diff --git a/src/core/server/saved_objects/saved_objects_service.ts b/src/core/server/saved_objects/saved_objects_service.ts
index e586e7189b3e6..02f2c013ee6bb 100644
--- a/src/core/server/saved_objects/saved_objects_service.ts
+++ b/src/core/server/saved_objects/saved_objects_service.ts
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ import { KibanaConfigType } from '../kibana_config';
 import { migrationsRetryCallCluster } from '../elasticsearch/retry_call_cluster';
 import { SavedObjectsConfigType } from './saved_objects_config';
 import { KibanaRequest } from '../http';
-import { SavedObjectsClientContract, SavedObjectsLegacyMapping } from './types';
+import { SavedObjectsClientContract } from './types';
 import { ISavedObjectsRepository, SavedObjectsRepository } from './service/lib/repository';
 import {
   SavedObjectsClientFactoryProvider,
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ import { SavedObjectsTypeMapping } from './mappings';
 import { MigrationDefinition } from './migrations/core/document_migrator';
 import { SavedObjectsSchemaDefinition } from './schema';
 import { PropertyValidators } from './validation';
-// import { PluginOpaqueId } from '..';
+import { convertLegacyMappings } from './utils';
 
 /**
  * Saved Objects is Kibana's data persistence mechanism allowing plugins to
@@ -377,18 +377,3 @@ export class SavedObjectsService
     });
   }
 }
-
-const convertLegacyMappings = (
-  legacyMappings: SavedObjectsLegacyMapping[]
-): SavedObjectsTypeMapping[] => {
-  return legacyMappings.reduce((mappings, { pluginId, properties }) => {
-    return [
-      ...mappings,
-      ...Object.entries(properties).map(([type, definition]) => ({
-        pluginId,
-        type,
-        definition,
-      })),
-    ];
-  }, [] as SavedObjectsTypeMapping[]);
-};
diff --git a/src/core/server/saved_objects/utils.ts b/src/core/server/saved_objects/utils.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..5da7c6d73522b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/server/saved_objects/utils.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+/*
+ * Licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one or more contributor
+ * license agreements. See the NOTICE file distributed with
+ * this work for additional information regarding copyright
+ * ownership. Elasticsearch B.V. licenses this file to you 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.
+ */
+
+import { SavedObjectsLegacyMapping } from './types';
+import { SavedObjectsTypeMapping } from './mappings';
+
+export const convertLegacyMappings = (
+  legacyMappings: SavedObjectsLegacyMapping[]
+): SavedObjectsTypeMapping[] => {
+  return legacyMappings.reduce((mappings, { pluginId, properties }) => {
+    return [
+      ...mappings,
+      ...Object.entries(properties).map(([type, definition]) => ({
+        pluginId,
+        type,
+        definition,
+      })),
+    ];
+  }, [] as SavedObjectsTypeMapping[]);
+};
diff --git a/src/es_archiver/lib/indices/kibana_index.js b/src/es_archiver/lib/indices/kibana_index.js
index 744132bdcef69..202e7c4ea9590 100644
--- a/src/es_archiver/lib/indices/kibana_index.js
+++ b/src/es_archiver/lib/indices/kibana_index.js
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import { toArray } from 'rxjs/operators';
 import { deleteIndex } from './delete_index';
 import { collectUiExports } from '../../../legacy/ui/ui_exports';
 import { KibanaMigrator } from '../../../core/server/saved_objects/migrations';
+import { convertLegacyMappings } from '../../../core/server/saved_objects/utils';
 import { SavedObjectsSchema } from '../../../core/server/saved_objects';
 import { findPluginSpecs } from '../../../legacy/plugin_discovery';
 
@@ -103,7 +104,7 @@ export async function migrateKibanaIndex({ client, log, kibanaPluginIds }) {
     },
     version: kibanaVersion,
     savedObjectSchemas: new SavedObjectsSchema(uiExports.savedObjectSchemas),
-    savedObjectMappings: uiExports.savedObjectMappings,
+    savedObjectMappings: convertLegacyMappings(uiExports.savedObjectMappings),
     savedObjectMigrations: uiExports.savedObjectMigrations,
     savedObjectValidations: uiExports.savedObjectValidations,
     callCluster: (path, ...args) => _.get(client, path).call(client, ...args),