diff --git a/packages/server/src/utilities/accessLevels.js b/packages/server/src/utilities/accessLevels.js
index bc8ae4cb77..8e318d03d3 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/utilities/accessLevels.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/utilities/accessLevels.js
@@ -1,106 +1,29 @@
-const viewController = require("../api/controllers/view")
-const modelController = require("../api/controllers/model")
-const workflowController = require("../api/controllers/workflow")
-
-// Access Level IDs
-const ADMIN_LEVEL_ID = "ADMIN"
-const POWERUSER_LEVEL_ID = "POWER_USER"
-const BUILDER_LEVEL_ID = "BUILDER"
-const ANON_LEVEL_ID = "ANON"
-
 // Permissions
-const READ_MODEL = "read-model"
-const WRITE_MODEL = "write-model"
-const READ_VIEW = "read-view"
-const EXECUTE_WORKFLOW = "execute-workflow"
-const USER_MANAGEMENT = "user-management"
-const BUILDER = "builder"
-const LIST_USERS = "list-users"
-
-const adminPermissions = [
+module.exports.READ_MODEL = "read-model"
+module.exports.WRITE_MODEL = "write-model"
+module.exports.READ_VIEW = "read-view"
+module.exports.EXECUTE_WORKFLOW = "execute-workflow"
+module.exports.USER_MANAGEMENT = "user-management"
+module.exports.BUILDER = "builder"
+module.exports.LIST_USERS = "list-users"
+// Access Level IDs
+module.exports.ADMIN_LEVEL_ID = "ADMIN"
+module.exports.POWERUSER_LEVEL_ID = "POWER_USER"
+module.exports.BUILDER_LEVEL_ID = "BUILDER"
+module.exports.ANON_LEVEL_ID = "ANON"
+module.exports.ACCESS_LEVELS = [
+  module.exports.ADMIN_LEVEL_ID,
+  module.exports.POWERUSER_LEVEL_ID,
+  module.exports.BUILDER_LEVEL_ID,
+  module.exports.ANON_LEVEL_ID,
+]
+module.exports.adminPermissions = [
   {
-    name: USER_MANAGEMENT,
+    name: module.exports.USER_MANAGEMENT,
   },
 ]
 
-const generateAdminPermissions = async instanceId => [
-  ...adminPermissions,
-  ...(await generatePowerUserPermissions(instanceId)),
-]
-
-const generatePowerUserPermissions = async instanceId => {
-  const fetchModelsCtx = {
-    user: {
-      instanceId,
-    },
-  }
-  await modelController.fetch(fetchModelsCtx)
-  const models = fetchModelsCtx.body
-
-  const fetchViewsCtx = {
-    user: {
-      instanceId,
-    },
-  }
-  await viewController.fetch(fetchViewsCtx)
-  const views = fetchViewsCtx.body
-
-  const fetchWorkflowsCtx = {
-    user: {
-      instanceId,
-    },
-  }
-  await workflowController.fetch(fetchWorkflowsCtx)
-  const workflows = fetchWorkflowsCtx.body
-
-  const readModelPermissions = models.map(m => ({
-    itemId: m._id,
-    name: READ_MODEL,
-  }))
-
-  const writeModelPermissions = models.map(m => ({
-    itemId: m._id,
-    name: WRITE_MODEL,
-  }))
-
-  const viewPermissions = views.map(v => ({
-    itemId: v.name,
-    name: READ_VIEW,
-  }))
-
-  const executeWorkflowPermissions = workflows.map(w => ({
-    itemId: w._id,
-    name: EXECUTE_WORKFLOW,
-  }))
-
-  return [
-    ...readModelPermissions,
-    ...writeModelPermissions,
-    ...viewPermissions,
-    ...executeWorkflowPermissions,
-    { name: LIST_USERS },
-  ]
-}
-
-module.exports = {
-  ADMIN_LEVEL_ID,
-  POWERUSER_LEVEL_ID,
-  BUILDER_LEVEL_ID,
-  ANON_LEVEL_ID,
-  ACCESS_LEVELS: [
-    ADMIN_LEVEL_ID,
-    POWERUSER_LEVEL_ID,
-    BUILDER_LEVEL_ID,
-    ANON_LEVEL_ID,
-  ],
-  READ_MODEL,
-  WRITE_MODEL,
-  READ_VIEW,
-  EXECUTE_WORKFLOW,
-  USER_MANAGEMENT,
-  BUILDER,
-  LIST_USERS,
-  adminPermissions,
-  generateAdminPermissions,
-  generatePowerUserPermissions,
-}
+// to avoid circular dependencies this is included later, after exporting all enums
+const permissions = require("./permissions")
+module.exports.generateAdminPermissions = permissions.generateAdminPermissions
+module.exports.generatePowerUserPermissions = permissions.generatePowerUserPermissions
diff --git a/packages/server/src/utilities/permissions.js b/packages/server/src/utilities/permissions.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0c5b2603f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/server/src/utilities/permissions.js
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+const viewController = require("../api/controllers/view")
+const modelController = require("../api/controllers/model")
+const workflowController = require("../api/controllers/workflow")
+const accessLevels = require("./accessLevels")
+
+// this has been broken out to reduce risk of circular dependency from utilities, no enums defined here
+const generateAdminPermissions = async instanceId => [
+  ...accessLevels.adminPermissions,
+  ...(await generatePowerUserPermissions(instanceId)),
+]
+
+const generatePowerUserPermissions = async instanceId => {
+  const fetchModelsCtx = {
+    user: {
+      instanceId,
+    },
+  }
+  await modelController.fetch(fetchModelsCtx)
+  const models = fetchModelsCtx.body
+
+  const fetchViewsCtx = {
+    user: {
+      instanceId,
+    },
+  }
+  await viewController.fetch(fetchViewsCtx)
+  const views = fetchViewsCtx.body
+
+  const fetchWorkflowsCtx = {
+    user: {
+      instanceId,
+    },
+  }
+  await workflowController.fetch(fetchWorkflowsCtx)
+  const workflows = fetchWorkflowsCtx.body
+
+  const readModelPermissions = models.map(m => ({
+    itemId: m._id,
+    name: accessLevels.READ_MODEL,
+  }))
+
+  const writeModelPermissions = models.map(m => ({
+    itemId: m._id,
+    name: accessLevels.WRITE_MODEL,
+  }))
+
+  const viewPermissions = views.map(v => ({
+    itemId: v.name,
+    name: accessLevels.READ_VIEW,
+  }))
+
+  const executeWorkflowPermissions = workflows.map(w => ({
+    itemId: w._id,
+    name: accessLevels.EXECUTE_WORKFLOW,
+  }))
+
+  return [
+    ...readModelPermissions,
+    ...writeModelPermissions,
+    ...viewPermissions,
+    ...executeWorkflowPermissions,
+    { name: accessLevels.LIST_USERS },
+  ]
+}
+module.exports.generateAdminPermissions = generateAdminPermissions
+module.exports.generatePowerUserPermissions = generatePowerUserPermissions
diff --git a/packages/server/src/workflows/steps/createUser.js b/packages/server/src/workflows/steps/createUser.js
index 35aa9bd31c..8b7d47ed09 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/workflows/steps/createUser.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/workflows/steps/createUser.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
+const accessLevels = require("../../utilities/accessLevels")
 const userController = require("../../api/controllers/user")
-let accessLevels = require("../../utilities/accessLevels")
 
 module.exports.definition = {
   description: "Create a new user",