diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/mongo/base.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/mongo/base.py
index 7568d566ee..0b7beef1ad 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/mongo/base.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/mongo/base.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ from xmodule.modulestore import ModuleStoreWriteBase, ModuleStoreEnum
 from xmodule.modulestore.draft_and_published import ModuleStoreDraftAndPublished, DIRECT_ONLY_CATEGORIES
 from opaque_keys.edx.locations import Location
 from xmodule.modulestore.exceptions import ItemNotFoundError, DuplicateCourseError, ReferentialIntegrityError
-from xmodule.modulestore.inheritance import own_metadata, InheritanceMixin, inherit_metadata, InheritanceKeyValueStore
+from xmodule.modulestore.inheritance import InheritanceMixin, inherit_metadata, InheritanceKeyValueStore
 from xblock.core import XBlock
 from opaque_keys.edx.locations import SlashSeparatedCourseKey
 from opaque_keys.edx.locator import CourseLocator
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/split_mongo/caching_descriptor_system.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/split_mongo/caching_descriptor_system.py
index d9b74c5bde..5581363731 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/split_mongo/caching_descriptor_system.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/split_mongo/caching_descriptor_system.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ from xmodule.errortracker import exc_info_to_str
 from xmodule.modulestore.split_mongo import encode_key_for_mongo
 from ..exceptions import ItemNotFoundError
 from .split_mongo_kvs import SplitMongoKVS
+from fs.osfs import OSFS
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -34,9 +35,17 @@ class CachingDescriptorSystem(MakoDescriptorSystem):
         module_data: a dict mapping Location -> json that was cached from the
             underlying modulestore
         """
+        # needed by capa_problem (as runtime.filestore via this.resources_fs)
+        if 'course' in course_entry:
+            root = modulestore.fs_root / course_entry['org'] / course_entry['course'] / course_entry['run']
+        else:
+            root = modulestore.fs_root / course_entry['structure']['_id']
+        root.makedirs_p()  # create directory if it doesn't exist
+
         super(CachingDescriptorSystem, self).__init__(
             field_data=None,
             load_item=self._load_item,
+            resources_fs = OSFS(root),
             **kwargs
         )
         self.modulestore = modulestore
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/split_mongo/split.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/split_mongo/split.py
index 25b8391818..10523b1a7b 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/split_mongo/split.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/split_mongo/split.py
@@ -2041,7 +2041,6 @@ class SplitMongoModuleStore(ModuleStoreWriteBase):
             default_class=self.default_class,
             error_tracker=self.error_tracker,
             render_template=self.render_template,
-            resources_fs=None,
             mixins=self.xblock_mixins,
             select=self.xblock_select,
             services=self.services,
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/instructor/views/instructor_dashboard.py b/lms/djangoapps/instructor/views/instructor_dashboard.py
index fcbdddf5da..9daa11722b 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/instructor/views/instructor_dashboard.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/instructor/views/instructor_dashboard.py
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ from django.utils.translation import ugettext as _
 from django_future.csrf import ensure_csrf_cookie
 from django.views.decorators.cache import cache_control
 from edxmako.shortcuts import render_to_response
-from django.contrib.auth.models import User
 from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse
 from django.utils.html import escape
 from django.http import Http404, HttpResponse, HttpResponseNotFound
@@ -27,7 +26,7 @@ from xmodule.modulestore.django import modulestore
 from xblock.field_data import DictFieldData
 from xblock.fields import ScopeIds
 from courseware.access import has_access
-from courseware.courses import get_course_by_id, get_cms_course_link, get_course_with_access
+from courseware.courses import get_course_by_id, get_cms_course_link
 from django_comment_client.utils import has_forum_access
 from django_comment_common.models import FORUM_ROLE_ADMINISTRATOR
 from student.models import CourseEnrollment
@@ -35,7 +34,6 @@ from shoppingcart.models import Coupon, PaidCourseRegistration
 from course_modes.models import CourseMode, CourseModesArchive
 from student.roles import CourseFinanceAdminRole
 
-from bulk_email.models import CourseAuthorization
 from class_dashboard.dashboard_data import get_section_display_name, get_array_section_has_problem
 
 from analyticsclient.client import Client