diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views.py
index 6692192590..fcc77a02c0 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views.py
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@ def save_item(request):
     if request.POST['data']:
         data = request.POST['data']
         modulestore().update_item(item_location, data)
-
+        
     if request.POST['children']:
         children = request.POST['children']
         modulestore().update_children(item_location, children)
@@ -457,8 +457,3 @@ def upload_asset(request, org, course, coursename):
 
     return HttpResponse('Upload completed')
 
-
-
-class UploadFileForm(forms.Form):
-    title = forms.CharField(max_length=50)
-    file = forms.FileField()
diff --git a/cms/templates/widgets/upload_assets.html b/cms/templates/widgets/upload_assets.html
index 876166fdf7..75414709d1 100644
--- a/cms/templates/widgets/upload_assets.html
+++ b/cms/templates/widgets/upload_assets.html
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@
       <input type="submit" value="Upload File">
     </form>
   </div>
-  <div class="asset-upload-progress">
-    <div class="bar"></div>
+  <div class="asset-upload-progress" style="position:relative; width:400px; border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 1px; border-radius: 3px;">
+    <div class="bar" style="background-color: #B4F5B4; width:0%; height:20px; border-radius: 3px;"></div>
     <div class="percent">0%</div>
   </div>
 
diff --git a/common/djangoapps/contentserver/middleware.py b/common/djangoapps/contentserver/middleware.py
index f0734dd202..d30a3f7900 100644
--- a/common/djangoapps/contentserver/middleware.py
+++ b/common/djangoapps/contentserver/middleware.py
@@ -33,10 +33,8 @@ class StaticContentServer(object):
 
             # see if the last-modified at hasn't changed, if not return a 302 (Not Modified)
 
-            logging.debug(request.META)
-
             # convert over the DB persistent last modified timestamp to a HTTP compatible
-            # timestamp
+            # timestamp, so we can simply compare the strings
             last_modified_at_str = content.last_modified_at.strftime("%a, %d-%b-%Y %H:%M:%S GMT")
 
             # see if the client has cached this content, if so then compare the
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/html_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/html_module.py
index f5672ca1b8..471a1ea7fd 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/html_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/html_module.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import logging
 import os
 import sys
 from lxml import etree
+from lxml.html import rewrite_links
 from path import path
 
 from .x_module import XModule
@@ -18,7 +19,9 @@ log = logging.getLogger("mitx.courseware")
 
 class HtmlModule(XModule):
     def get_html(self):
-        return self.html
+        # cdodge: perform link substitutions for any references to course static content (e.g. images)
+        return rewrite_links(self.html, self.rewrite_content_links, self)
+        #return self.html
 
     def __init__(self, system, location, definition, descriptor,
                  instance_state=None, shared_state=None, **kwargs):
@@ -26,6 +29,11 @@ class HtmlModule(XModule):
                          instance_state, shared_state, **kwargs)
         self.html = self.definition['data']
 
+    def rewrite_content_links(link, self):
+        if link.startswith('xasset:'):
+            logging.debug('found link: {0}'.format(link))
+        return link
+
 
 class HtmlDescriptor(XmlDescriptor, EditingDescriptor):
     """