diff --git a/cmd/boulder-ra/main.go b/cmd/boulder-ra/main.go
index c28258e20..1d2e6165f 100644
--- a/cmd/boulder-ra/main.go
+++ b/cmd/boulder-ra/main.go
@@ -39,9 +39,9 @@ func main() {
 		rai := ra.NewRegistrationAuthorityImpl()
 		rai.AuthzBase = c.Common.BaseURL + wfe.AuthzPath
 		rai.MaxKeySize = c.Common.MaxKeySize
-		raDNSTimeout, err := time.ParseDuration(c.RA.DNSTimeout)
+		raDNSTimeout, err := time.ParseDuration(c.Common.DNSTimeout)
 		cmd.FailOnError(err, "Couldn't parse RA DNS timeout")
-		rai.DNSResolver = core.NewDNSResolverImpl(raDNSTimeout, []string{c.RA.DNSResolver})
+		rai.DNSResolver = core.NewDNSResolverImpl(raDNSTimeout, []string{c.Common.DNSResolver})
 
 		go cmd.ProfileCmd("RA", stats)
 
diff --git a/cmd/boulder-va/main.go b/cmd/boulder-va/main.go
index 019a71ec8..b73fb49f0 100644
--- a/cmd/boulder-va/main.go
+++ b/cmd/boulder-va/main.go
@@ -38,9 +38,9 @@ func main() {
 		go cmd.ProfileCmd("VA", stats)
 
 		vai := va.NewValidationAuthorityImpl(c.CA.TestMode)
-		dnsTimeout, err := time.ParseDuration(c.VA.DNSTimeout)
+		dnsTimeout, err := time.ParseDuration(c.Common.DNSTimeout)
 		cmd.FailOnError(err, "Couldn't parse DNS timeout")
-		vai.DNSResolver = core.NewDNSResolverImpl(dnsTimeout, []string{c.VA.DNSResolver})
+		vai.DNSResolver = core.NewDNSResolverImpl(dnsTimeout, []string{c.Common.DNSResolver})
 		vai.UserAgent = c.VA.UserAgent
 
 		for {
diff --git a/cmd/boulder/main.go b/cmd/boulder/main.go
index 863cb267a..76238475f 100644
--- a/cmd/boulder/main.go
+++ b/cmd/boulder/main.go
@@ -91,15 +91,16 @@ func main() {
 		wfei.IssuerCacheDuration, err = time.ParseDuration(c.WFE.IssuerCacheDuration)
 		cmd.FailOnError(err, "Couldn't parse issuer caching duration")
 
+		dnsTimeout, err := time.ParseDuration(c.Common.DNSTimeout)
+		cmd.FailOnError(err, "Couldn't parse DNS timeout")
+		dnsResolver := core.NewDNSResolverImpl(dnsTimeout, []string{c.Common.DNSResolver})
+
 		ra := ra.NewRegistrationAuthorityImpl()
-		raDNSTimeout, err := time.ParseDuration(c.RA.DNSTimeout)
 		cmd.FailOnError(err, "Couldn't parse RA DNS timeout")
-		ra.DNSResolver = core.NewDNSResolverImpl(raDNSTimeout, []string{c.RA.DNSResolver})
+		ra.DNSResolver = dnsResolver
 
 		va := va.NewValidationAuthorityImpl(c.CA.TestMode)
-		vaDNSTimeout, err := time.ParseDuration(c.VA.DNSTimeout)
-		cmd.FailOnError(err, "Couldn't parse VA DNS timeout")
-		va.DNSResolver = core.NewDNSResolverImpl(vaDNSTimeout, []string{c.VA.DNSResolver})
+		va.DNSResolver = dnsResolver
 		va.UserAgent = c.VA.UserAgent
 
 		cadb, err := ca.NewCertificateAuthorityDatabaseImpl(c.CA.DBDriver, c.CA.DBConnect)
diff --git a/cmd/shell.go b/cmd/shell.go
index 2098cb66c..190778f24 100644
--- a/cmd/shell.go
+++ b/cmd/shell.go
@@ -90,9 +90,6 @@ type Config struct {
 	}
 
 	RA struct {
-		DNSResolver string
-		DNSTimeout  string
-
 		// DebugAddr is the address to run the /debug handlers on.
 		DebugAddr string
 	}
@@ -106,9 +103,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	}
 
 	VA struct {
-		DNSResolver string
-		DNSTimeout  string
-		UserAgent   string
+		UserAgent string
 
 		// DebugAddr is the address to run the /debug handlers on.
 		DebugAddr string
@@ -167,6 +162,9 @@ type Config struct {
 		// Path to a PEM-encoded copy of the issuer certificate.
 		IssuerCert string
 		MaxKeySize int
+
+		DNSResolver string
+		DNSTimeout  string
 	}
 
 	SubscriberAgreementURL string
diff --git a/test/boulder-config.json b/test/boulder-config.json
index 6a7bc0f57..241c1f47a 100644
--- a/test/boulder-config.json
+++ b/test/boulder-config.json
@@ -114,8 +114,6 @@
   },
 
   "ra": {
-    "dnsResolver": "8.8.8.8:53",
-    "dnsTimeout": "10s",
     "debugAddr": "localhost:8002"
   },
 
@@ -126,8 +124,6 @@
   },
 
   "va": {
-    "dnsResolver": "8.8.8.8:53",
-    "dnsTimeout": "10s",
     "userAgent": "boulder",
     "debugAddr": "localhost:8004"
   },
@@ -171,7 +167,9 @@
   "common": {
     "baseURL": "http://localhost:4000",
     "issuerCert": "test/test-ca.pem",
-    "maxKeySize": 4096
+    "maxKeySize": 4096,
+    "dnsResolver": "8.8.8.8:53",
+    "dnsTimeout": "10s"
   },
 
   "subscriberAgreementURL": "http://localhost:4300/terms"
diff --git a/test/boulder-pkcs11-example-config.json b/test/boulder-pkcs11-example-config.json
index 6c63900ce..2ff457f0d 100644
--- a/test/boulder-pkcs11-example-config.json
+++ b/test/boulder-pkcs11-example-config.json
@@ -101,8 +101,6 @@
   },
 
   "ra": {
-    "dnsResolver": "8.8.8.8:53",
-    "dnsTimeout": "10s",
     "debugAddr": "localhost:8002"
   },
 
@@ -112,6 +110,11 @@
     "debugAddr": "localhost:8003"
   },
 
+  "va": {
+    "userAgent": "boulder",
+    "debugAddr": "localhost:8004"
+  },
+
   "sql": {
     "SQLDebug": true,
     "CreateTables": true
@@ -150,7 +153,9 @@
 
   "common": {
     "baseURL": "http://localhost:4000",
-    "issuerCert": "test/test-ca.pem"
+    "issuerCert": "test/test-ca.pem",
+    "dnsResolver": "8.8.8.8:53",
+    "dnsTimeout": "10s"
   },
 
   "subscriberAgreementURL": "http://localhost:4000/terms"
diff --git a/test/boulder-test-config.json b/test/boulder-test-config.json
index 640b6b79b..32a5c63be 100644
--- a/test/boulder-test-config.json
+++ b/test/boulder-test-config.json
@@ -105,8 +105,6 @@
   },
 
   "ra": {
-    "dnsResolver": "127.0.0.1:8053",
-    "dnsTimeout": "10s",
     "debugAddr": "localhost:8002"
   },
 
@@ -117,8 +115,6 @@
   },
 
   "va": {
-    "dnsResolver": "127.0.0.1:8053",
-    "dnsTimeout": "10s",
     "userAgent": "boulder",
     "debugAddr": "localhost:8004"
   },
@@ -138,7 +134,9 @@
   "common": {
     "baseURL": "http://localhost:4300",
     "issuerCert": "test/test-ca.pem",
-    "maxKeySize": 4096
+    "maxKeySize": 4096,
+    "dnsResolver": "127.0.0.1:8053",
+    "dnsTimeout": "10s"
   },
 
   "subscriberAgreementURL": "http://example.com/terms"