diff --git a/gerrit-acceptance-framework/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/AbstractDaemonTest.java b/gerrit-acceptance-framework/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/AbstractDaemonTest.java
index 86abd7877c..93d8ca27fa 100644
--- a/gerrit-acceptance-framework/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/AbstractDaemonTest.java
+++ b/gerrit-acceptance-framework/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/AbstractDaemonTest.java
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ package com.google.gerrit.acceptance;
 import static com.google.common.truth.Truth.assertThat;
 import static com.google.gerrit.acceptance.GitUtil.initSsh;
 import static com.google.gerrit.server.group.SystemGroupBackend.REGISTERED_USERS;
-import static com.google.gerrit.server.project.Util.block;
 import static com.google.gerrit.testutil.GerritServerTests.isNoteDbTestEnabled;
 
 import com.google.common.base.Function;
@@ -542,6 +541,14 @@ public abstract class AbstractDaemonTest {
     saveProjectConfig(project, cfg);
   }
 
+  protected PermissionRule block(String permission, AccountGroup.UUID id, String ref)
+      throws Exception {
+    ProjectConfig cfg = projectCache.checkedGet(project).getConfig();
+    PermissionRule rule = Util.block(cfg, permission, id, ref);
+    saveProjectConfig(project, cfg);
+    return rule;
+  }
+
   protected void saveProjectConfig(Project.NameKey p, ProjectConfig cfg)
       throws Exception {
     MetaDataUpdate md = metaDataUpdateFactory.create(p);
@@ -574,16 +581,14 @@ public abstract class AbstractDaemonTest {
     projectCache.evict(config.getProject());
   }
 
-  protected void blockRead(Project.NameKey project, String ref) throws Exception {
-    ProjectConfig cfg = projectCache.checkedGet(project).getConfig();
-    block(cfg, Permission.READ, REGISTERED_USERS, ref);
-    saveProjectConfig(project, cfg);
+  protected void blockRead(String ref) throws Exception {
+    block(Permission.READ, REGISTERED_USERS, ref);
   }
 
   protected void blockForgeCommitter(Project.NameKey project, String ref)
       throws Exception {
     ProjectConfig cfg = projectCache.checkedGet(project).getConfig();
-    block(cfg, Permission.FORGE_COMMITTER, REGISTERED_USERS, ref);
+    Util.block(cfg, Permission.FORGE_COMMITTER, REGISTERED_USERS, ref);
     saveProjectConfig(project, cfg);
   }
 
diff --git a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/git/DraftChangeBlockedIT.java b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/git/DraftChangeBlockedIT.java
index 27b8b0a9d8..41f47a23a8 100644
--- a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/git/DraftChangeBlockedIT.java
+++ b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/git/DraftChangeBlockedIT.java
@@ -15,13 +15,11 @@
 package com.google.gerrit.acceptance.git;
 
 import static com.google.gerrit.server.group.SystemGroupBackend.ANONYMOUS_USERS;
-import static com.google.gerrit.server.project.Util.block;
 
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.AbstractDaemonTest;
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.NoHttpd;
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.PushOneCommit;
 import com.google.gerrit.common.data.Permission;
-import com.google.gerrit.server.git.ProjectConfig;
 
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
@@ -31,9 +29,7 @@ public class DraftChangeBlockedIT extends AbstractDaemonTest {
 
   @Before
   public void setUp() throws Exception {
-    ProjectConfig cfg = projectCache.checkedGet(project).getConfig();
-    block(cfg, Permission.PUSH, ANONYMOUS_USERS, "refs/drafts/*");
-    saveProjectConfig(project, cfg);
+    block(Permission.PUSH, ANONYMOUS_USERS, "refs/drafts/*");
   }
 
   @Test
diff --git a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/change/IndexChangeIT.java b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/change/IndexChangeIT.java
index 53895c090a..7035bf9618 100644
--- a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/change/IndexChangeIT.java
+++ b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/change/IndexChangeIT.java
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ public class IndexChangeIT extends AbstractDaemonTest {
   @Test
   public void indexChangeOnNonVisibleBranch() throws Exception {
     String changeId = createChange().getChangeId();
-    blockRead(project, "refs/heads/master");
+    blockRead("refs/heads/master");
     userSession
         .post("/changes/" + changeId + "/index/")
         .assertNotFound();
diff --git a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/project/CreateBranchIT.java b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/project/CreateBranchIT.java
index 62dd729d1a..46f93b6ae3 100644
--- a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/project/CreateBranchIT.java
+++ b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/project/CreateBranchIT.java
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ package com.google.gerrit.acceptance.rest.project;
 import static com.google.common.truth.Truth.assertThat;
 import static com.google.gerrit.server.group.SystemGroupBackend.ANONYMOUS_USERS;
 import static com.google.gerrit.server.group.SystemGroupBackend.REGISTERED_USERS;
-import static com.google.gerrit.server.project.Util.block;
 
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.AbstractDaemonTest;
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.NoHttpd;
@@ -29,7 +28,6 @@ import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.AuthException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.ResourceConflictException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.RestApiException;
 import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.client.Branch;
-import com.google.gerrit.server.git.ProjectConfig;
 
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Constants;
 import org.junit.Before;
@@ -84,9 +82,7 @@ public class CreateBranchIT extends AbstractDaemonTest {
   }
 
   private void blockCreateReference() throws Exception {
-    ProjectConfig cfg = projectCache.checkedGet(project).getConfig();
-    block(cfg, Permission.CREATE, ANONYMOUS_USERS, "refs/*");
-    saveProjectConfig(project, cfg);
+    block(Permission.CREATE, ANONYMOUS_USERS, "refs/*");
   }
 
   private void grantOwner() throws Exception {
diff --git a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/project/DeleteBranchIT.java b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/project/DeleteBranchIT.java
index c9347cdfba..b02357e1cd 100644
--- a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/project/DeleteBranchIT.java
+++ b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/project/DeleteBranchIT.java
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ package com.google.gerrit.acceptance.rest.project;
 
 import static com.google.gerrit.server.group.SystemGroupBackend.ANONYMOUS_USERS;
 import static com.google.gerrit.server.group.SystemGroupBackend.REGISTERED_USERS;
-import static com.google.gerrit.server.project.Util.block;
 
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.AbstractDaemonTest;
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.NoHttpd;
@@ -26,7 +25,6 @@ import com.google.gerrit.extensions.api.projects.BranchInput;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.AuthException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.ResourceNotFoundException;
 import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.client.Branch;
-import com.google.gerrit.server.git.ProjectConfig;
 
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
@@ -76,9 +74,7 @@ public class DeleteBranchIT extends AbstractDaemonTest {
   }
 
   private void blockForcePush() throws Exception {
-    ProjectConfig cfg = projectCache.checkedGet(project).getConfig();
-    block(cfg, Permission.PUSH, ANONYMOUS_USERS, "refs/heads/*").setForce(true);
-    saveProjectConfig(project, cfg);
+    block(Permission.PUSH, ANONYMOUS_USERS, "refs/heads/*").setForce(true);
   }
 
   private void grantOwner() throws Exception {
diff --git a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/project/GetCommitIT.java b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/project/GetCommitIT.java
index 6d00d48470..d32be8bf40 100644
--- a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/project/GetCommitIT.java
+++ b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/project/GetCommitIT.java
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ public class GetCommitIT extends AbstractDaemonTest {
   @Before
   public void setUp() throws Exception {
     repo = GitUtil.newTestRepository(repoManager.openRepository(project));
-    blockRead(project, "refs/*");
+    blockRead("refs/*");
   }
 
   @After
diff --git a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/project/ListBranchesIT.java b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/project/ListBranchesIT.java
index 6617127334..d3a88d8cbe 100644
--- a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/project/ListBranchesIT.java
+++ b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/project/ListBranchesIT.java
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ public class ListBranchesIT extends AbstractDaemonTest {
 
   @Test
   public void listBranchesOfNonVisibleProject_NotFound() throws Exception {
-    blockRead(project, "refs/*");
+    blockRead("refs/*");
     setApiUser(user);
     exception.expect(ResourceNotFoundException.class);
     gApi.projects().name(project.get()).branches().get();
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ public class ListBranchesIT extends AbstractDaemonTest {
 
   @Test
   public void listBranchesSomeHidden() throws Exception {
-    blockRead(project, "refs/heads/dev");
+    blockRead("refs/heads/dev");
     String master = pushTo("refs/heads/master").getCommit().name();
     pushTo("refs/heads/dev");
     setApiUser(user);
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ public class ListBranchesIT extends AbstractDaemonTest {
 
   @Test
   public void listBranchesHeadHidden() throws Exception {
-    blockRead(project, "refs/heads/master");
+    blockRead("refs/heads/master");
     pushTo("refs/heads/master");
     String dev = pushTo("refs/heads/dev").getCommit().name();
     setApiUser(user);
diff --git a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/project/TagsIT.java b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/project/TagsIT.java
index cb4aea3dfa..33cfe9911c 100644
--- a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/project/TagsIT.java
+++ b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/project/TagsIT.java
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ public class TagsIT extends AbstractDaemonTest {
 
   @Test
   public void listTagsOfNonVisibleProject() throws Exception {
-    blockRead(project, "refs/*");
+    blockRead("refs/*");
     userSession
         .get("/projects/" + project.get() + "/tags")
         .assertNotFound();
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ public class TagsIT extends AbstractDaemonTest {
 
   @Test
   public void listTagsOfNonVisibleProjectWithApi() throws Exception {
-    blockRead(project, "refs/*");
+    blockRead("refs/*");
     setApiUser(user);
     exception.expect(ResourceNotFoundException.class);
     gApi.projects().name(project.get()).tags().get();
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ public class TagsIT extends AbstractDaemonTest {
 
   @Test
   public void getTagOfNonVisibleProjectWithApi() throws Exception {
-    blockRead(project, "refs/*");
+    blockRead("refs/*");
     exception.expect(ResourceNotFoundException.class);
     gApi.projects().name(project.get()).tag("tag").get();
   }
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ public class TagsIT extends AbstractDaemonTest {
     assertThat(result.get(1).ref).isEqualTo("refs/tags/" + tag2.name);
     assertThat(result.get(1).revision).isEqualTo(r2.getCommitId().getName());
 
-    blockRead(project, "refs/heads/hidden");
+    blockRead("refs/heads/hidden");
     result = getTags().get();
     assertThat(result).hasSize(1);
     assertThat(result.get(0).ref).isEqualTo("refs/tags/" + tag1.name);