diff --git a/lib/npm.js b/lib/npm.js
index 15b4141336bb9..79d2767229806 100644
--- a/lib/npm.js
+++ b/lib/npm.js
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ const npm = module.exports = new class extends EventEmitter {
         this.log.warn('using --force', 'Recommended protections disabled.')
       }
       if (!er && !this[_flatOptions]) {
-        this[_flatOptions] = require('./config/flat-options.js')(this)
+        this[_flatOptions] = require('./utils/flat-options.js')(this)
         process.env.npm_command = this.command
       }
       process.emit('timeEnd', 'npm:load')
diff --git a/lib/config/flat-options.js b/lib/utils/flat-options.js
similarity index 100%
rename from lib/config/flat-options.js
rename to lib/utils/flat-options.js
diff --git a/tap-snapshots/test-lib-config-flat-options.js-TAP.test.js b/tap-snapshots/test-lib-utils-flat-options.js-TAP.test.js
similarity index 97%
rename from tap-snapshots/test-lib-config-flat-options.js-TAP.test.js
rename to tap-snapshots/test-lib-utils-flat-options.js-TAP.test.js
index b360c5ac8967f..27ad10e5ed8ac 100644
--- a/tap-snapshots/test-lib-config-flat-options.js-TAP.test.js
+++ b/tap-snapshots/test-lib-utils-flat-options.js-TAP.test.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
  * Make sure to inspect the output below.  Do not ignore changes!
  */
 'use strict'
-exports[`test/lib/config/flat-options.js TAP basic > flat options 1`] = `
+exports[`test/lib/utils/flat-options.js TAP basic > flat options 1`] = `
 Object {
   "@scope:registry": "@scope:registry",
   "//nerf.dart:_authToken": "//nerf.dart:_authToken",
diff --git a/test/lib/config/flat-options.js b/test/lib/utils/flat-options.js
similarity index 99%
rename from test/lib/config/flat-options.js
rename to test/lib/utils/flat-options.js
index 864ea9f1dd220..8ababa9826b71 100644
--- a/test/lib/config/flat-options.js
+++ b/test/lib/utils/flat-options.js
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ class MockConfig {
   }
 }
 
-const flatOptions = require('../../../lib/config/flat-options.js')
+const flatOptions = require('../../../lib/utils/flat-options.js')
 t.match(logs, [[
   'verbose',
   'npm-session',