diff --git a/pkg/reconciler/testing/configmap.go b/pkg/reconciler/testing/configmap.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a14d15994af1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/reconciler/testing/configmap.go
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2018 The Knative Authors
+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 testing
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/ghodss/yaml"
+	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
+)
+
+// ConfigMapFromTestFile creates a v1.ConfigMap from a YAML file
+// It loads the YAML file from the testdata folder.
+func ConfigMapFromTestFile(t *testing.T, name string) *corev1.ConfigMap {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	b, err := ioutil.ReadFile(fmt.Sprintf("testdata/%s.yaml", name))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ReadFile() = %v", err)
+	}
+
+	var cm corev1.ConfigMap
+
+	// Use github.com/ghodss/yaml since it reads json struct
+	// tags so things unmarshal properly
+	if err := yaml.Unmarshal(b, &cm); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("yaml.Unmarshal() = %v", err)
+	}
+
+	return &cm
+}
diff --git a/pkg/reconciler/v1alpha1/revision/config/controller_test.go b/pkg/reconciler/v1alpha1/revision/config/controller_test.go
index f4139461cab0..cbca86cb7362 100644
--- a/pkg/reconciler/v1alpha1/revision/config/controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/reconciler/v1alpha1/revision/config/controller_test.go
@@ -17,29 +17,22 @@ limitations under the License.
 package config
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
-	"io/ioutil"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp"
 	"github.com/knative/serving/pkg/system"
-	yaml "gopkg.in/yaml.v2"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+
+	. "github.com/knative/serving/pkg/reconciler/testing"
 )
 
 var noSidecarImage = ""
 
 func TestControllerConfigurationFromFile(t *testing.T) {
-	b, err := ioutil.ReadFile(fmt.Sprintf("testdata/%s.yaml", ControllerConfigName))
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("ReadFile() = %v", err)
-	}
-	var cm corev1.ConfigMap
-	if err := yaml.Unmarshal(b, &cm); err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("yaml.Unmarshal() = %v", err)
-	}
-	if _, err := NewControllerConfigFromConfigMap(&cm); err != nil {
+	cm := ConfigMapFromTestFile(t, ControllerConfigName)
+
+	if _, err := NewControllerConfigFromConfigMap(cm); err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("NewControllerConfigFromConfigMap() = %v", err)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/reconciler/v1alpha1/revision/config/network_test.go b/pkg/reconciler/v1alpha1/revision/config/network_test.go
index 7891fbde14a1..7028d0d136c2 100644
--- a/pkg/reconciler/v1alpha1/revision/config/network_test.go
+++ b/pkg/reconciler/v1alpha1/revision/config/network_test.go
@@ -17,27 +17,20 @@ limitations under the License.
 package config
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
-	"io/ioutil"
 	"testing"
 
-	"github.com/ghodss/yaml"
 	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp"
 	"github.com/knative/serving/pkg/system"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+
+	. "github.com/knative/serving/pkg/reconciler/testing"
 )
 
 func TestOurNetwork(t *testing.T) {
-	b, err := ioutil.ReadFile(fmt.Sprintf("testdata/%s.yaml", NetworkConfigName))
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("ReadFile() = %v", err)
-	}
-	var cm corev1.ConfigMap
-	if err := yaml.Unmarshal(b, &cm); err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("yaml.Unmarshal() = %v", err)
-	}
-	if _, err := NewNetworkFromConfigMap(&cm); err != nil {
+	cm := ConfigMapFromTestFile(t, NetworkConfigName)
+
+	if _, err := NewNetworkFromConfigMap(cm); err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("NewNetworkFromConfigMap() = %v", err)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/reconciler/v1alpha1/revision/config/observability_test.go b/pkg/reconciler/v1alpha1/revision/config/observability_test.go
index 86565e197a2d..57d8096f7a55 100644
--- a/pkg/reconciler/v1alpha1/revision/config/observability_test.go
+++ b/pkg/reconciler/v1alpha1/revision/config/observability_test.go
@@ -17,27 +17,20 @@ limitations under the License.
 package config
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
-	"io/ioutil"
 	"testing"
 
-	"github.com/ghodss/yaml"
 	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp"
 	"github.com/knative/serving/pkg/system"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+
+	. "github.com/knative/serving/pkg/reconciler/testing"
 )
 
 func TestOurObservability(t *testing.T) {
-	b, err := ioutil.ReadFile(fmt.Sprintf("testdata/%s.yaml", ObservabilityConfigName))
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("ReadFile() = %v", err)
-	}
-	var cm corev1.ConfigMap
-	if err := yaml.Unmarshal(b, &cm); err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("yaml.Unmarshal() = %v", err)
-	}
-	if _, err := NewObservabilityFromConfigMap(&cm); err != nil {
+	cm := ConfigMapFromTestFile(t, ObservabilityConfigName)
+
+	if _, err := NewObservabilityFromConfigMap(cm); err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("NewObservabilityFromConfigMap() = %v", err)
 	}
 }