diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/video_module/video_handlers.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/video_module/video_handlers.py
index a51655395c..c242bdb1db 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/video_module/video_handlers.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/video_module/video_handlers.py
@@ -195,12 +195,21 @@ class VideoStudentViewHandlers(object):
 
         if transcript_name:
             course_location = CourseDescriptor.id_to_location(self.course_id)
-            course = self.descriptor.runtime.modulestore.get_item(course_location)
-            if course.static_asset_path:
+
+            # Get the asset path for course
+            asset_path = None
+            if hasattr(self.descriptor.runtime, 'modulestore'):
+                course = self.descriptor.runtime.modulestore.get_item(course_location)
+                asset_path = course.static_asset_path
+            else:
+                # Handle XML Courses that don't have modulestore in the runtime
+                asset_path = getattr(self.descriptor, 'data_dir', None)
+
+            if asset_path:
                 response = Response(
                     status=307,
                     location='/static/{0}/{1}'.format(
-                        course.static_asset_path,
+                        asset_path,
                         subs_filename(transcript_name, self.transcript_language)
                     )
                 )
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/tests/test_video_handlers.py b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/tests/test_video_handlers.py
index c0030e5d27..ff95cc7a09 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/tests/test_video_handlers.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/tests/test_video_handlers.py
@@ -439,6 +439,42 @@ class TestTranscriptTranslationGetDispatch(TestVideo):
         response = self.item.transcript(request=request, dispatch='translation/uk')
         self.assertEqual(response.status, '404 Not Found')
 
+    def test_xml_transcript(self):
+        """
+        Set data_dir and remove runtime modulestore to simulate an XMLModuelStore course.
+        Then run the same tests as static_asset_path run.
+        """
+        # Simulate XMLModuleStore xmodule
+        self.item_descriptor.data_dir = 'dummy/static'
+        del self.item_descriptor.runtime.modulestore
+
+        self.assertFalse(self.course.static_asset_path)
+
+        # Test youtube style en
+        request = Request.blank('/translation/en?videoId=12345')
+        response = self.item.transcript(request=request, dispatch='translation/en')
+        self.assertEqual(response.status, '307 Temporary Redirect')
+        self.assertIn(
+            ('Location', '/static/dummy/static/subs_12345.srt.sjson'),
+            response.headerlist
+        )
+
+        # Test HTML5 video style
+        self.item.sub = 'OEoXaMPEzfM'
+        request = Request.blank('/translation/en')
+        response = self.item.transcript(request=request, dispatch='translation/en')
+        self.assertEqual(response.status, '307 Temporary Redirect')
+        self.assertIn(
+            ('Location', '/static/dummy/static/subs_OEoXaMPEzfM.srt.sjson'),
+            response.headerlist
+        )
+
+        # Test different language to ensure we are just ignoring it since we can't
+        # translate with static fallback
+        request = Request.blank('/translation/uk')
+        response = self.item.transcript(request=request, dispatch='translation/uk')
+        self.assertEqual(response.status, '404 Not Found')
+
 
 class TestStudioTranscriptTranslationGetDispatch(TestVideo):
     """