diff --git a/question/engine/lib.php b/question/engine/lib.php
index 1889378e87d..b65ce4b9c24 100644
--- a/question/engine/lib.php
+++ b/question/engine/lib.php
@@ -954,6 +954,65 @@ abstract class question_utils {
         $text = str_replace('@@PLUGINFILE@@/', 'http://example.com/', $text);
         return html_to_text(format_text($text, $format, $options), 0, false);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Get the options required to configure the filepicker for one of the editor
+     * toolbar buttons.
+     * @param mixed $acceptedtypes array of types of '*'.
+     * @param int $draftitemid the draft area item id.
+     * @param object $context the context.
+     * @return object the required options.
+     */
+    protected static function specific_filepicker_options($acceptedtypes, $draftitemid, $context) {
+        $filepickeroptions = new stdClass();
+        $filepickeroptions->accepted_types = $acceptedtypes;
+        $filepickeroptions->return_types = FILE_INTERNAL | FILE_EXTERNAL;
+        $filepickeroptions->context = $context;
+        $filepickeroptions->env = 'filepicker';
+
+        $options = initialise_filepicker($filepickeroptions);
+        $options->context = $context;
+        $options->client_id = uniqid();
+        $options->env = 'editor';
+        $options->itemid = $draftitemid;
+
+        return $options;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get filepicker options for question related text areas.
+     * @param object $context the context.
+     * @param int $draftitemid the draft area item id.
+     * @return array An array of options
+     */
+    public static function get_filepicker_options($context, $draftitemid) {
+        return [
+                'image' => self::specific_filepicker_options(['image'], $draftitemid, $context),
+                'media' => self::specific_filepicker_options(['video', 'audio'], $draftitemid, $context),
+                'link'  => self::specific_filepicker_options('*', $draftitemid, $context),
+            ];
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get editor options for question related text areas.
+     * @param object $context the context.
+     * @return array An array of options
+     */
+    public static function get_editor_options($context) {
+        global $CFG;
+
+        $editoroptions = [
+                'subdirs'  => 0,
+                'context'  => $context,
+                'maxfiles' => EDITOR_UNLIMITED_FILES,
+                'maxbytes' => $CFG->maxbytes,
+                'noclean' => 0,
+                'trusttext' => 0,
+                'autosave' => false
+        ];
+
+        return $editoroptions;
+    }
 }
 
 
diff --git a/question/type/essay/renderer.php b/question/type/essay/renderer.php
index a6352ef2580..99f4075f1df 100644
--- a/question/type/essay/renderer.php
+++ b/question/type/essay/renderer.php
@@ -358,28 +358,27 @@ class qtype_essay_format_editorfilepicker_renderer extends qtype_essay_format_ed
                 $name, $context->id, $step->get_qt_var($name));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Get editor options for question response text area.
+     * @param object $context the context the attempt belongs to.
+     * @return array options for the editor.
+     */
     protected function get_editor_options($context) {
-        // Disable the text-editor autosave because quiz has it's own auto save function.
-        return array(
-            'subdirs' => 0,
-            'maxbytes' => 0,
-            'maxfiles' => -1,
-            'context' => $context,
-            'noclean' => 0,
-            'trusttext'=> 0,
-            'autosave' => false
-        );
+        return question_utils::get_editor_options($context);
     }
 
     /**
      * Get the options required to configure the filepicker for one of the editor
      * toolbar buttons.
+     * @deprecated since 3.5
      * @param mixed $acceptedtypes array of types of '*'.
      * @param int $draftitemid the draft area item id.
      * @param object $context the context.
      * @return object the required options.
      */
     protected function specific_filepicker_options($acceptedtypes, $draftitemid, $context) {
+        debugging('specific_filepicker_options() is deprecated, use get_filepicker_options instead.', DEBUG_DEVELOPER);
+
         $filepickeroptions = new stdClass();
         $filepickeroptions->accepted_types = $acceptedtypes;
         $filepickeroptions->return_types = FILE_INTERNAL | FILE_EXTERNAL;
@@ -395,17 +394,13 @@ class qtype_essay_format_editorfilepicker_renderer extends qtype_essay_format_ed
         return $options;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @param object $context the context the attempt belongs to.
+     * @param int $draftitemid draft item id.
+     * @return array filepicker options for the editor.
+     */
     protected function get_filepicker_options($context, $draftitemid) {
-        global $CFG;
-
-        return array(
-            'image' => $this->specific_filepicker_options(array('image'),
-                            $draftitemid, $context),
-            'media' => $this->specific_filepicker_options(array('video', 'audio'),
-                            $draftitemid, $context),
-            'link'  => $this->specific_filepicker_options('*',
-                            $draftitemid, $context),
-        );
+        return question_utils::get_filepicker_options($context, $draftitemid);
     }
 
     protected function filepicker_html($inputname, $draftitemid) {