given a setting definition object', function () {
+        var def;
+        beforeEach(function () {
+          def = {
+            value: 'the original',
+            description: 'the one and only',
+            options: 'all the options'
+          };
+        });
+
+        it('is not marked as custom', function () {
+          expect(invoke({ def }).isCustom).to.be.false;
+        });
+
+        it('sets a default value', function () {
+          expect(invoke({ def }).defVal).to.equal(def.value);
+        });
+
+        it('sets a description', function () {
+          expect(invoke({ def }).description).to.equal(def.description);
+        });
+
+        it('sets options', function () {
+          expect(invoke({ def }).options).to.equal(def.options);
+        });
+
+        context('that contains a type', function () {
+          it('sets that type', function () {
+            def.type = 'something';
+            expect(invoke({ def }).type).to.equal(def.type);
+          });
+        });
+
+        context('that contains a value of type array', function () {
+          it('sets type to array', function () {
+            def.value = [];
+            expect(invoke({ def }).type).to.equal('array');
+          });
+        });
+      });
+
+      context('when not given a setting definition object', function () {
+        it('is marked as custom', function () {
+          expect(invoke().isCustom).to.be.true;
+        });
+
+        it('sets defVal to undefined', function () {
+          expect(invoke().defVal).to.be.undefined;
+        });
+
+        it('sets description to undefined', function () {
+          expect(invoke().description).to.be.undefined;
+        });
+
+        it('sets options to undefined', function () {
+          expect(invoke().options).to.be.undefined;
+        });
+      });
+    });
+  });
+});
+
+function invoke({ def = false, name = 'woah', value = 'forreal' } = {}) {
+  return toEditableConfig(def, name, value);
+}
diff --git a/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/advanced/index.js b/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/advanced/index.js
index 9e604846e088..3f1918a37096 100644
--- a/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/advanced/index.js
+++ b/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/advanced/index.js
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 define(function (require) {
   var _ = require('lodash');
-  var getValType = require('plugins/kibana/settings/sections/advanced/lib/get_val_type');
-  var getEditorType = require('plugins/kibana/settings/sections/advanced/lib/get_editor_type');
+  var toEditableConfig = require('plugins/kibana/settings/sections/advanced/lib/to_editable_config');
 
 
   require('plugins/kibana/settings/sections/advanced/advanced_row');
@@ -35,31 +34,6 @@ define(function (require) {
           return !_.contains(IMMUTABLE_CONFIG_VALS, configName);
         }
 
-        function toEditableConfig(def, name, value) {
-          var isCustom = !def;
-          if (isCustom) def = {};
-
-          var conf = {
-            name,
-            value,
-            isCustom,
-            defVal: def.value,
-            type: getValType(def, value),
-            description: def.description,
-            options: def.options
-          };
-
-          var editor = getEditorType(conf);
-          conf.json = editor === 'json';
-          conf.select = editor === 'select';
-          conf.bool = editor === 'boolean';
-          conf.array = editor === 'array';
-          conf.normal = editor === 'normal';
-          conf.tooComplex = !editor;
-
-          return conf;
-        }
-
         function readConfigVals() {
           var configVals = config._vals();
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/advanced/lib/to_editable_config.js b/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/advanced/lib/to_editable_config.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..5b0bb8ea22bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/advanced/lib/to_editable_config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+define(function (require) {
+  var _ = require('lodash');
+  var getValType = require('./get_val_type');
+  var getEditorType = require('./get_editor_type');
+
+  /**
+   * @param {object} advanced setting definition object
+   * @param {object} name of setting
+   * @param {object} current value of setting
+   * @returns {object} the editable config object
+   */
+  function toEditableConfig(def, name, value) {
+    var isCustom = !def;
+    if (isCustom) def = {};
+
+    var conf = {
+      name,
+      value,
+      isCustom,
+      defVal: def.value,
+      type: getValType(def, value),
+      description: def.description,
+      options: def.options
+    };
+
+    var editor = getEditorType(conf);
+    conf.json = editor === 'json';
+    conf.select = editor === 'select';
+    conf.bool = editor === 'boolean';
+    conf.array = editor === 'array';
+    conf.normal = editor === 'normal';
+    conf.tooComplex = !editor;
+
+    return conf;
+  }
+
+  return toEditableConfig;
+});