diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/js/spec/video/video_caption_spec.js b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/js/spec/video/video_caption_spec.js
index eaf21b10fd..b4d31c66db 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/js/spec/video/video_caption_spec.js
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/js/spec/video/video_caption_spec.js
@@ -53,7 +53,8 @@
               expect($.ajaxWithPrefix).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
                 url: videoCaption.captionURL(),
                 notifyOnError: false,
-                success: jasmine.any(Function)
+                success: jasmine.any(Function),
+                error: jasmine.any(Function),
               });
           });
         });
@@ -462,7 +463,7 @@
         });
 
         // Temporarily disabled due to intermittent failures
-        // Fails with error: "InvalidStateError: An attempt was made to 
+        // Fails with error: "InvalidStateError: An attempt was made to
         // use an object that is not, or is no longer, usable
         // Expected 0 to equal 14.91."
         // on Firefox
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/js/src/video/09_video_caption.js b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/js/src/video/09_video_caption.js
index 621a2ebfe4..2ebb73c692 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/js/src/video/09_video_caption.js
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/js/src/video/09_video_caption.js
@@ -95,7 +95,10 @@ function () {
         this.videoCaption.subtitlesEl = this.el.find('ol.subtitles');
         this.videoCaption.hideSubtitlesEl = this.el.find('a.hide-subtitles');
 
-        this.videoCaption.fetchCaption();
+        if (!this.videoCaption.fetchCaption()) {
+            this.videoCaption.hideCaptions(true);
+            this.videoCaption.hideSubtitlesEl.hide();
+        }
     }
 
     // function bindHandlers()
@@ -190,7 +193,6 @@ function () {
                 console.log(
                     'STATUS:', textStatus + ', MESSAGE:', '' + errorThrown
                 );
-                console.log('arguments:', arguments);
 
                 _this.videoCaption.hideCaptions(true);
                 _this.videoCaption.hideSubtitlesEl.hide();
@@ -281,9 +283,8 @@ function () {
     }
 
     function renderCaption() {
-        var container,
+        var container = $('<ol>'),
             _this = this;
-        container = $('<ol>');
 
         this.el.find('.video-wrapper').after(this.videoCaption.subtitlesEl);
         this.el.find('.video-controls .secondary-controls').append(this.videoCaption.hideSubtitlesEl);