diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views.py
index 6f428ee3e8..74ff6657ea 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views.py
@@ -104,12 +104,14 @@ def edit_item(request):
 
     item = modulestore().get_item(item_location)
     item.get_html = wrap_xmodule(item.get_html, item, "xmodule_edit.html")
+
     return render_to_response('unit.html', {
         'contents': item.get_html(),
         'js_module': item.js_module_name,
         'category': item.category,
         'url_name': item.url_name,
         'previews': get_module_previews(request, item),
+        'metadata': item.metadata
     })
 
 
@@ -284,6 +286,19 @@ def save_item(request):
         children = request.POST['children']
         modulestore().update_children(item_location, children)
 
+    # cdodge: also commit any metadata which might have been passed along in the
+    # POST from the client, if it is there
+    # note, that the postback is not the complete metadata, as there's system metadata which is
+    # not presented to the end-user for editing. So let's fetch the original and
+    # 'apply' the submitted metadata, so we don't end up deleting system metadata
+    if request.POST['metadata']:
+        posted_metadata = request.POST['metadata']
+        # fetch original
+        existing_item = modulestore().get_item(item_location)
+        # update existing metadata with submitted metadata (which can be partial)
+        existing_item.metadata.update(posted_metadata)
+        modulestore().update_metadata(item_location, existing_item.metadata)
+
     # Export the course back to github
     # This uses wildcarding to find the course, which requires handling
     # multiple courses returned, but there should only ever be one
diff --git a/cms/static/coffee/src/models/module.coffee b/cms/static/coffee/src/models/module.coffee
index e2f911e9bd..52357795ed 100644
--- a/cms/static/coffee/src/models/module.coffee
+++ b/cms/static/coffee/src/models/module.coffee
@@ -3,14 +3,26 @@ class CMS.Models.Module extends Backbone.Model
   defaults:
     data: ''
     children: ''
+    metadata: {}
 
   loadModule: (element) ->
     elt = $(element).find('.xmodule_edit').first()
     @module = XModule.loadModule(elt)
+    # find the metadata edit region which should be setup server side,
+    # so that we can wire up posting back those changes
+    @metadata_elt = $(element).find('.metadata_edit')
 
   editUrl: ->
     "/edit_item?#{$.param(id: @get('id'))}"
 
   save: (args...) ->
     @set(data: @module.save()) if @module
+    # cdodge: package up metadata which is separated into a number of input fields
+    # there's probably a better way to do this, but at least this lets me continue to move onwards
+    if @metadata_elt
+      _metadata = {}
+      # walk through the set of elments which have the 'xmetadata_name' attribute and
+      # build up a object to pass back to the server on the subsequent POST
+      _metadata[$(el).data("metadata-name")]=el.value for el in $('[data-metadata-name]', @metadata_elt)
+      @set(metadata: _metadata)
     super(args...)
diff --git a/cms/templates/widgets/html-edit.html b/cms/templates/widgets/html-edit.html
index 1e86c6c734..9f7196b6e4 100644
--- a/cms/templates/widgets/html-edit.html
+++ b/cms/templates/widgets/html-edit.html
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+<%include file="metadata-edit.html" />
 <section class="html-edit">
   <textarea name="" class="edit-box" rows="8" cols="40">${data}</textarea>
 </section>
diff --git a/cms/templates/widgets/metadata-edit.html b/cms/templates/widgets/metadata-edit.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..62d5563047
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cms/templates/widgets/metadata-edit.html
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+% if metadata:
+<section class="metadata_edit">
+  <h3>Metadata</h3>
+  <ul>
+    % for keyname in editable_metadata_fields:
+    <li>${keyname}: <input type='text' data-metadata-name='${keyname}' value='${metadata[keyname]}' size='60' /></li>
+    % endfor
+  </ul>
+</section>
+% endif
diff --git a/cms/templates/widgets/raw-edit.html b/cms/templates/widgets/raw-edit.html
index fbd1757be5..9488552be5 100644
--- a/cms/templates/widgets/raw-edit.html
+++ b/cms/templates/widgets/raw-edit.html
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+<%include file="metadata-edit.html" />
 <section class="raw-edit">
   <textarea name="" class="edit-box" rows="8" cols="40">${data | h}</textarea>
 </section>
diff --git a/cms/templates/widgets/sequence-edit.html b/cms/templates/widgets/sequence-edit.html
index 242bfeae21..e9d796784d 100644
--- a/cms/templates/widgets/sequence-edit.html
+++ b/cms/templates/widgets/sequence-edit.html
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
     </ul>
   </section>
 
+  <%include file="metadata-edit.html" />
   <div class="content">
     <section class="modules">
       <ol>
diff --git a/common/djangoapps/util/json_request.py b/common/djangoapps/util/json_request.py
index 391905e574..169a7e3fb4 100644
--- a/common/djangoapps/util/json_request.py
+++ b/common/djangoapps/util/json_request.py
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ import json
 def expect_json(view_function):
     @wraps(view_function)
     def expect_json_with_cloned_request(request, *args, **kwargs):
-        if request.META['CONTENT_TYPE'] == "application/json":
+        # cdodge: fix postback errors in CMS. The POST 'content-type' header can include additional information
+        # e.g. 'charset', so we can't do a direct string compare
+        if request.META['CONTENT_TYPE'].lower().startswith("application/json"):
             cloned_request = copy.copy(request)
             cloned_request.POST = cloned_request.POST.copy()
             cloned_request.POST.update(json.loads(request.body))
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/editing_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/editing_module.py
index 67a4d66dad..833d994b99 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/editing_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/editing_module.py
@@ -17,13 +17,13 @@ class EditingDescriptor(MakoModuleDescriptor):
     js = {'coffee': [resource_string(__name__, 'js/src/raw/edit.coffee')]}
     js_module_name = "RawDescriptor"
 
-    def get_context(self):
-        return {
-            'module': self,
-            'data': self.definition.get('data', ''),
-    # TODO (vshnayder): allow children and metadata to be edited.
-    #'children' : self.definition.get('children, ''),
 
-    # TODO: show both own metadata and inherited?
-    #'metadata' : self.own_metadata,
-        }
+    # cdodge: a little refactoring here, since we're basically doing the same thing
+    # here as with our parent class, let's call into it to get the basic fields
+    # set and then add our additional fields. Trying to keep it DRY.
+    def get_context(self):
+        _context = MakoModuleDescriptor.get_context(self)
+        # Add our specific template information (the raw data body)
+        _context.update({ 'data' : self.definition.get('data','') })
+        return _context
+    
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/mako_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/mako_module.py
index eedac99aa8..f5f2fae23b 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/mako_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/mako_module.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 from x_module import XModuleDescriptor, DescriptorSystem
+import logging
 
 
 class MakoDescriptorSystem(DescriptorSystem):
@@ -31,8 +32,18 @@ class MakoModuleDescriptor(XModuleDescriptor):
         """
         Return the context to render the mako template with
         """
-        return {'module': self}
+        return {'module': self,
+                'metadata': self.metadata,
+                'editable_metadata_fields' : self.editable_metadata_fields
+                }
 
     def get_html(self):
         return self.system.render_template(
             self.mako_template, self.get_context())
+
+    # cdodge: encapsulate a means to expose "editable" metadata fields (i.e. not internal system metadata)
+    @property
+    def editable_metadata_fields(self):
+        subset = [name for name in self.metadata.keys() if name not in self.system_metadata_fields]
+        return subset
+
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/seq_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/seq_module.py
index 841936cf17..8592d4b38c 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/seq_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/seq_module.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ from xmodule.x_module import XModule
 from xmodule.progress import Progress
 from xmodule.exceptions import NotFoundError
 from pkg_resources import resource_string
+from .editing_module import EditingDescriptor
 
 log = logging.getLogger("mitx.common.lib.seq_module")
 
@@ -95,7 +96,8 @@ class SequenceModule(XModule):
                   'element_id': self.location.html_id(),
                   'item_id': self.id,
                   'position': self.position,
-                  'tag': self.location.category}
+                  'tag': self.location.category
+                  }
 
         self.content = self.system.render_template('seq_module.html', params)
         self.rendered = True
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/x_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/x_module.py
index 8846926e05..90982d1955 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/x_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/x_module.py
@@ -352,6 +352,10 @@ class XModuleDescriptor(Plugin, HTMLSnippet):
         'data_dir'
     )
 
+    # cdodge: this is a list of metadata names which are 'system' metadata
+    # and should not be edited by an end-user
+    system_metadata_fields = [ 'data_dir' ]
+    
     # A list of descriptor attributes that must be equal for the descriptors to
     # be equal
     equality_attributes = ('definition', 'metadata', 'location',