diff --git a/api/registrations/serializers.py b/api/registrations/serializers.py
index 99991356be6..e45c74a22d1 100644
--- a/api/registrations/serializers.py
+++ b/api/registrations/serializers.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 from framework.auth.core import Auth
 from osf.exceptions import ValidationValueError, NodeStateError
 from osf.models import Node, RegistrationSchema
+from osf.utils.registrations import strip_registered_meta_comments
 from website.settings import ANONYMIZED_TITLES
 from framework.sentry import log_exception
 
@@ -387,7 +388,8 @@ def anonymize_registered_meta(self, obj):
         matching ANONYMIZED_TITLES.  If present, deletes that question's response
         from meta_values.
         """
-        meta_values = obj.registered_meta.values()[0]
+        meta_values = strip_registered_meta_comments(obj.registered_meta.values()[0])
+
         if is_anonymized(self.context['request']):
             registration_schema = RegistrationSchema.objects.get(_id=obj.registered_schema_id)
             for page in registration_schema.schema['pages']:
@@ -395,7 +397,6 @@ def anonymize_registered_meta(self, obj):
                     if question['title'] in ANONYMIZED_TITLES and meta_values.get(question.get('qid')):
                         del meta_values[question['qid']]
 
-        strip_registered_meta_comments(meta_values)
         return meta_values
 
     def check_admin_perms(self, registration, user, validated_data):
@@ -621,33 +622,3 @@ class RegistrationStorageProviderSerializer(NodeStorageProviderSerializer):
         kind='folder',
         never_embed=True,
     )
-
-def strip_registered_meta_comments(messy_dict_or_list):
-    """Removes Prereg Challenge comments from a given `registered_meta` dict.
-
-    Nothing that uses APIv2 needs these comments:
-    ```
-    {
-        "registered_meta": {
-            "q20": {
-                "comments": [ ... ], <~~~ THIS
-                "value": "foo",
-                "extra": []
-            },
-        }
-    }
-    ```
-    """
-    if isinstance(messy_dict_or_list, list):
-        for obj in messy_dict_or_list:
-            strip_registered_meta_comments(obj)
-    elif isinstance(messy_dict_or_list, dict):
-        comments = messy_dict_or_list.get('comments', None)
-
-        # some schemas have a question named "comments" -- those will have a dict value
-        if isinstance(comments, list):
-            del messy_dict_or_list['comments']
-
-        # dig into the deeply nested structure
-        for nested_obj in messy_dict_or_list.values():
-            strip_registered_meta_comments(nested_obj)
diff --git a/osf/utils/registrations.py b/osf/utils/registrations.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a346ad5dc2b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/osf/utils/registrations.py
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+import copy
+
+def strip_registered_meta_comments(messy_dict_or_list, in_place=False):
+    """Removes Prereg Challenge comments from a given `registered_meta` dict.
+
+    Nothing publicly exposed needs these comments:
+    ```
+    {
+        "registered_meta": {
+            "q20": {
+                "comments": [ ... ], <~~~ THIS
+                "value": "foo",
+                "extra": []
+            },
+        }
+    }
+    ```
+
+    If `in_place` is truthy, modifies `messy_dict_or_list` and returns it.
+    Else, returns a deep copy without modifying the given `messy_dict_or_list`
+    """
+    obj = messy_dict_or_list if in_place else copy.deepcopy(messy_dict_or_list)
+
+    if isinstance(obj, list):
+        for nested_obj in obj:
+            strip_registered_meta_comments(nested_obj, in_place=True)
+    elif isinstance(obj, dict):
+        comments = obj.get('comments', None)
+
+        # some schemas have a question named "comments" -- those will have a dict value
+        if isinstance(comments, list):
+            del obj['comments']
+
+        # dig into the deeply nested structure
+        for nested_obj in obj.values():
+            strip_registered_meta_comments(nested_obj, in_place=True)
+    return obj
diff --git a/website/project/views/node.py b/website/project/views/node.py
index 6aadef2398d..d5944de5f94 100644
--- a/website/project/views/node.py
+++ b/website/project/views/node.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 from framework.exceptions import HTTPError
 from osf.models.nodelog import NodeLog
 from osf.utils.functional import rapply
+from osf.utils.registrations import strip_registered_meta_comments
 from osf.utils import sanitize
 from osf import features
 
@@ -762,7 +763,7 @@ def _view_project(node, auth, primary=False,
             'registered_from_url': node.registered_from.url if is_registration else '',
             'registered_date': iso8601format(node.registered_date) if is_registration else '',
             'root_id': node.root._id if node.root else None,
-            'registered_meta': node.registered_meta,
+            'registered_meta': strip_registered_meta_comments(node.registered_meta),
             'registered_schemas': serialize_meta_schemas(list(node.registered_schema.all())) if is_registration else False,
             'is_fork': node.is_fork,
             'is_collected': node.is_collected,