diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/item.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/item.py
index a91ec4fad8..cd3a68cb24 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/item.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/item.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ from xmodule.modulestore.inheritance import own_metadata
 from xmodule.modulestore.exceptions import ItemNotFoundError, InvalidLocationError
 
 from util.json_request import expect_json, JsonResponse
+from util.string_utils import str_to_bool
 
 from ..transcripts_utils import manage_video_subtitles_save
 
@@ -74,12 +75,12 @@ def xblock_handler(request, tag=None, course_id=None, branch=None, version_guid=
         old_location = loc_mapper().translate_locator_to_location(location)
 
         if request.method == 'GET':
-            rewrite_static_links = request.GET.get('rewrite_url_links', 'True') in ['True', 'true']
+            rewrite_static_links = str_to_bool(request.GET.get('rewrite_url_links', 'True'))
             rsp = _get_module_info(location, rewrite_static_links=rewrite_static_links)
             return JsonResponse(rsp)
         elif request.method == 'DELETE':
-            delete_children = bool(request.REQUEST.get('recurse', False))
-            delete_all_versions = bool(request.REQUEST.get('all_versions', False))
+            delete_children = str_to_bool(request.REQUEST.get('recurse', False))
+            delete_all_versions = str_to_bool(request.REQUEST.get('all_versions', False))
 
             return _delete_item_at_location(old_location, delete_children, delete_all_versions)
         else:  # Since we have a course_id, we are updating an existing xblock.
diff --git a/common/djangoapps/util/string_utils.py b/common/djangoapps/util/string_utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1fd7a8b646
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/djangoapps/util/string_utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+"""
+Utilities for string manipulation.
+"""
+
+import ast
+
+def str_to_bool(str):
+    """
+    Converts "true" (case-insensitive) to the boolean True.
+    Everything else will return False.
+    """
+    try:
+        return ast.literal_eval(str.title())
+    except:
+        return False
diff --git a/common/djangoapps/util/tests/test_string_utils.py b/common/djangoapps/util/tests/test_string_utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..542ea562c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/djangoapps/util/tests/test_string_utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+"""
+Tests for string_utils.py
+"""
+
+from django.test import TestCase
+from util.string_utils import str_to_bool
+
+class StringUtilsTest(TestCase):
+    """
+    Tests for str_to_bool.
+    """
+    def test_str_to_bool_true(self):
+        self.assertTrue(str_to_bool('True'))
+        self.assertTrue(str_to_bool('true'))
+        self.assertTrue(str_to_bool('trUe'))
+
+    def test_str_to_bool_false(self):
+        self.assertFalse(str_to_bool('Tru'))
+        self.assertFalse(str_to_bool('False'))
+        self.assertFalse(str_to_bool('false'))
+        self.assertFalse(str_to_bool(''))
+        self.assertFalse(str_to_bool(None))
+        self.assertFalse(str_to_bool('anything'))
+        self.assertFalse(str_to_bool([]))
+        self.assertFalse(str_to_bool({}))
+        self.assertFalse(str_to_bool(1))