diff --git a/packages/fileeditor-extension/src/commands.ts b/packages/fileeditor-extension/src/commands.ts
index a9f369b8e649..fdd9562a18f9 100644
--- a/packages/fileeditor-extension/src/commands.ts
+++ b/packages/fileeditor-extension/src/commands.ts
@@ -81,6 +81,8 @@ export const MARKDOWN_ICON_CLASS = 'jp-MarkdownIcon';
  */
 export const FACTORY = 'Editor';
 
+let config: CodeEditor.IConfig = { ...CodeEditor.defaultConfig };
+
 /**
  * A utility class for adding commands and menu items,
  * for use by the File Editor extension or other Editor extensions.
@@ -116,12 +118,48 @@ export namespace Commands {
     };
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Update the setting values.
+   */
+  export function updateSettings(
+    settings: ISettingRegistry.ISettings,
+    commands: CommandRegistry
+  ): void {
+    config = {
+      ...CodeEditor.defaultConfig,
+      ...(settings.get('editorConfig').composite as JSONObject)
+    };
+
+    // Trigger a refresh of the rendered commands
+    commands.notifyCommandChanged();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Update the settings of the current tracker instances.
+   */
+  export function updateTracker(
+    tracker: WidgetTracker<IDocumentWidget<FileEditor>>
+  ): void {
+    tracker.forEach(widget => {
+      updateWidget(widget.content);
+    });
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Update the settings of a widget.
+   */
+  export function updateWidget(widget: FileEditor): void {
+    const editor = widget.editor;
+    Object.keys(config).forEach((key: keyof CodeEditor.IConfig) => {
+      editor.setOption(key, config[key]);
+    });
+  }
+
   /**
    * Wrapper function for adding the default File Editor commands
    */
   export function addCommands(
     commands: CommandRegistry,
-    config: CodeEditor.IConfig,
     settingRegistry: ISettingRegistry,
     id: string,
     isEnabled: () => boolean,
@@ -129,17 +167,17 @@ export namespace Commands {
     browserFactory: IFileBrowserFactory
   ) {
     // Add a command to change font size.
-    addChangeFontSizeCommand(commands, config, settingRegistry, id);
+    addChangeFontSizeCommand(commands, settingRegistry, id);
 
-    addLineNumbersCommand(commands, config, settingRegistry, id, isEnabled);
+    addLineNumbersCommand(commands, settingRegistry, id, isEnabled);
 
-    addWordWrapCommand(commands, config, settingRegistry, id, isEnabled);
+    addWordWrapCommand(commands, settingRegistry, id, isEnabled);
 
-    addChangeTabsCommand(commands, config, settingRegistry, id);
+    addChangeTabsCommand(commands, settingRegistry, id);
 
-    addMatchBracketsCommand(commands, config, settingRegistry, id, isEnabled);
+    addMatchBracketsCommand(commands, settingRegistry, id, isEnabled);
 
-    addAutoClosingBracketsCommand(commands, config, settingRegistry, id);
+    addAutoClosingBracketsCommand(commands, settingRegistry, id);
 
     addCreateConsoleCommand(commands, tracker, isEnabled);
 
@@ -161,7 +199,6 @@ export namespace Commands {
    */
   export function addChangeFontSizeCommand(
     commands: CommandRegistry,
-    config: CodeEditor.IConfig,
     settingRegistry: ISettingRegistry,
     id: string
   ) {
@@ -196,7 +233,6 @@ export namespace Commands {
    */
   export function addLineNumbersCommand(
     commands: CommandRegistry,
-    config: CodeEditor.IConfig,
     settingRegistry: ISettingRegistry,
     id: string,
     isEnabled: () => boolean
@@ -221,7 +257,6 @@ export namespace Commands {
    */
   export function addWordWrapCommand(
     commands: CommandRegistry,
-    config: CodeEditor.IConfig,
     settingRegistry: ISettingRegistry,
     id: string,
     isEnabled: () => boolean
@@ -251,7 +286,6 @@ export namespace Commands {
    */
   export function addChangeTabsCommand(
     commands: CommandRegistry,
-    config: CodeEditor.IConfig,
     settingRegistry: ISettingRegistry,
     id: string
   ) {
@@ -279,7 +313,6 @@ export namespace Commands {
    */
   export function addMatchBracketsCommand(
     commands: CommandRegistry,
-    config: CodeEditor.IConfig,
     settingRegistry: ISettingRegistry,
     id: string,
     isEnabled: () => boolean
@@ -304,7 +337,6 @@ export namespace Commands {
    */
   export function addAutoClosingBracketsCommand(
     commands: CommandRegistry,
-    config: CodeEditor.IConfig,
     settingRegistry: ISettingRegistry,
     id: string
   ) {
diff --git a/packages/fileeditor-extension/src/index.ts b/packages/fileeditor-extension/src/index.ts
index 31722dd5df8e..7c0d15c51ec1 100644
--- a/packages/fileeditor-extension/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/fileeditor-extension/src/index.ts
@@ -166,8 +166,6 @@ function activate(
     tracker.currentWidget !== null &&
     tracker.currentWidget === shell.currentWidget;
 
-  let config: CodeEditor.IConfig = { ...CodeEditor.defaultConfig };
-
   // Handle state restoration.
   if (restorer) {
     void restorer.restore(tracker, {
@@ -177,52 +175,20 @@ function activate(
     });
   }
 
-  /**
-   * Update the setting values.
-   */
-  function updateSettings(settings: ISettingRegistry.ISettings): void {
-    config = {
-      ...CodeEditor.defaultConfig,
-      ...(settings.get('editorConfig').composite as JSONObject)
-    };
-
-    // Trigger a refresh of the rendered commands
-    app.commands.notifyCommandChanged();
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * Update the settings of the current tracker instances.
-   */
-  function updateTracker(): void {
-    tracker.forEach(widget => {
-      updateWidget(widget.content);
-    });
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * Update the settings of a widget.
-   */
-  function updateWidget(widget: FileEditor): void {
-    const editor = widget.editor;
-    Object.keys(config).forEach((key: keyof CodeEditor.IConfig) => {
-      editor.setOption(key, config[key]);
-    });
-  }
-
   // Add a console creator to the File menu
   // Fetch the initial state of the settings.
   Promise.all([settingRegistry.load(id), restored])
     .then(([settings]) => {
-      updateSettings(settings);
-      updateTracker();
+      Commands.updateSettings(settings, commands);
+      Commands.updateTracker(tracker);
       settings.changed.connect(() => {
-        updateSettings(settings);
-        updateTracker();
+        Commands.updateSettings(settings, commands);
+        Commands.updateTracker(tracker);
       });
     })
     .catch((reason: Error) => {
       console.error(reason.message);
-      updateTracker();
+      Commands.updateTracker(tracker);
     });
 
   factory.widgetCreated.connect((sender, widget) => {
@@ -233,18 +199,17 @@ function activate(
       void tracker.save(widget);
     });
     void tracker.add(widget);
-    updateWidget(widget.content);
+    Commands.updateWidget(widget.content);
   });
   app.docRegistry.addWidgetFactory(factory);
 
   // Handle the settings of new widgets.
   tracker.widgetAdded.connect((sender, widget) => {
-    updateWidget(widget.content);
+    Commands.updateWidget(widget.content);
   });
 
   Commands.addCommands(
     commands,
-    config,
     settingRegistry,
     id,
     isEnabled,