diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/abtest_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/abtest_module.py
index 6261945a5b..3091b6ec02 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/abtest_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/abtest_module.py
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ class ABTestModule(XModule):
 class ABTestDescriptor(RawDescriptor, XmlDescriptor):
     module_class = ABTestModule
 
-#    template_dir_name = "abtest"
+    template_dir_name = "abtest"
 
     def __init__(self, system, definition=None, **kwargs):
         """
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/template_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/template_module.py
index 13eab038ec..4df1c4ee3a 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/template_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/template_module.py
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ class CustomTagModule(XModule):
 class CustomTagDescriptor(RawDescriptor):
     """ Descriptor for custom tags.  Loads the template when created."""
     module_class = CustomTagModule
+    template_dir_name = 'customtag'
 
     @staticmethod
     def render_template(system, xml_data):
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/templates.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/templates.py
index dcb731b135..ce37df929f 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/templates.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/templates.py
@@ -31,8 +31,6 @@ def all_templates():
 
     templates = defaultdict(list)
     for category, descriptor in XModuleDescriptor.load_classes():
-        if category == 'course':
-            logging.debug(descriptor.templates())
         templates[category] = descriptor.templates()
 
     return templates
@@ -67,7 +65,13 @@ def update_templates():
             template_location = Location('i4x', 'edx', 'templates', category, Location.clean_for_url_name(template.metadata['display_name']))
 
             try:
-                json_data = {'definition': {'data': template.data, 'children' : template.children}}
+                json_data = {
+                    'definition': {
+                        'data': template.data,
+                        'children': template.children
+                    },
+                    'metadata': template.metadata
+                }
                 json_data['location'] = template_location.dict()
 
                 XModuleDescriptor.load_from_json(json_data, TemplateTestSystem())
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/templates/course/empty.yaml b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/templates/course/empty.yaml
index b0af998ddd..cb2f3bcec6 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/templates/course/empty.yaml
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/templates/course/empty.yaml
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 ---
 metadata:
     display_name: Empty
+    start: 2020-10-10T10:00
 data: { 'textbooks' : [ ], 'wiki_slug' : null }
 children: []