diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/course_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/course_module.py
index caf5225318..ed5a37e580 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/course_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/course_module.py
@@ -544,7 +544,7 @@ class CourseDescriptor(CourseFields, SequenceDescriptor):
         except (ValueError, AttributeError):
             start = time_to_datetime(self.start)
 
-        now = time_to_datetime(time.gmtime())
+        now = datetime.utcnow()
 
         return announcement, start, now
 
diff --git a/lms/templates/courseware/accordion.html b/lms/templates/courseware/accordion.html
index 453474aee0..da774a4486 100644
--- a/lms/templates/courseware/accordion.html
+++ b/lms/templates/courseware/accordion.html
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
           <li class="${'active' if 'active' in section and section['active'] else ''} ${'graded'  if 'graded' in section and section['graded'] else ''}">
             <a href="${reverse('courseware_section', args=[course_id, chapter['url_name'], section['url_name']])}">
               <p>${section['display_name']}</p>
-              <p class="subtitle">${section['format']} ${"due " + get_default_time_display(section['due']) if 'due' in section and section['due'] else ''}</p>
+              <p class="subtitle">${section['format']} ${"due " + get_default_time_display(section['due']) if section.get('due') is not None else ''}</p>
             </a>
           </li>
       % endfor
diff --git a/lms/templates/courseware/progress.html b/lms/templates/courseware/progress.html
index d2d1490e98..f94e7651f0 100644
--- a/lms/templates/courseware/progress.html
+++ b/lms/templates/courseware/progress.html
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ ${progress_graph.body(grade_summary, course.grade_cutoffs, "grade-detail-graph",
               <p>
                 ${section['format']}
 
-                %if 'due' in section and section['due']:
+                %if section.get('due') is not None:
                   <em>
                   due ${get_default_time_display(section['due'])}
                   </em>