diff --git a/IPython/html/static/base/js/utils.js b/IPython/html/static/base/js/utils.js
index bb903ad..aa85d17 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/base/js/utils.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/base/js/utils.js
@@ -514,6 +514,12 @@ define([
         }
     };
     
+    var mergeopt = function(_class, options, overwrite){
+        options = options || {};
+        overwrite = overwrite || {};
+        return $.extend(true, {}, _class.options_default, options, overwrite);
+    };
+    
     var ajax_error_msg = function (jqXHR) {
         // Return a JSON error message if there is one,
         // otherwise the basic HTTP status text.
@@ -552,6 +558,7 @@ define([
         platform: platform,
         is_or_has : is_or_has,
         is_focused : is_focused,
+        mergeopt: mergeopt,
         ajax_error_msg : ajax_error_msg,
         log_ajax_error : log_ajax_error,
     };
diff --git a/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/cell.js b/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/cell.js
index a747c80..0485ca9 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/cell.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/cell.js
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ define([
         options = options || {};
         this.keyboard_manager = options.keyboard_manager;
         this.events = options.events;
-        var config = this.mergeopt(Cell, options.config);
+        var config = utils.mergeopt(Cell, options.config);
         // superclass default overwrite our default
         
         this.placeholder = config.placeholder || '';
@@ -94,12 +94,6 @@ define([
         Cell.options_default.cm_config.dragDrop = false;
     }
 
-    Cell.prototype.mergeopt = function(_class, options, overwrite){
-        options = options || {};
-        overwrite = overwrite || {};
-        return $.extend(true, {}, _class.options_default, options, overwrite);
-    };
-
     /**
      * Empty. Subclasses must implement create_element.
      * This should contain all the code to create the DOM element in notebook
diff --git a/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/codecell.js b/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/codecell.js
index c7724c4..2703042 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/codecell.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/codecell.js
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ define([
             onKeyEvent: $.proxy(this.handle_keyevent,this)
         };
 
-        var config = this.mergeopt(CodeCell, this.config, {cm_config: cm_overwrite_options});
+        var config = utils.mergeopt(CodeCell, this.config, {cm_config: cm_overwrite_options});
         Cell.apply(this,[{
             config: config, 
             keyboard_manager: options.keyboard_manager, 
diff --git a/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/textcell.js b/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/textcell.js
index 3f98da6..f1c93f5 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/textcell.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/textcell.js
@@ -3,13 +3,14 @@
 
 define([
     'base/js/namespace',
+    'base/js/utils',
     'jquery',
     'notebook/js/cell',
     'base/js/security',
     'notebook/js/mathjaxutils',
     'notebook/js/celltoolbar',
     'components/marked/lib/marked',
-], function(IPython, $, cell, security, mathjaxutils, celltoolbar, marked) {
+], function(IPython, utils, $, cell, security, mathjaxutils, celltoolbar, marked) {
     "use strict";
     var Cell = cell.Cell;
 
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ define([
         var cm_overwrite_options  = {
             onKeyEvent: $.proxy(this.handle_keyevent,this)
         };
-        var config = this.mergeopt(TextCell, this.config, {cm_config:cm_overwrite_options});
+        var config = utils.mergeopt(TextCell, this.config, {cm_config:cm_overwrite_options});
         Cell.apply(this, [{
                     config: config, 
                     keyboard_manager: options.keyboard_manager, 
@@ -230,7 +231,7 @@ define([
         //          keyboard_manager: KeyboardManager instance 
         //          notebook: Notebook instance
         options = options || {};
-        var config = this.mergeopt(MarkdownCell, options.config);
+        var config = utils.mergeopt(MarkdownCell, options.config);
         TextCell.apply(this, [$.extend({}, options, {config: config})]);
 
         this.cell_type = 'markdown';
@@ -283,7 +284,7 @@ define([
         //          keyboard_manager: KeyboardManager instance 
         //          notebook: Notebook instance
         options = options || {};
-        var config = this.mergeopt(RawCell, options.config);
+        var config = utils.mergeopt(RawCell, options.config);
         TextCell.apply(this, [$.extend({}, options, {config: config})]);
 
         // RawCell should always hide its rendered div
@@ -343,7 +344,7 @@ define([
         //          keyboard_manager: KeyboardManager instance 
         //          notebook: Notebook instance
         options = options || {};
-        var config = this.mergeopt(HeadingCell, options.config);
+        var config = utils.mergeopt(HeadingCell, options.config);
         TextCell.apply(this, [$.extend({}, options, {config: config})]);
 
         this.level = 1;