diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_contentstore.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_contentstore.py
index c8a21a3a86..f295624d1e 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_contentstore.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_contentstore.py
@@ -945,8 +945,17 @@ class ContentStoreToyCourseTest(ModuleStoreTestCase):
                                                   'vertical', 'vertical_test', None]), depth=1)
 
         self.assertTrue(getattr(vertical, 'is_draft', False))
+        self.assertNotIn('index_in_children_list', child.xml_attributes)
+        self.assertNotIn('parent_sequential_url', vertical.xml_attributes)
+                
         for child in vertical.get_children():
             self.assertTrue(getattr(child, 'is_draft', False))
+            self.assertNotIn('index_in_children_list', child.xml_attributes)
+            if hasattr(child, 'data'):
+                self.assertNotIn('index_in_children_list', child.data)
+            self.assertNotIn('parent_sequential_url', child.xml_attributes)
+            if hasattr(child, 'data'):
+                self.assertNotIn('parent_sequential_url', child.data)
 
         # make sure that we don't have a sequential that is in draft mode
         sequential = draft_store.get_item(Location(['i4x', 'edX', 'toy',
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/xml_importer.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/xml_importer.py
index dac0aea273..14d33a258b 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/xml_importer.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/xml_importer.py
@@ -212,6 +212,15 @@ def import_module(module, store, course_data_path, static_content_store,
 
     # NOTE: It's important to use own_metadata here to avoid writing
     # inherited metadata everywhere.
+
+    # remove any export/import only xml_attributes which are used to wire together draft imports
+    if 'parent_sequential_url' in module.xml_attributes:
+        del module.xml_attributes['parent_sequential_url']
+
+    if 'index_in_children_list' in module.xml_attributes:
+        del module.xml_attributes['index_in_children_list']
+    module.save()
+
     store.update_metadata(module.location, dict(own_metadata(module)))
 
 
@@ -281,7 +290,7 @@ def import_course_draft(xml_module_store, store, draft_store, course_data_path,
                         # this is to make sure private only verticals show up in the list of children since
                         # they would have been filtered out from the non-draft store export
                         if module.location.category == 'vertical':
-                            module.location = module.location._replace(revision=None)
+                            non_draft_location = module.location._replace(revision=None)
                             sequential_url = module.xml_attributes['parent_sequential_url']
                             index = int(module.xml_attributes['index_in_children_list'])
 
@@ -291,15 +300,12 @@ def import_course_draft(xml_module_store, store, draft_store, course_data_path,
                             seq_location = seq_location._replace(org=target_location_namespace.org,
                                                                  course=target_location_namespace.course
                                                                  )
-                            sequential = store.get_item(seq_location)
+                            sequential = store.get_item(seq_location, depth=0)
 
-                            if module.location.url() not in sequential.children:
-                                sequential.children.insert(index, module.location.url())
+                            if non_draft_location.url() not in sequential.children:
+                                sequential.children.insert(index, non_draft_location.url())
                                 store.update_children(sequential.location, sequential.children)
 
-                            del module.xml_attributes['parent_sequential_url']
-                            del module.xml_attributes['index_in_children_list']
-
                         import_module(module, draft_store, course_data_path, static_content_store,
                                       source_location_namespace, target_location_namespace, allow_not_found=True)
                         for child in module.get_children():