diff --git a/common/chainconfig/chainconfig_test.go b/common/chainconfig/chainconfig_test.go
index c25d75236df..8a0a2bf6651 100644
--- a/common/chainconfig/chainconfig_test.go
+++ b/common/chainconfig/chainconfig_test.go
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	cb "github.com/hyperledger/fabric/protos/common"
-	"github.com/hyperledger/fabric/protos/utils"
 
 	logging "github.com/op/go-logging"
 )
@@ -30,6 +29,14 @@ func init() {
 	logging.SetLevel(logging.DEBUG, "")
 }
 
+func makeInvalidConfigItem(key string) *cb.ConfigurationItem {
+	return &cb.ConfigurationItem{
+		Type:  cb.ConfigurationItem_Chain,
+		Key:   key,
+		Value: []byte("Garbage Data"),
+	}
+}
+
 func TestDoubleBegin(t *testing.T) {
 	defer func() {
 		if err := recover(); err == nil {
@@ -63,22 +70,10 @@ func TestRollback(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestHashingAlgorithm(t *testing.T) {
-	invalidMessage :=
-		&cb.ConfigurationItem{
-			Type:  cb.ConfigurationItem_Chain,
-			Key:   HashingAlgorithmKey,
-			Value: []byte("Garbage Data"),
-		}
-	invalidAlgorithm := &cb.ConfigurationItem{
-		Type:  cb.ConfigurationItem_Chain,
-		Key:   HashingAlgorithmKey,
-		Value: utils.MarshalOrPanic(&cb.HashingAlgorithm{Name: "MD5"}),
-	}
-	validAlgorithm := &cb.ConfigurationItem{
-		Type:  cb.ConfigurationItem_Chain,
-		Key:   HashingAlgorithmKey,
-		Value: utils.MarshalOrPanic(&cb.HashingAlgorithm{Name: SHA3Shake256}),
-	}
+	invalidMessage := makeInvalidConfigItem(HashingAlgorithmKey)
+	invalidAlgorithm := TemplateHashingAlgorithm("MD5")
+	validAlgorithm := DefaultHashingAlgorithm()
+
 	m := NewDescriptorImpl()
 	m.BeginConfig()
 
@@ -105,23 +100,10 @@ func TestHashingAlgorithm(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestBlockDataHashingStructure(t *testing.T) {
-	expectedWidth := uint32(7)
-	invalidMessage :=
-		&cb.ConfigurationItem{
-			Type:  cb.ConfigurationItem_Chain,
-			Key:   BlockDataHashingStructureKey,
-			Value: []byte("Garbage Data"),
-		}
-	invalidWidth := &cb.ConfigurationItem{
-		Type:  cb.ConfigurationItem_Chain,
-		Key:   BlockDataHashingStructureKey,
-		Value: utils.MarshalOrPanic(&cb.BlockDataHashingStructure{Width: 0}),
-	}
-	validWidth := &cb.ConfigurationItem{
-		Type:  cb.ConfigurationItem_Chain,
-		Key:   BlockDataHashingStructureKey,
-		Value: utils.MarshalOrPanic(&cb.BlockDataHashingStructure{Width: expectedWidth}),
-	}
+	invalidMessage := makeInvalidConfigItem(BlockDataHashingStructureKey)
+	invalidWidth := TemplateBlockDataHashingStructure(0)
+	validWidth := DefaultBlockDataHashingStructure()
+
 	m := NewDescriptorImpl()
 	m.BeginConfig()
 
@@ -142,23 +124,14 @@ func TestBlockDataHashingStructure(t *testing.T) {
 
 	m.CommitConfig()
 
-	if newWidth := m.BlockDataHashingStructureWidth(); newWidth != expectedWidth {
-		t.Fatalf("Unexpected width, got %d expected %d", newWidth, expectedWidth)
+	if newWidth := m.BlockDataHashingStructureWidth(); newWidth != defaultBlockDataHashingStructureWidth {
+		t.Fatalf("Unexpected width, got %d expected %d", newWidth, defaultBlockDataHashingStructureWidth)
 	}
 }
 
 func TestOrdererAddresses(t *testing.T) {
-	expectedResult := []string{"foo", "bar:1234"}
-	invalidMessage := &cb.ConfigurationItem{
-		Type:  cb.ConfigurationItem_Chain,
-		Key:   BlockDataHashingStructureKey,
-		Value: []byte("Garbage Data"),
-	}
-	validMessage := &cb.ConfigurationItem{
-		Type:  cb.ConfigurationItem_Chain,
-		Key:   OrdererAddressesKey,
-		Value: utils.MarshalOrPanic(&cb.OrdererAddresses{Addresses: expectedResult}),
-	}
+	invalidMessage := makeInvalidConfigItem(OrdererAddressesKey)
+	validMessage := DefaultOrdererAddresses()
 	m := NewDescriptorImpl()
 	m.BeginConfig()
 
@@ -174,7 +147,7 @@ func TestOrdererAddresses(t *testing.T) {
 
 	m.CommitConfig()
 
-	if newAddrs := m.OrdererAddresses(); !reflect.DeepEqual(newAddrs, expectedResult) {
-		t.Fatalf("Unexpected width, got %s expected %s", newAddrs, expectedResult)
+	if newAddrs := m.OrdererAddresses(); !reflect.DeepEqual(newAddrs, defaultOrdererAddresses) {
+		t.Fatalf("Unexpected width, got %s expected %s", newAddrs, defaultOrdererAddresses)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/common/chainconfig/chainconfig_util.go b/common/chainconfig/chainconfig_util.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..029349cb7a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/chainconfig/chainconfig_util.go
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+/*
+Copyright IBM Corp. 2017 All Rights Reserved.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+                 http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package chainconfig
+
+import (
+	"math"
+
+	cb "github.com/hyperledger/fabric/protos/common"
+	"github.com/hyperledger/fabric/protos/utils"
+)
+
+const defaultHashingAlgorithm = SHA3Shake256
+
+// TemplateHashingAlgorithm creates a headerless configuration item representing the hashing algorithm
+func TemplateHashingAlgorithm(name string) *cb.ConfigurationItem {
+	return &cb.ConfigurationItem{
+		Type:  cb.ConfigurationItem_Chain,
+		Key:   HashingAlgorithmKey,
+		Value: utils.MarshalOrPanic(&cb.HashingAlgorithm{Name: name}),
+	}
+
+}
+
+// DefaultHashingAlgorithm creates a headerless configuration item for the default hashing algorithm
+func DefaultHashingAlgorithm() *cb.ConfigurationItem {
+	return TemplateHashingAlgorithm(defaultHashingAlgorithm)
+}
+
+const defaultBlockDataHashingStructureWidth = math.MaxUint32
+
+// TemplateBlockDataHashingStructure creates a headerless configuration item representing the block data hashing structure
+func TemplateBlockDataHashingStructure(width uint32) *cb.ConfigurationItem {
+	return &cb.ConfigurationItem{
+		Type:  cb.ConfigurationItem_Chain,
+		Key:   BlockDataHashingStructureKey,
+		Value: utils.MarshalOrPanic(&cb.BlockDataHashingStructure{Width: width}),
+	}
+}
+
+// DefaultBlockDatahashingStructure creates a headerless configuration item for the default block data hashing structure
+func DefaultBlockDataHashingStructure() *cb.ConfigurationItem {
+	return TemplateBlockDataHashingStructure(defaultBlockDataHashingStructureWidth)
+}
+
+var defaultOrdererAddresses = []string{"127.0.0.1:7050"}
+
+// TemplateOrdererAddressess creates a headerless configuration item representing the orderer addresses
+func TemplateOrdererAddresses(addresses []string) *cb.ConfigurationItem {
+	return &cb.ConfigurationItem{
+		Type:  cb.ConfigurationItem_Chain,
+		Key:   OrdererAddressesKey,
+		Value: utils.MarshalOrPanic(&cb.OrdererAddresses{Addresses: addresses}),
+	}
+}
+
+// DefaultOrdererAddresses creates a headerless configuration item for the default orderer addresses
+func DefaultOrdererAddresses() *cb.ConfigurationItem {
+	return TemplateOrdererAddresses(defaultOrdererAddresses)
+}