diff --git a/cms/envs/bok_choy.py b/cms/envs/bok_choy.py
index 2218fed90e..b088ccd880 100644
--- a/cms/envs/bok_choy.py
+++ b/cms/envs/bok_choy.py
@@ -16,8 +16,6 @@ os.environ['SERVICE_VARIANT'] = 'bok_choy'
 os.environ['CONFIG_ROOT'] = path(__file__).abspath().dirname()  #pylint: disable=E1120
 
 from .aws import *  # pylint: disable=W0401, W0614
-from xmodule.modulestore import prefer_xmodules
-
 
 ######################### Testing overrides ####################################
 
@@ -49,8 +47,5 @@ for log_name, log_level in LOG_OVERRIDES:
 # Use the auto_auth workflow for creating users and logging them in
 FEATURES['AUTOMATIC_AUTH_FOR_TESTING'] = True
 
-# Enable XBlocks
-XBLOCK_SELECT_FUNCTION = prefer_xmodules
-
 # Unfortunately, we need to use debug mode to serve staticfiles
 DEBUG = True
diff --git a/cms/envs/common.py b/cms/envs/common.py
index e9f5455080..03c1df3c22 100644
--- a/cms/envs/common.py
+++ b/cms/envs/common.py
@@ -34,9 +34,6 @@ from path import path
 
 from lms.lib.xblock.mixin import LmsBlockMixin
 from cms.lib.xblock.mixin import CmsBlockMixin
-from xmodule.modulestore.inheritance import InheritanceMixin
-from xmodule.modulestore import prefer_xmodules
-from xmodule.x_module import XModuleMixin
 from dealer.git import git
 
 ############################ FEATURE CONFIGURATION #############################
@@ -220,6 +217,11 @@ X_FRAME_OPTIONS = 'ALLOW'
 
 ############# XBlock Configuration ##########
 
+# Import after sys.path fixup
+from xmodule.modulestore.inheritance import InheritanceMixin
+from xmodule.modulestore import prefer_xmodules
+from xmodule.x_module import XModuleMixin
+
 # This should be moved into an XBlock Runtime/Application object
 # once the responsibility of XBlock creation is moved out of modulestore - cpennington
 XBLOCK_MIXINS = (LmsBlockMixin, CmsBlockMixin, InheritanceMixin, XModuleMixin)
diff --git a/cms/envs/test.py b/cms/envs/test.py
index b48ba2787b..64887e312c 100644
--- a/cms/envs/test.py
+++ b/cms/envs/test.py
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ from .common import *
 import os
 from path import path
 from warnings import filterwarnings
-from xmodule.modulestore import prefer_xmodules
 
 # Nose Test Runner
 TEST_RUNNER = 'django_nose.NoseTestSuiteRunner'
@@ -158,10 +157,6 @@ INSTALLED_APPS += ('external_auth', )
 filterwarnings('ignore', message='No request passed to the backend, unable to rate-limit')
 
 
-################################# XBLOCK ######################################
-XBLOCK_SELECT_FUNCTION = prefer_xmodules
-
-
 ################################# CELERY ######################################
 
 CELERY_ALWAYS_EAGER = True
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/html_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/html_module.py
index e245c91b31..98183ff537 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/html_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/html_module.py
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ class AboutFields(object):
     )
     data = String(
         help="Html contents to display for this module",
-        default="",
+        default=u"",
         scope=Scope.content
     )
 
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ class StaticTabFields(object):
         default="Empty",
     )
     data = String(
-        default=textwrap.dedent("""\
+        default=textwrap.dedent(u"""\
             <p>This is where you can add additional pages to your courseware. Click the 'edit' button to begin editing.</p>
         """),
         scope=Scope.content,
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ class CourseInfoFields(object):
     )
     data = String(
         help="Html contents to display for this module",
-        default="<ol></ol>",
+        default=u"<ol></ol>",
         scope=Scope.content
     )
 
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/mongo/base.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/mongo/base.py
index b364bc789e..0770852d31 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/mongo/base.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/mongo/base.py
@@ -60,7 +60,10 @@ class MongoKeyValueStore(InheritanceKeyValueStore):
     """
     def __init__(self, data, children, metadata):
         super(MongoKeyValueStore, self).__init__()
-        self._data = data
+        if not isinstance(data, dict):
+            self._data = {'data': data}
+        else:
+            self._data = data
         self._children = children
         self._metadata = metadata
 
@@ -72,10 +75,7 @@ class MongoKeyValueStore(InheritanceKeyValueStore):
         elif key.scope == Scope.settings:
             return self._metadata[key.field_name]
         elif key.scope == Scope.content:
-            if key.field_name == 'data' and not isinstance(self._data, dict):
-                return self._data
-            else:
-                return self._data[key.field_name]
+            return self._data[key.field_name]
         else:
             raise InvalidScopeError(key)
 
@@ -85,10 +85,7 @@ class MongoKeyValueStore(InheritanceKeyValueStore):
         elif key.scope == Scope.settings:
             self._metadata[key.field_name] = value
         elif key.scope == Scope.content:
-            if key.field_name == 'data' and not isinstance(self._data, dict):
-                self._data = value
-            else:
-                self._data[key.field_name] = value
+            self._data[key.field_name] = value
         else:
             raise InvalidScopeError(key)
 
@@ -99,9 +96,7 @@ class MongoKeyValueStore(InheritanceKeyValueStore):
             if key.field_name in self._metadata:
                 del self._metadata[key.field_name]
         elif key.scope == Scope.content:
-            if key.field_name == 'data' and not isinstance(self._data, dict):
-                self._data = None
-            else:
+            if key.field_name in self._data:
                 del self._data[key.field_name]
         else:
             raise InvalidScopeError(key)
@@ -112,10 +107,7 @@ class MongoKeyValueStore(InheritanceKeyValueStore):
         elif key.scope == Scope.settings:
             return key.field_name in self._metadata
         elif key.scope == Scope.content:
-            if key.field_name == 'data' and not isinstance(self._data, dict):
-                return True
-            else:
-                return key.field_name in self._data
+            return key.field_name in self._data
         else:
             return False
 
@@ -655,6 +647,10 @@ class MongoModuleStore(ModuleStoreWriteBase):
         # layer but added it here to enable quick conversion. I'll need to reconcile these.
         if metadata is None:
             metadata = {}
+
+        if definition_data is None:
+            definition_data = {}
+
         if system is None:
             services = {}
             if self.i18n_service:
@@ -673,11 +669,6 @@ class MongoModuleStore(ModuleStoreWriteBase):
                 services=services,
             )
         xblock_class = system.load_block_type(location.category)
-        if definition_data is None:
-            if hasattr(xblock_class, 'data') and xblock_class.data.default is not None:
-                definition_data = xblock_class.data.default
-            else:
-                definition_data = {}
         dbmodel = self._create_new_field_data(location.category, location, definition_data, metadata)
         xmodule = system.construct_xblock_from_class(
             xblock_class,
@@ -793,8 +784,6 @@ class MongoModuleStore(ModuleStoreWriteBase):
         """
         try:
             definition_data = xblock.get_explicitly_set_fields_by_scope()
-            if len(definition_data) == 1 and 'data' in definition_data:
-                definition_data = definition_data['data']
             payload = {
                 'definition.data': definition_data,
                 'metadata': own_metadata(xblock),
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/test_mongo.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/test_mongo.py
index 33b6eaa2a4..ad43c59e2e 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/test_mongo.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/test_mongo.py
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ class TestMongoKeyValueStore(object):
             assert_false(self.kvs.has(key))
 
     def test_read_non_dict_data(self):
-        self.kvs._data = 'xml_data'
+        self.kvs = MongoKeyValueStore('xml_data', self.children, self.metadata)
         assert_equals('xml_data', self.kvs.get(KeyValueStore.Key(Scope.content, None, None, 'data')))
 
     def _check_write(self, key, value):
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ class TestMongoKeyValueStore(object):
         yield (self._check_write, KeyValueStore.Key(Scope.settings, None, None, 'meta'), 'new_settings')
 
     def test_write_non_dict_data(self):
-        self.kvs._data = 'xml_data'
+        self.kvs = MongoKeyValueStore('xml_data', self.children, self.metadata)
         self._check_write(KeyValueStore.Key(Scope.content, None, None, 'data'), 'new_data')
 
     def test_write_invalid_scope(self):
diff --git a/lms/envs/bok_choy.py b/lms/envs/bok_choy.py
index afeb08d1d5..177bbdcdc4 100644
--- a/lms/envs/bok_choy.py
+++ b/lms/envs/bok_choy.py
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ Settings for bok choy tests
 
 import os
 from path import path
-from xmodule.modulestore import prefer_xmodules
-
 
 CONFIG_ROOT = path(__file__).abspath().dirname()  #pylint: disable=E1120
 TEST_ROOT = CONFIG_ROOT.dirname().dirname() / "test_root"
@@ -60,8 +58,5 @@ LOG_OVERRIDES = [
 for log_name, log_level in LOG_OVERRIDES:
     logging.getLogger(log_name).setLevel(log_level)
 
-# Enable XBlocks
-XBLOCK_SELECT_FUNCTION = prefer_xmodules
-
 # Unfortunately, we need to use debug mode to serve staticfiles
 DEBUG = True
diff --git a/lms/envs/common.py b/lms/envs/common.py
index 35e5a39f68..6cbea1776c 100644
--- a/lms/envs/common.py
+++ b/lms/envs/common.py
@@ -34,9 +34,6 @@ from path import path
 from .discussionsettings import *
 
 from lms.lib.xblock.mixin import LmsBlockMixin
-from xmodule.modulestore.inheritance import InheritanceMixin
-from xmodule.modulestore import prefer_xmodules
-from xmodule.x_module import XModuleMixin
 
 ################################### FEATURES ###################################
 # The display name of the platform to be used in templates/emails/etc.
@@ -437,6 +434,11 @@ DOC_STORE_CONFIG = {
 
 ############# XBlock Configuration ##########
 
+# Import after sys.path fixup
+from xmodule.modulestore.inheritance import InheritanceMixin
+from xmodule.modulestore import prefer_xmodules
+from xmodule.x_module import XModuleMixin
+
 # This should be moved into an XBlock Runtime/Application object
 # once the responsibility of XBlock creation is moved out of modulestore - cpennington
 XBLOCK_MIXINS = (LmsBlockMixin, InheritanceMixin, XModuleMixin)
@@ -1201,6 +1203,17 @@ FEATURES['CLASS_DASHBOARD'] = False
 if FEATURES.get('CLASS_DASHBOARD'):
     INSTALLED_APPS += ('class_dashboard',)
 
+######################## CAS authentication ###########################
+
+if FEATURES.get('AUTH_USE_CAS'):
+    CAS_SERVER_URL = 'https://provide_your_cas_url_here'
+    AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = (
+        'django.contrib.auth.backends.ModelBackend',
+        'django_cas.backends.CASBackend',
+    )
+    INSTALLED_APPS += ('django_cas',)
+    MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES += ('django_cas.middleware.CASMiddleware',)
+
 ###################### Registration ##################################
 
 # For each of the fields, give one of the following values:
diff --git a/requirements/edx/edx-private.txt b/requirements/edx/edx-private.txt
index 9e19b30730..34999f38ad 100644
--- a/requirements/edx/edx-private.txt
+++ b/requirements/edx/edx-private.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-<<<<<<< HEAD
 # Requirements for edx.org that aren't necessarily needed for Open edX.
 
 -e git+ssh://git@github.com/jazkarta/edX-jsdraw.git@df9d048e331a642193e5aa2e03650fb84a9d715f#egg=edx-jsdraw