diff --git a/cms/static/js/views/settings/advanced_view.js b/cms/static/js/views/settings/advanced_view.js
index d20a21f7e7..2f2abb8d25 100644
--- a/cms/static/js/views/settings/advanced_view.js
+++ b/cms/static/js/views/settings/advanced_view.js
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ CMS.Views.Settings.Advanced = CMS.Views.ValidatingView.extend({
         // because these are outside of this.$el, they can't be in the event hash
         $('.save-button').on('click', this, this.saveView);
         $('.cancel-button').on('click', this, this.revertView);
-        this.model.on('error', this.handleValidationError, this);
+        this.listenTo(this.model, 'error', CMS.ServerError);
+        this.listenTo(this.model, 'invalid', this.handleValidationError);
     },
     render: function() {
         // catch potential outside call before template loaded
diff --git a/cms/static/js/views/settings/main_settings_view.js b/cms/static/js/views/settings/main_settings_view.js
index 8f998dbf7a..9bd8feab8c 100644
--- a/cms/static/js/views/settings/main_settings_view.js
+++ b/cms/static/js/views/settings/main_settings_view.js
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ CMS.Views.Settings.Details = CMS.Views.ValidatingView.extend({
         var dateIntrospect = new Date();
         this.$el.find('#timezone').html("(" + dateIntrospect.getTimezone() + ")");
 
-        this.model.on('error', this.handleValidationError, this);
+        this.listenTo(this.model, 'error', CMS.ServerError);
+        this.listenTo(this.model, 'invalid', this.handleValidationError);
         this.selectorToField = _.invert(this.fieldToSelectorMap);
     },
 
diff --git a/cms/static/js/views/settings/settings_grading_view.js b/cms/static/js/views/settings/settings_grading_view.js
index a7c8defb43..78972f97a7 100644
--- a/cms/static/js/views/settings/settings_grading_view.js
+++ b/cms/static/js/views/settings/settings_grading_view.js
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ CMS.Views.Settings.Grading = CMS.Views.ValidatingView.extend({
             self.render();
         }
         );
-        this.model.on('error', this.handleValidationError, this);
+        this.listenTo(this.model, 'error', CMS.ServerError);
+        this.listenTo(this.model, 'invalid', this.handleValidationError);
         this.model.get('graders').on('remove', this.render, this);
         this.model.get('graders').on('reset', this.render, this);
         this.model.get('graders').on('add', this.render, this);
@@ -316,7 +317,8 @@ CMS.Views.Settings.GraderView = CMS.Views.ValidatingView.extend({
         'blur :input' : "inputUnfocus"
     },
     initialize : function() {
-        this.model.on('error', this.handleValidationError, this);
+        this.listenTo(this.model, 'error', CMS.ServerError);
+        this.listenTo(this.model, 'invalid', this.handleValidationError);
         this.selectorToField = _.invert(this.fieldToSelectorMap);
         this.render();
     },
diff --git a/cms/static/js/views/validating_view.js b/cms/static/js/views/validating_view.js
index e4928a8ebe..041e779030 100644
--- a/cms/static/js/views/validating_view.js
+++ b/cms/static/js/views/validating_view.js
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ CMS.Views.ValidatingView = Backbone.View.extend({
     // decorates the fields. Needs wiring per class, but this initialization shows how 
     // either have your init call this one or copy the contents
     initialize : function() {
-        this.model.on('error', this.handleValidationError, this);
+        this.listenTo(this.model, 'error', CMS.ServerError);
+        this.listenTo(this.model, 'invalid', this.handleValidationError);
         this.selectorToField = _.invert(this.fieldToSelectorMap);
     },
 
@@ -18,20 +19,11 @@ CMS.Views.ValidatingView = Backbone.View.extend({
         // which may be the subjects of validation errors
     },
     _cacheValidationErrors : [],
+
     handleValidationError : function(model, error) {
-        // error triggered either by validation or server error
         // error is object w/ fields and error strings
         for (var field in error) {
             var ele = this.$el.find('#' + this.fieldToSelectorMap[field]);
-            if (ele.length === 0) {
-                // check if it might a server error: note a typo in the field name 
-                // or failure to put in a map may cause this to muffle validation errors
-                if (_.has(error, 'error') && _.has(error, 'responseText')) {
-                    CMS.ServerError(model, error);
-                    return;
-                }
-                else continue;
-            }
             this._cacheValidationErrors.push(ele);
             if ($(ele).is('div')) {
                 // put error on the contained inputs