diff --git a/packages/router/src/config.ts b/packages/router/src/config.ts
index 8b6f2ab078..044cdcd796 100644
--- a/packages/router/src/config.ts
+++ b/packages/router/src/config.ts
@@ -9,9 +9,7 @@
 import {NgModuleFactory, NgModuleRef, Type} from '@angular/core';
 import {Observable} from 'rxjs';
 
-import {EmptyOutletComponent} from './components/empty_outlet';
 import {ActivatedRouteSnapshot} from './router_state';
-import {PRIMARY_OUTLET} from './shared';
 import {UrlSegment, UrlSegmentGroup} from './url_tree';
 
 
@@ -490,107 +488,3 @@ export interface Route {
 export class LoadedRouterConfig {
   constructor(public routes: Route[], public module: NgModuleRef<any>) {}
 }
-
-export function validateConfig(config: Routes, parentPath: string = ''): void {
-  // forEach doesn't iterate undefined values
-  for (let i = 0; i < config.length; i++) {
-    const route: Route = config[i];
-    const fullPath: string = getFullPath(parentPath, route);
-    validateNode(route, fullPath);
-  }
-}
-
-function validateNode(route: Route, fullPath: string): void {
-  if (!route) {
-    throw new Error(`
-      Invalid configuration of route '${fullPath}': Encountered undefined route.
-      The reason might be an extra comma.
-
-      Example:
-      const routes: Routes = [
-        { path: '', redirectTo: '/dashboard', pathMatch: 'full' },
-        { path: 'dashboard',  component: DashboardComponent },, << two commas
-        { path: 'detail/:id', component: HeroDetailComponent }
-      ];
-    `);
-  }
-  if (Array.isArray(route)) {
-    throw new Error(`Invalid configuration of route '${fullPath}': Array cannot be specified`);
-  }
-  if (!route.component && !route.children && !route.loadChildren &&
-      (route.outlet && route.outlet !== PRIMARY_OUTLET)) {
-    throw new Error(`Invalid configuration of route '${
-        fullPath}': a componentless route without children or loadChildren cannot have a named outlet set`);
-  }
-  if (route.redirectTo && route.children) {
-    throw new Error(`Invalid configuration of route '${
-        fullPath}': redirectTo and children cannot be used together`);
-  }
-  if (route.redirectTo && route.loadChildren) {
-    throw new Error(`Invalid configuration of route '${
-        fullPath}': redirectTo and loadChildren cannot be used together`);
-  }
-  if (route.children && route.loadChildren) {
-    throw new Error(`Invalid configuration of route '${
-        fullPath}': children and loadChildren cannot be used together`);
-  }
-  if (route.redirectTo && route.component) {
-    throw new Error(`Invalid configuration of route '${
-        fullPath}': redirectTo and component cannot be used together`);
-  }
-  if (route.path && route.matcher) {
-    throw new Error(
-        `Invalid configuration of route '${fullPath}': path and matcher cannot be used together`);
-  }
-  if (route.redirectTo === void 0 && !route.component && !route.children && !route.loadChildren) {
-    throw new Error(`Invalid configuration of route '${
-        fullPath}'. One of the following must be provided: component, redirectTo, children or loadChildren`);
-  }
-  if (route.path === void 0 && route.matcher === void 0) {
-    throw new Error(`Invalid configuration of route '${
-        fullPath}': routes must have either a path or a matcher specified`);
-  }
-  if (typeof route.path === 'string' && route.path.charAt(0) === '/') {
-    throw new Error(`Invalid configuration of route '${fullPath}': path cannot start with a slash`);
-  }
-  if (route.path === '' && route.redirectTo !== void 0 && route.pathMatch === void 0) {
-    const exp =
-        `The default value of 'pathMatch' is 'prefix', but often the intent is to use 'full'.`;
-    throw new Error(`Invalid configuration of route '{path: "${fullPath}", redirectTo: "${
-        route.redirectTo}"}': please provide 'pathMatch'. ${exp}`);
-  }
-  if (route.pathMatch !== void 0 && route.pathMatch !== 'full' && route.pathMatch !== 'prefix') {
-    throw new Error(`Invalid configuration of route '${
-        fullPath}': pathMatch can only be set to 'prefix' or 'full'`);
-  }
-  if (route.children) {
-    validateConfig(route.children, fullPath);
-  }
-}
-
-function getFullPath(parentPath: string, currentRoute: Route): string {
-  if (!currentRoute) {
-    return parentPath;
-  }
-  if (!parentPath && !currentRoute.path) {
-    return '';
-  } else if (parentPath && !currentRoute.path) {
-    return `${parentPath}/`;
-  } else if (!parentPath && currentRoute.path) {
-    return currentRoute.path;
-  } else {
-    return `${parentPath}/${currentRoute.path}`;
-  }
-}
-
-/**
- * Makes a copy of the config and adds any default required properties.
- */
-export function standardizeConfig(r: Route): Route {
-  const children = r.children && r.children.map(standardizeConfig);
-  const c = children ? {...r, children} : {...r};
-  if (!c.component && (children || c.loadChildren) && (c.outlet && c.outlet !== PRIMARY_OUTLET)) {
-    c.component = EmptyOutletComponent;
-  }
-  return c;
-}
diff --git a/packages/router/src/router.ts b/packages/router/src/router.ts
index 7809e17892..83b915fa3c 100644
--- a/packages/router/src/router.ts
+++ b/packages/router/src/router.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import {Compiler, Injectable, Injector, isDevMode, NgModuleFactoryLoader, NgModu
 import {BehaviorSubject, EMPTY, Observable, of, Subject, SubscriptionLike} from 'rxjs';
 import {catchError, filter, finalize, map, switchMap, tap} from 'rxjs/operators';
 
-import {QueryParamsHandling, Route, Routes, standardizeConfig, validateConfig} from './config';
+import {QueryParamsHandling, Route, Routes} from './config';
 import {createRouterState} from './create_router_state';
 import {createUrlTree} from './create_url_tree';
 import {Event, GuardsCheckEnd, GuardsCheckStart, NavigationCancel, NavigationEnd, NavigationError, NavigationStart, NavigationTrigger, ResolveEnd, ResolveStart, RouteConfigLoadEnd, RouteConfigLoadStart, RoutesRecognized} from './events';
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import {ActivatedRoute, createEmptyState, RouterState, RouterStateSnapshot} from
 import {isNavigationCancelingError, navigationCancelingError, Params} from './shared';
 import {DefaultUrlHandlingStrategy, UrlHandlingStrategy} from './url_handling_strategy';
 import {containsTree, createEmptyUrlTree, UrlSerializer, UrlTree} from './url_tree';
+import {standardizeConfig, validateConfig} from './utils/config';
 import {Checks, getAllRouteGuards} from './utils/preactivation';
 import {isUrlTree} from './utils/type_guards';
 
diff --git a/packages/router/src/router_config_loader.ts b/packages/router/src/router_config_loader.ts
index d9c014f345..4f2bda6975 100644
--- a/packages/router/src/router_config_loader.ts
+++ b/packages/router/src/router_config_loader.ts
@@ -10,8 +10,9 @@ import {Compiler, InjectionToken, Injector, NgModuleFactory, NgModuleFactoryLoad
 import {from, Observable, of} from 'rxjs';
 import {map, mergeMap} from 'rxjs/operators';
 
-import {LoadChildren, LoadedRouterConfig, Route, standardizeConfig} from './config';
+import {LoadChildren, LoadedRouterConfig, Route} from './config';
 import {flatten, wrapIntoObservable} from './utils/collection';
+import {standardizeConfig} from './utils/config';
 
 /**
  * The [DI token](guide/glossary/#di-token) for a router configuration.
diff --git a/packages/router/src/utils/config.ts b/packages/router/src/utils/config.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..961ee3c54f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/router/src/utils/config.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Copyright Google LLC All Rights Reserved.
+ *
+ * Use of this source code is governed by an MIT-style license that can be
+ * found in the LICENSE file at https://angular.io/license
+ */
+
+import {EmptyOutletComponent} from '../components/empty_outlet';
+import {Route, Routes} from '../config';
+import {PRIMARY_OUTLET} from '../shared';
+
+export function validateConfig(config: Routes, parentPath: string = ''): void {
+  // forEach doesn't iterate undefined values
+  for (let i = 0; i < config.length; i++) {
+    const route: Route = config[i];
+    const fullPath: string = getFullPath(parentPath, route);
+    validateNode(route, fullPath);
+  }
+}
+
+function validateNode(route: Route, fullPath: string): void {
+  if (!route) {
+    throw new Error(`
+      Invalid configuration of route '${fullPath}': Encountered undefined route.
+      The reason might be an extra comma.
+
+      Example:
+      const routes: Routes = [
+        { path: '', redirectTo: '/dashboard', pathMatch: 'full' },
+        { path: 'dashboard',  component: DashboardComponent },, << two commas
+        { path: 'detail/:id', component: HeroDetailComponent }
+      ];
+    `);
+  }
+  if (Array.isArray(route)) {
+    throw new Error(`Invalid configuration of route '${fullPath}': Array cannot be specified`);
+  }
+  if (!route.component && !route.children && !route.loadChildren &&
+      (route.outlet && route.outlet !== PRIMARY_OUTLET)) {
+    throw new Error(`Invalid configuration of route '${
+        fullPath}': a componentless route without children or loadChildren cannot have a named outlet set`);
+  }
+  if (route.redirectTo && route.children) {
+    throw new Error(`Invalid configuration of route '${
+        fullPath}': redirectTo and children cannot be used together`);
+  }
+  if (route.redirectTo && route.loadChildren) {
+    throw new Error(`Invalid configuration of route '${
+        fullPath}': redirectTo and loadChildren cannot be used together`);
+  }
+  if (route.children && route.loadChildren) {
+    throw new Error(`Invalid configuration of route '${
+        fullPath}': children and loadChildren cannot be used together`);
+  }
+  if (route.redirectTo && route.component) {
+    throw new Error(`Invalid configuration of route '${
+        fullPath}': redirectTo and component cannot be used together`);
+  }
+  if (route.path && route.matcher) {
+    throw new Error(
+        `Invalid configuration of route '${fullPath}': path and matcher cannot be used together`);
+  }
+  if (route.redirectTo === void 0 && !route.component && !route.children && !route.loadChildren) {
+    throw new Error(`Invalid configuration of route '${
+        fullPath}'. One of the following must be provided: component, redirectTo, children or loadChildren`);
+  }
+  if (route.path === void 0 && route.matcher === void 0) {
+    throw new Error(`Invalid configuration of route '${
+        fullPath}': routes must have either a path or a matcher specified`);
+  }
+  if (typeof route.path === 'string' && route.path.charAt(0) === '/') {
+    throw new Error(`Invalid configuration of route '${fullPath}': path cannot start with a slash`);
+  }
+  if (route.path === '' && route.redirectTo !== void 0 && route.pathMatch === void 0) {
+    const exp =
+        `The default value of 'pathMatch' is 'prefix', but often the intent is to use 'full'.`;
+    throw new Error(`Invalid configuration of route '{path: "${fullPath}", redirectTo: "${
+        route.redirectTo}"}': please provide 'pathMatch'. ${exp}`);
+  }
+  if (route.pathMatch !== void 0 && route.pathMatch !== 'full' && route.pathMatch !== 'prefix') {
+    throw new Error(`Invalid configuration of route '${
+        fullPath}': pathMatch can only be set to 'prefix' or 'full'`);
+  }
+  if (route.children) {
+    validateConfig(route.children, fullPath);
+  }
+}
+
+function getFullPath(parentPath: string, currentRoute: Route): string {
+  if (!currentRoute) {
+    return parentPath;
+  }
+  if (!parentPath && !currentRoute.path) {
+    return '';
+  } else if (parentPath && !currentRoute.path) {
+    return `${parentPath}/`;
+  } else if (!parentPath && currentRoute.path) {
+    return currentRoute.path;
+  } else {
+    return `${parentPath}/${currentRoute.path}`;
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Makes a copy of the config and adds any default required properties.
+ */
+export function standardizeConfig(r: Route): Route {
+  const children = r.children && r.children.map(standardizeConfig);
+  const c = children ? {...r, children} : {...r};
+  if (!c.component && (children || c.loadChildren) && (c.outlet && c.outlet !== PRIMARY_OUTLET)) {
+    c.component = EmptyOutletComponent;
+  }
+  return c;
+}
diff --git a/packages/router/test/config.spec.ts b/packages/router/test/config.spec.ts
index fb4bb03d1e..76d32f3f5a 100644
--- a/packages/router/test/config.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/router/test/config.spec.ts
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@
  * found in the LICENSE file at https://angular.io/license
  */
 
-import {validateConfig} from '../src/config';
 import {PRIMARY_OUTLET} from '../src/shared';
+import {validateConfig} from '../src/utils/config';
 
 describe('config', () => {
   describe('validateConfig', () => {