diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/licenses/management/commands/generate_serial_numbers.py b/lms/djangoapps/licenses/management/commands/generate_serial_numbers.py
index 4409f1cb45..063ae02c47 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/licenses/management/commands/generate_serial_numbers.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/licenses/management/commands/generate_serial_numbers.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ from django.core.management.base import BaseCommand, CommandError
 from xmodule.modulestore.django import modulestore
 
 from licenses.models import CourseSoftware, UserLicense
+from xmodule.modulestore.locations import SlashSeparatedCourseKey
 
 
 class Command(BaseCommand):
@@ -36,10 +37,8 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
             raise CommandError("Incorrect number of arguments")
 
         course_id = args[0]
-        courses = modulestore().get_courses()
-        known_course_ids = set(c.id for c in courses)
-
-        if course_id not in known_course_ids:
+        course_key = SlashSeparatedCourseKey.from_deprecated_string(course_id)
+        if not modulestore().has_course(course_key):
             raise CommandError("Unknown course_id")
 
         software_name = escape(args[1].lower())
@@ -49,7 +48,7 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
         except ValueError:
             raise CommandError("Invalid <count> argument.")
 
-        return course_id, software_name, count
+        return course_key, software_name, count
 
     def _generate_serials(self, software, count):
         print "Generating {0} serials".format(count)
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/licenses/management/commands/import_serial_numbers.py b/lms/djangoapps/licenses/management/commands/import_serial_numbers.py
index 0a08ea83d3..50c61509c4 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/licenses/management/commands/import_serial_numbers.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/licenses/management/commands/import_serial_numbers.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ from django.core.management.base import BaseCommand, CommandError
 from xmodule.modulestore.django import modulestore
 
 from licenses.models import CourseSoftware, UserLicense
+from xmodule.modulestore.locations import SlashSeparatedCourseKey
 
 
 class Command(BaseCommand):
@@ -36,10 +37,8 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
             raise CommandError("Incorrect number of arguments")
 
         course_id = args[0]
-        courses = modulestore().get_courses()
-        known_course_ids = set(c.id for c in courses)
-
-        if course_id not in known_course_ids:
+        course_key = SlashSeparatedCourseKey.from_deprecated_string(course_id)
+        if not modulestore().has_course(course_key):
             raise CommandError("Unknown course_id")
 
         software_name = escape(args[1].lower())
@@ -48,7 +47,7 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
         if not os.path.exists(filename):
             raise CommandError("Cannot find filename {0}".format(filename))
 
-        return course_id, software_name, filename
+        return course_key, software_name, filename
 
     def _import_serials(self, software, filename):
         print "Importing serial numbers for {0}.".format(software)
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/licenses/tests.py b/lms/djangoapps/licenses/tests.py
index a416c59455..d9f190826c 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/licenses/tests.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/licenses/tests.py
@@ -156,12 +156,12 @@ class CommandTest(ModuleStoreTestCase):
 
         log.debug('Adding one set of serials for {0}'.format(SOFTWARE_1))
         with generate_serials_file(size) as temp_file:
-            args = [self.course_id, SOFTWARE_1, temp_file.name]
+            args = [self.course_id.to_deprecated_string(), SOFTWARE_1, temp_file.name]
             call_command('import_serial_numbers', *args)
 
         log.debug('Adding one set of serials for {0}'.format(SOFTWARE_2))
         with generate_serials_file(size) as temp_file:
-            args = [self.course_id, SOFTWARE_2, temp_file.name]
+            args = [self.course_id.to_deprecated_string(), SOFTWARE_2, temp_file.name]
             call_command('import_serial_numbers', *args)
 
         log.debug('There should be only 2 course-software entries')
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ class CommandTest(ModuleStoreTestCase):
 
         log.debug('Adding more serial numbers to {0}'.format(SOFTWARE_1))
         with generate_serials_file(size) as temp_file:
-            args = [self.course_id, SOFTWARE_1, temp_file.name]
+            args = [self.course_id.to_deprecated_string(), SOFTWARE_1, temp_file.name]
             call_command('import_serial_numbers', *args)
 
         log.debug('There should be still only 2 course-software entries')
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ class CommandTest(ModuleStoreTestCase):
         with NamedTemporaryFile() as tmpfile:
             tmpfile.write('\n'.join(known_serials))
             tmpfile.flush()
-            args = [self.course_id, SOFTWARE_1, tmpfile.name]
+            args = [self.course_id.to_deprecated_string(), SOFTWARE_1, tmpfile.name]
             call_command('import_serial_numbers', *args)
 
         log.debug('Check if we added only the new ones')