diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/tests/test_utils.py b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/tests/test_utils.py
index 024e459576..677144e8da 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/tests/test_utils.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -666,6 +666,7 @@ class CategoryMapTestCase(CategoryMapTestMixin, ModuleStoreTestCase):
         self.create_discussion("Chapter 2 / Section 1 / Subsection 2", "Discussion", start=later)
         self.create_discussion("Chapter 3 / Section 1", "Discussion", start=later)
 
+        self.assertFalse(self.course.self_paced)
         self.assert_category_map_equals(
             {
                 "entries": {},
@@ -696,7 +697,102 @@ class CategoryMapTestCase(CategoryMapTestMixin, ModuleStoreTestCase):
                 "children": ["Chapter 1", "Chapter 2"]
             }
         )
-        self.maxDiff = None
+
+    def test_self_paced_start_date_filter(self):
+        self.course.self_paced = True
+        self.course.save()
+
+        now = datetime.datetime.now()
+        later = datetime.datetime.max
+        self.create_discussion("Chapter 1", "Discussion 1", start=now)
+        self.create_discussion("Chapter 1", "Discussion 2", start=later)
+        self.create_discussion("Chapter 2", "Discussion", start=now)
+        self.create_discussion("Chapter 2 / Section 1 / Subsection 1", "Discussion", start=later)
+        self.create_discussion("Chapter 2 / Section 1 / Subsection 2", "Discussion", start=later)
+        self.create_discussion("Chapter 3 / Section 1", "Discussion", start=later)
+
+        self.assertTrue(self.course.self_paced)
+        self.assert_category_map_equals(
+            {
+                "entries": {},
+                "subcategories": {
+                    "Chapter 1": {
+                        "entries": {
+                            "Discussion 1": {
+                                "id": "discussion1",
+                                "sort_key": None,
+                                "is_cohorted": False,
+                            },
+                            "Discussion 2": {
+                                "id": "discussion2",
+                                "sort_key": None,
+                                "is_cohorted": False,
+                            }
+                        },
+                        "subcategories": {},
+                        "children": ["Discussion 1", "Discussion 2"]
+                    },
+                    "Chapter 2": {
+                        "entries": {
+                            "Discussion": {
+                                "id": "discussion3",
+                                "sort_key": None,
+                                "is_cohorted": False,
+                            }
+                        },
+                        "subcategories": {
+                            "Section 1": {
+                                "entries": {},
+                                "subcategories": {
+                                    "Subsection 1": {
+                                        "entries": {
+                                            "Discussion": {
+                                                "id": "discussion4",
+                                                "sort_key": None,
+                                                "is_cohorted": False,
+                                            }
+                                        },
+                                        "subcategories": {},
+                                        "children": ["Discussion"]
+                                    },
+                                    "Subsection 2": {
+                                        "entries": {
+                                            "Discussion": {
+                                                "id": "discussion5",
+                                                "sort_key": None,
+                                                "is_cohorted": False,
+                                            }
+                                        },
+                                        "subcategories": {},
+                                        "children": ["Discussion"]
+                                    }
+                                },
+                                "children": ["Subsection 1", "Subsection 2"]
+                            }
+                        },
+                        "children": ["Discussion", "Section 1"]
+                    },
+                    "Chapter 3": {
+                        "entries": {},
+                        "subcategories": {
+                            "Section 1": {
+                                "entries": {
+                                    "Discussion": {
+                                        "id": "discussion6",
+                                        "sort_key": None,
+                                        "is_cohorted": False,
+                                    }
+                                },
+                                "subcategories": {},
+                                "children": ["Discussion"]
+                            }
+                        },
+                        "children": ["Section 1"]
+                    }
+                },
+                "children": ["Chapter 1", "Chapter 2", "Chapter 3"]
+            }
+        )
 
     def test_sort_inline_explicit(self):
         self.create_discussion("Chapter", "Discussion 1", sort_key="D")
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/utils.py b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/utils.py
index d079b5be41..21730c0bcb 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/utils.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/utils.py
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ def get_discussion_id_map(course, user):
     return dict(map(get_discussion_id_map_entry, get_accessible_discussion_modules(course, user)))
 
 
-def _filter_unstarted_categories(category_map):
+def _filter_unstarted_categories(category_map, course):
     """
     Returns a subset of categories from the provided map which have not yet met the start date
     Includes information about category children, subcategories (different), and entries
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ def _filter_unstarted_categories(category_map):
 
         for child in unfiltered_map["children"]:
             if child in unfiltered_map["entries"]:
-                if unfiltered_map["entries"][child]["start_date"] <= now:
+                if course.self_paced or unfiltered_map["entries"][child]["start_date"] <= now:
                     filtered_map["children"].append(child)
                     filtered_map["entries"][child] = {}
                     for key in unfiltered_map["entries"][child]:
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ def _filter_unstarted_categories(category_map):
                 else:
                     log.debug(u"Filtering out:%s with start_date: %s", child, unfiltered_map["entries"][child]["start_date"])
             else:
-                if unfiltered_map["subcategories"][child]["start_date"] < now:
+                if course.self_paced or unfiltered_map["subcategories"][child]["start_date"] < now:
                     filtered_map["children"].append(child)
                     filtered_map["subcategories"][child] = {}
                     unfiltered_queue.append(unfiltered_map["subcategories"][child])
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ def get_discussion_category_map(course, user, cohorted_if_in_list=False, exclude
 
     _sort_map_entries(category_map, course.discussion_sort_alpha)
 
-    return _filter_unstarted_categories(category_map) if exclude_unstarted else category_map
+    return _filter_unstarted_categories(category_map, course) if exclude_unstarted else category_map
 
 
 def discussion_category_id_access(course, user, discussion_id):
diff --git a/lms/envs/aws.py b/lms/envs/aws.py
index 2d80702cd4..efc425e396 100644
--- a/lms/envs/aws.py
+++ b/lms/envs/aws.py
@@ -190,7 +190,6 @@ if ENV_TOKENS.get('SESSION_COOKIE_NAME', None):
     SESSION_COOKIE_NAME = str(ENV_TOKENS.get('SESSION_COOKIE_NAME'))
 
 BOOK_URL = ENV_TOKENS['BOOK_URL']
-MEDIA_URL = ENV_TOKENS['MEDIA_URL']
 LOG_DIR = ENV_TOKENS['LOG_DIR']
 
 CACHES = ENV_TOKENS['CACHES']