diff --git a/cms/static/js/base.js b/cms/static/js/base.js
index bd8dc0bae8..7466233331 100644
--- a/cms/static/js/base.js
+++ b/cms/static/js/base.js
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ $(document).ready(function () {
     });
 
     // general link management - smooth scrolling page links
-    $('a[rel*="view"]').bind('click', linkSmoothScroll);
+    $('a[rel*="view"][href^="#"]').bind('click', smoothScrollLink);
 
 
     // toggling overview section details
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ $(document).ready(function () {
     });
 });
 
-function linkSmoothScroll(e) {
+function smoothScrollLink(e) {
     (e).preventDefault();
 
     $.smoothScroll({ 
diff --git a/cms/templates/howitworks.html b/cms/templates/howitworks.html
index 1cf9b17710..7a819fceba 100644
--- a/cms/templates/howitworks.html
+++ b/cms/templates/howitworks.html
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@
     <figcaption class="description">Simple two-level outline to organize your couse. Drag and drop, and see your course at a glance.</figcaption>
   </figure>
 
-  <a href="#" rel="view" class="action action-modal-close">
+  <a href="" rel="view" class="action action-modal-close">
     <i class="ss-icon ss-symbolicons-block icon icon-close">&#x2421;</i>
     <span class="label">close modal</span>
   </a>
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@
     <figcaption class="description">Quickly create videos, text snippets, inline discussions, and a variety of problem types.</figcaption>
   </figure>
 
-  <a href="#" rel="view" class="action action-modal-close">
+  <a href="" rel="view" class="action action-modal-close">
     <i class="ss-icon ss-symbolicons-block icon icon-close">&#x2421;</i>
     <span class="label">close modal</span>
   </a>
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@
     <figcaption class="description">Simply set the date of a section or subsection, and Studio will publish it to your students for you.</figcaption>
   </figure>
 
-  <a href="#" rel="view" class="action action-modal-close">
+  <a href="" rel="view" class="action action-modal-close">
     <i class="ss-icon ss-symbolicons-block icon icon-close">&#x2421;</i>
     <span class="label">close modal</span>
   </a>