diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views.py
index e5fcd045b2..93f867549c 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views.py
@@ -212,8 +212,6 @@ def edit_subsection(request, location):
     policy_metadata = dict((key,value) for key, value in item.metadata.iteritems() 
         if key not in ['display_name', 'start', 'due', 'format'] and key not in item.system_metadata_fields)
 
-    logging.debug(policy_metadata)
-
     return render_to_response('edit_subsection.html',
                               {'subsection': item,
                                'context_course': course,
@@ -487,20 +485,13 @@ def _xmodule_recurse(item, action):
         _xmodule_recurse(child, action)
 
     action(item)
-
-def _delete_item(item, recurse=False):
-    if recurse:
-        children = item.get_children()
-        for child in children:
-            _delete_item(child, recurse)
-        
-    modulestore().delete_item(item.location);
     
 
 @login_required
 @expect_json
 def delete_item(request):
     item_location = request.POST['id']
+    item_loc = Location(item_location)
 
     # check permissions for this user within this course
     if not has_access(request.user, item_location):
@@ -508,16 +499,28 @@ def delete_item(request):
 
     # optional parameter to delete all children (default False)
     delete_children = request.POST.get('delete_children', False)
+    delete_all_versions = request.POST.get('delete_all_versions', False)
 
     item = modulestore().get_item(item_location)
 
+    store = _modulestore(item_loc)
 
-    # @TODO: this probably leaves draft items dangling. 
+
+    # @TODO: this probably leaves draft items dangling. My preferance would be for the semantic to be
+    # if item.location.revision=None, then delete both draft and published version
+    # if caller wants to only delete the draft than the caller should put item.location.revision='draft'
 
     if delete_children:
-        _xmodule_recurse(item, lambda i: _modulestore(i.location).delete_item(i.location))
+        _xmodule_recurse(item, lambda i: store.delete_item(i.location))
     else:
-        _modulestore(item.location).delete_item(item.location)
+        store.delete_item(item.location)
+
+    # cdodge: this is a bit of a hack until I can talk with Cale about the
+    # semantics of delete_item whereby the store is draft aware. Right now calling
+    # delete_item on a vertical tries to delete the draft version leaving the
+    # requested delete to never occur
+    if item.location.revision is None and item.location.category=='vertical' and delete_all_versions:
+        modulestore('direct').delete_item(item.location)       
 
     return HttpResponse()
 
@@ -854,9 +857,9 @@ def asset_index(request, org, course, name):
         display_info['url'] = StaticContent.get_url_path_from_location(asset_location)
         
         # note, due to the schema change we may not have a 'thumbnail_location' in the result set
-        thumbnail_location = Location(asset.get('thumbnail_location', None))
-
-        display_info['thumb_url'] = StaticContent.get_url_path_from_location(thumbnail_location)
+        _thumbnail_location = asset.get('thumbnail_location', None)
+        thumbnail_location = Location(_thumbnail_location) if _thumbnail_location is not None else None
+        display_info['thumb_url'] = StaticContent.get_url_path_from_location(thumbnail_location) if thumbnail_location is not None else None
         
         asset_display.append(display_info)
 
@@ -892,9 +895,6 @@ def create_new_course(request):
     if existing_course is not None:
         return HttpResponse(json.dumps({'ErrMsg': 'There is already a course defined with this name.'}))
 
-    logging.debug(dest_location)
-    logging.debug(template)
-
     new_course = modulestore('direct').clone_item(template, dest_location)
 
     if display_name is not None:
diff --git a/cms/static/js/base.js b/cms/static/js/base.js
index 025cd6da14..b0cb73cb50 100644
--- a/cms/static/js/base.js
+++ b/cms/static/js/base.js
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ function _deleteItem($el) {
     var id = $el.data('id');
     
     $.post('/delete_item', 
-       {'id': id, 'delete_children' : true}, 
+       {'id': id, 'delete_children' : true, 'delete_all_versions' : true}, 
        function(data) {
            $el.remove();
        });
diff --git a/cms/templates/asset_index.html b/cms/templates/asset_index.html
index 5940767c86..1b3ffb6d5d 100644
--- a/cms/templates/asset_index.html
+++ b/cms/templates/asset_index.html
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
       <h1>Asset Library</h1>
       <div class="page-actions">
         <a href="#" class="upload-button">Upload New File</a>
-	      <input type="text" class="asset-search-input search wip-box" placeholder="search assets" />
+	      <input type="text" class="asset-search-input search wip-box" placeholder="search assets" style="display:none"/>
       </div>
       <article class="asset-library">
         <table>
@@ -26,7 +26,11 @@
           % for asset in assets:
             <tr>
               <td class="thumb-col">
-                <div class="thumb"><img src="${asset['thumb_url']}"></div>
+                <div class="thumb">
+                  % if asset['thumb_url'] is not None:
+                  <img src="${asset['thumb_url']}">
+                  % endif
+                </div>
               </td>
               <td class="name-col">
                 <a href="${asset['url']}" class="filename">${asset['displayname']}</a>