diff --git a/tuf/client/client_test.go b/tuf/client/client_test.go
index 986a7aabd5..84c9b9f1a2 100644
--- a/tuf/client/client_test.go
+++ b/tuf/client/client_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package client
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"crypto/sha256"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
@@ -252,7 +253,8 @@ func TestChecksumMismatch(t *testing.T) {
 	orig, err := json.Marshal(sampleTargets)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
-	origHashes := data.GetSupportedHashes(orig)
+	origHashes, err := GetSupportedHashes(orig)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 	remoteStorage.SetMeta("targets", orig)
 
@@ -270,7 +272,8 @@ func TestChecksumMatch(t *testing.T) {
 	orig, err := json.Marshal(sampleTargets)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
-	origHashes := data.GetSupportedHashes(orig)
+	origHashes, err := GetSupportedHashes(orig)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 	remoteStorage.SetMeta("targets", orig)
 
@@ -289,7 +292,8 @@ func TestSizeMismatchLong(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	l := int64(len(orig))
 
-	origHashes := data.GetSupportedHashes(orig)
+	origHashes, err := GetSupportedHashes(orig)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 	remoteStorage.SetMeta("targets", orig)
 
@@ -310,7 +314,9 @@ func TestSizeMismatchShort(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	l := int64(len(orig))
 
-	origHashes := data.GetSupportedHashes(orig)
+	origHashes, err := GetSupportedHashes(orig)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
 	remoteStorage.SetMeta("targets", orig)
 
 	_, _, err = client.downloadSigned("targets", l, origHashes)
@@ -887,3 +893,15 @@ func TestDownloadTimestampLocalTimestampInvalidRemoteTimestamp(t *testing.T) {
 	err = client.downloadTimestamp()
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 }
+
+// GetSupportedHashes is a helper function that returns
+// the checksums of all the supported hash algorithms
+// of the given payload.
+func GetSupportedHashes(payload []byte) (data.Hashes, error) {
+	meta, err := data.NewFileMeta(bytes.NewReader(payload), data.NotaryDefaultHashes...)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return meta.Hashes, nil
+}
diff --git a/tuf/data/types.go b/tuf/data/types.go
index 4f72a06894..b1c706ef5b 100644
--- a/tuf/data/types.go
+++ b/tuf/data/types.go
@@ -160,25 +160,6 @@ func CheckHashes(payload []byte, hashes Hashes) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// GetSupportedHashes returns the checksums of all the supported hash algorithms
-// of the given payload
-func GetSupportedHashes(payload []byte) Hashes {
-	hashes := make(Hashes)
-
-	for _, v := range NotaryDefaultHashes {
-		switch v {
-		case notary.SHA256:
-			checksum := sha256.Sum256(payload)
-			hashes[v] = checksum[:]
-		case notary.SHA512:
-			checksum := sha512.Sum512(payload)
-			hashes[v] = checksum[:]
-		}
-	}
-
-	return hashes
-}
-
 // CheckValidHashStructures returns an error, or nil, depending on whether
 // the content of the hashes is valid or not.
 func CheckValidHashStructures(hashes Hashes) error {
diff --git a/tuf/data/types_test.go b/tuf/data/types_test.go
index 1d69d14e6a..696c163a89 100644
--- a/tuf/data/types_test.go
+++ b/tuf/data/types_test.go
@@ -124,14 +124,6 @@ func TestCheckHashes(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "checksum mismatched")
 }
 
-func TestGetSupportedHashes(t *testing.T) {
-	raw := []byte("Illidan")
-
-	hashes := GetSupportedHashes(raw)
-	err := CheckHashes(raw, hashes)
-	assert.NoError(t, err)
-}
-
 func TestCheckValidHashStructures(t *testing.T) {
 	var err error
 	hashes := make(Hashes)