diff --git a/beets/plugins.py b/beets/plugins.py
index d87dd5d1e..6d3a8447e 100644
--- a/beets/plugins.py
+++ b/beets/plugins.py
@@ -654,66 +654,6 @@ def feat_tokens(for_artist: bool = True) -> str:
     )
 
 
-def sanitize_choices(
-    choices: Sequence[str], choices_all: Sequence[str]
-) -> list[str]:
-    """Clean up a stringlist configuration attribute: keep only choices
-    elements present in choices_all, remove duplicate elements, expand '*'
-    wildcard while keeping original stringlist order.
-    """
-    seen: set[str] = set()
-    others = [x for x in choices_all if x not in choices]
-    res: list[str] = []
-    for s in choices:
-        if s not in seen:
-            if s in list(choices_all):
-                res.append(s)
-            elif s == "*":
-                res.extend(others)
-        seen.add(s)
-    return res
-
-
-def sanitize_pairs(
-    pairs: Sequence[tuple[str, str]], pairs_all: Sequence[tuple[str, str]]
-) -> list[tuple[str, str]]:
-    """Clean up a single-element mapping configuration attribute as returned
-    by Confuse's `Pairs` template: keep only two-element tuples present in
-    pairs_all, remove duplicate elements, expand ('str', '*') and ('*', '*')
-    wildcards while keeping the original order. Note that ('*', '*') and
-    ('*', 'whatever') have the same effect.
-
-    For example,
-
-    >>> sanitize_pairs(
-    ...     [('foo', 'baz bar'), ('key', '*'), ('*', '*')],
-    ...     [('foo', 'bar'), ('foo', 'baz'), ('foo', 'foobar'),
-    ...      ('key', 'value')]
-    ...     )
-    [('foo', 'baz'), ('foo', 'bar'), ('key', 'value'), ('foo', 'foobar')]
-    """
-    pairs_all = list(pairs_all)
-    seen: set[tuple[str, str]] = set()
-    others = [x for x in pairs_all if x not in pairs]
-    res: list[tuple[str, str]] = []
-    for k, values in pairs:
-        for v in values.split():
-            x = (k, v)
-            if x in pairs_all:
-                if x not in seen:
-                    seen.add(x)
-                    res.append(x)
-            elif k == "*":
-                new = [o for o in others if o not in seen]
-                seen.update(new)
-                res.extend(new)
-            elif v == "*":
-                new = [o for o in others if o not in seen and o[0] == k]
-                seen.update(new)
-                res.extend(new)
-    return res
-
-
 def get_distance(
     config: ConfigView, data_source: str, info: AlbumInfo | TrackInfo
 ) -> Distance:
diff --git a/beets/util/config.py b/beets/util/config.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..218a9d133
--- /dev/null
+++ b/beets/util/config.py
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from collections.abc import Collection, Sequence
+
+
+def sanitize_choices(
+    choices: Sequence[str], choices_all: Collection[str]
+) -> list[str]:
+    """Clean up a stringlist configuration attribute: keep only choices
+    elements present in choices_all, remove duplicate elements, expand '*'
+    wildcard while keeping original stringlist order.
+    """
+    seen: set[str] = set()
+    others = [x for x in choices_all if x not in choices]
+    res: list[str] = []
+    for s in choices:
+        if s not in seen:
+            if s in list(choices_all):
+                res.append(s)
+            elif s == "*":
+                res.extend(others)
+        seen.add(s)
+    return res
+
+
+def sanitize_pairs(
+    pairs: Sequence[tuple[str, str]], pairs_all: Sequence[tuple[str, str]]
+) -> list[tuple[str, str]]:
+    """Clean up a single-element mapping configuration attribute as returned
+    by Confuse's `Pairs` template: keep only two-element tuples present in
+    pairs_all, remove duplicate elements, expand ('str', '*') and ('*', '*')
+    wildcards while keeping the original order. Note that ('*', '*') and
+    ('*', 'whatever') have the same effect.
+
+    For example,
+
+    >>> sanitize_pairs(
+    ...     [('foo', 'baz bar'), ('key', '*'), ('*', '*')],
+    ...     [('foo', 'bar'), ('foo', 'baz'), ('foo', 'foobar'),
+    ...      ('key', 'value')]
+    ...     )
+    [('foo', 'baz'), ('foo', 'bar'), ('key', 'value'), ('foo', 'foobar')]
+    """
+    pairs_all = list(pairs_all)
+    seen: set[tuple[str, str]] = set()
+    others = [x for x in pairs_all if x not in pairs]
+    res: list[tuple[str, str]] = []
+    for k, values in pairs:
+        for v in values.split():
+            x = (k, v)
+            if x in pairs_all:
+                if x not in seen:
+                    seen.add(x)
+                    res.append(x)
+            elif k == "*":
+                new = [o for o in others if o not in seen]
+                seen.update(new)
+                res.extend(new)
+            elif v == "*":
+                new = [o for o in others if o not in seen and o[0] == k]
+                seen.update(new)
+                res.extend(new)
+    return res
diff --git a/beetsplug/fetchart.py b/beetsplug/fetchart.py
index 3473fe08b..b442633da 100644
--- a/beetsplug/fetchart.py
+++ b/beetsplug/fetchart.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ from mediafile import image_mime_type
 from beets import config, importer, plugins, ui, util
 from beets.util import bytestring_path, get_temp_filename, sorted_walk, syspath
 from beets.util.artresizer import ArtResizer
+from beets.util.config import sanitize_pairs
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from collections.abc import Iterable, Iterator, Sequence
@@ -1396,7 +1397,7 @@ class FetchArtPlugin(plugins.BeetsPlugin, RequestMixin):
             if s_cls.available(self._log, self.config)
             for c in s_cls.VALID_MATCHING_CRITERIA
         ]
-        sources = plugins.sanitize_pairs(
+        sources = sanitize_pairs(
             self.config["sources"].as_pairs(default_value="*"),
             available_sources,
         )
diff --git a/beetsplug/lyrics.py b/beetsplug/lyrics.py
index 3e979221c..e2c0c7fd2 100644
--- a/beetsplug/lyrics.py
+++ b/beetsplug/lyrics.py
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ from unidecode import unidecode
 import beets
 from beets import plugins, ui
 from beets.autotag.hooks import string_dist
+from beets.util.config import sanitize_choices
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from logging import Logger
@@ -957,7 +958,7 @@ class LyricsPlugin(RequestHandler, plugins.BeetsPlugin):
     def backends(self) -> list[Backend]:
         user_sources = self.config["sources"].get()
 
-        chosen = plugins.sanitize_choices(user_sources, self.BACKEND_BY_NAME)
+        chosen = sanitize_choices(user_sources, self.BACKEND_BY_NAME)
         if "google" in chosen and not self.config["google_API_key"].get():
             self.warn("Disabling Google source: no API key configured.")
             chosen.remove("google")
diff --git a/test/test_plugins.py b/test/test_plugins.py
index 3e809e492..207522430 100644
--- a/test/test_plugins.py
+++ b/test/test_plugins.py
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
 
 import itertools
 import os
-import unittest
 from unittest.mock import ANY, Mock, patch
 
 import pytest
@@ -215,15 +214,6 @@ class EventsTest(PluginImportTestCase):
         ]
 
 
-class HelpersTest(unittest.TestCase):
-    def test_sanitize_choices(self):
-        assert plugins.sanitize_choices(["A", "Z"], ("A", "B")) == ["A"]
-        assert plugins.sanitize_choices(["A", "A"], ("A")) == ["A"]
-        assert plugins.sanitize_choices(
-            ["D", "*", "A"], ("A", "B", "C", "D")
-        ) == ["D", "B", "C", "A"]
-
-
 class ListenersTest(PluginLoaderTestCase):
     def test_register(self):
         class DummyPlugin(plugins.BeetsPlugin):
diff --git a/test/util/test_config.py b/test/util/test_config.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0c49f85b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/util/test_config.py
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+import unittest
+
+from beets.util.config import sanitize_choices
+
+
+class HelpersTest(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_sanitize_choices(self):
+        assert sanitize_choices(["A", "Z"], ("A", "B")) == ["A"]
+        assert sanitize_choices(["A", "A"], ("A")) == ["A"]
+        assert sanitize_choices(["D", "*", "A"], ("A", "B", "C", "D")) == [
+            "D",
+            "B",
+            "C",
+            "A",
+        ]