diff --git a/common/configtx/test/helper.go b/common/configtx/test/helper.go
index c3e28099cfc..8a08252950c 100644
--- a/common/configtx/test/helper.go
+++ b/common/configtx/test/helper.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/hyperledger/fabric/common/configtx"
 	"github.com/hyperledger/fabric/common/genesis"
+	peersharedconfig "github.com/hyperledger/fabric/peer/sharedconfig"
 	cb "github.com/hyperledger/fabric/protos/common"
 	"github.com/hyperledger/fabric/protos/utils"
 
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ const (
 	AcceptAllPolicyKey = "AcceptAllPolicy"
 )
 
-var template configtx.Template
+var ordererTemplate configtx.Template
 
 var genesisFactory genesis.Factory
 
@@ -62,10 +63,10 @@ func init() {
 		panic(err)
 	}
 
-	template = configtx.NewSimpleTemplate(templateProto.Items...)
+	ordererTemplate = configtx.NewSimpleTemplate(templateProto.Items...)
 	anchorPeers := []*peer.AnchorPeer{{Host: "fakehost", Port: 2000, Cert: []byte{}}}
-	gossTemplate := configtx.NewSimpleTemplate(utils.EncodeAnchorPeers(anchorPeers))
-	genesisFactory = genesis.NewFactoryImpl(configtx.NewCompositeTemplate(MSPTemplate{}, template, gossTemplate))
+	gossTemplate := configtx.NewSimpleTemplate(peersharedconfig.TemplateAnchorPeers(anchorPeers))
+	genesisFactory = genesis.NewFactoryImpl(configtx.NewCompositeTemplate(MSPTemplate{}, ordererTemplate, gossTemplate))
 }
 
 func MakeGenesisBlock(chainID string) (*cb.Block, error) {
@@ -74,5 +75,5 @@ func MakeGenesisBlock(chainID string) (*cb.Block, error) {
 
 // GetOrderererTemplate returns the test orderer template
 func GetOrdererTemplate() configtx.Template {
-	return template
+	return ordererTemplate
 }
diff --git a/peer/channel/create.go b/peer/channel/create.go
index 2fb684f69ac..075911cea2f 100644
--- a/peer/channel/create.go
+++ b/peer/channel/create.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 	mspmgmt "github.com/hyperledger/fabric/msp/mgmt"
 	"github.com/hyperledger/fabric/orderer/common/bootstrap/provisional"
 	"github.com/hyperledger/fabric/peer/common"
+	"github.com/hyperledger/fabric/peer/sharedconfig"
 	cb "github.com/hyperledger/fabric/protos/common"
 	"github.com/hyperledger/fabric/protos/utils"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
@@ -55,7 +56,7 @@ func sendCreateChainTransaction(cf *ChannelCmdFactory) error {
 	//TODO this is a temporary hack until `orderer.template` is supplied from the CLI
 	oTemplate := configtxtest.GetOrdererTemplate()
 	mspTemplate := configtx.NewSimpleTemplate(utils.EncodeMSPUnsigned(chainID))
-	gossTemplate := configtx.NewSimpleTemplate(utils.EncodeAnchorPeers(anchorPeers))
+	gossTemplate := configtx.NewSimpleTemplate(sharedconfig.TemplateAnchorPeers(anchorPeers))
 	chCrtTemp := configtx.NewCompositeTemplate(oTemplate, mspTemplate, gossTemplate)
 
 	signer, err := mspmgmt.GetLocalMSP().GetDefaultSigningIdentity()
diff --git a/protos/utils/blockutils.go b/protos/utils/blockutils.go
index 6e1344198c7..7cb8149f649 100644
--- a/protos/utils/blockutils.go
+++ b/protos/utils/blockutils.go
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/hyperledger/fabric/msp"
 	cb "github.com/hyperledger/fabric/protos/common"
-	"github.com/hyperledger/fabric/protos/peer"
 )
 
 // GetChainIDFromBlock returns chain ID in the block
@@ -194,13 +193,3 @@ func EncodeMSP(chainID string) *cb.SignedConfigurationItem {
 		MarshalOrPanic(conf),
 		xxxDefaultModificationPolicyID, cb.ConfigurationItem_MSP)
 }
-
-// EncodeAnchorPeers returns a configuration item with anchor peers
-func EncodeAnchorPeers(anchorPeers []*peer.AnchorPeer) *cb.ConfigurationItem {
-	apConfig := &peer.AnchorPeers{
-		AnchorPeers: anchorPeers,
-	}
-	rawAnchorPeers := MarshalOrPanic(apConfig)
-	// We don't populate the chainID because that value is over-written later on anyway
-	return createConfigItem("", AnchorPeerConfItemKey, rawAnchorPeers, xxxDefaultModificationPolicyID, cb.ConfigurationItem_Peer)
-}