diff --git a/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/__tests__/is_immutable_config.js b/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/__tests__/is_immutable_config.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..279a9c9de723
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/__tests__/is_immutable_config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+
+var isImmutableConfig = require('plugins/kibana/settings/sections/advanced/lib/is_immutable_config');
+var expect = require('expect.js');
+
+describe('Settings', function () {
+  describe('Advanced', function () {
+    describe('isImmutableConfig(configName)', function () {
+      it('returns true given an immutable field name', function () {
+        expect(isImmutableConfig('buildNum')).to.be.true;
+      });
+
+      it('returns false given any value that does not match the whitelist', function () {
+        expect(isImmutableConfig('something else')).to.be.false;
+      });
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/advanced/index.js b/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/advanced/index.js
index 3f1918a37096..799da42ed07c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/advanced/index.js
+++ b/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/advanced/index.js
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 define(function (require) {
   var _ = require('lodash');
   var toEditableConfig = require('plugins/kibana/settings/sections/advanced/lib/to_editable_config');
+  var isImmutableConfig = require('plugins/kibana/settings/sections/advanced/lib/is_immutable_config');
+  var notImmutableConfig = _.negate(isImmutableConfig);
 
 
   require('plugins/kibana/settings/sections/advanced/advanced_row');
@@ -20,8 +22,6 @@ define(function (require) {
           ESC: 27
         };
 
-        var IMMUTABLE_CONFIG_VALS = ['buildNum'];
-
         function isTypeComplex(conf) {
           return !(conf.json || conf.array || conf.bool || conf.normal);
         }
@@ -30,10 +30,6 @@ define(function (require) {
           return !(configName in configDefaults);
         }
 
-        function notImmutableConfig(configName) {
-          return !_.contains(IMMUTABLE_CONFIG_VALS, configName);
-        }
-
         function readConfigVals() {
           var configVals = config._vals();
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/advanced/lib/is_immutable_config.js b/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/advanced/lib/is_immutable_config.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..6e3104cf1cf2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/advanced/lib/is_immutable_config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+define(function (require) {
+  var _ = require('lodash');
+
+  var IMMUTABLE_CONFIG_VALS = ['buildNum'];
+
+  /**
+   * @param {string} name of configuration
+   * @returns {boolean} whether the given name matches an immutable field name
+   */
+  function isImmutableConfig(configName) {
+    return _.contains(IMMUTABLE_CONFIG_VALS, configName);
+  }
+
+  return isImmutableConfig;
+});