diff --git a/CHANGELOG.rst b/CHANGELOG.rst
index b7fd578681..20bf8b45fe 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.rst
+++ b/CHANGELOG.rst
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ disabilites.  (LMS-1303)
 
 Common: Add skip links for accessibility to CMS and LMS. (LMS-1311)
 
-Studio: Change course overview page, checklists, assets, and course staff
+Studio: Change course overview page, checklists, assets, import, export, and course staff
 management page URLs to a RESTful interface. Also removed "\listing", which
 duplicated "\index".
 
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_contentstore.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_contentstore.py
index 5e5b423618..226b36aeaf 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_contentstore.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_contentstore.py
@@ -1594,10 +1594,7 @@ class ContentStoreTest(ModuleStoreTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(resp.status_code, 200)
 
         # export page
-        resp = self.client.get(reverse('export_course',
-                                       kwargs={'org': loc.org,
-                                               'course': loc.course,
-                                               'name': loc.name}))
+        resp = self.client.get_html(new_location.url_reverse('export/', ''))
         self.assertEqual(resp.status_code, 200)
 
         # course team
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_import_export.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_import_export.py
index 9f6b44ff1d..e26e6930a3 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_import_export.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_import_export.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ from django.conf import settings
 from xmodule.modulestore.django import loc_mapper
 
 from xmodule.contentstore.django import _CONTENTSTORE
+from xmodule.modulestore.tests.factories import ItemFactory
 
 TEST_DATA_CONTENTSTORE = copy.deepcopy(settings.CONTENTSTORE)
 TEST_DATA_CONTENTSTORE['DOC_STORE_CONFIG']['db'] = 'test_xcontent_%s' % uuid4().hex
@@ -29,7 +30,6 @@ class ImportTestCase(CourseTestCase):
     """
     Unit tests for importing a course
     """
-
     def setUp(self):
         super(ImportTestCase, self).setUp()
         self.new_location = loc_mapper().translate_location(
@@ -66,13 +66,11 @@ class ImportTestCase(CourseTestCase):
 
         self.unsafe_common_dir = path(tempfile.mkdtemp(dir=self.content_dir))
 
-
     def tearDown(self):
         shutil.rmtree(self.content_dir)
         MongoClient().drop_database(TEST_DATA_CONTENTSTORE['DOC_STORE_CONFIG']['db'])
         _CONTENTSTORE.clear()
 
-
     def test_no_coursexml(self):
         """
         Check that the response for a tar.gz import without a course.xml is
@@ -97,30 +95,25 @@ class ImportTestCase(CourseTestCase):
 
         self.assertEquals(json.loads(resp_status.content)["ImportStatus"], 2)
 
-
     def test_with_coursexml(self):
         """
         Check that the response for a tar.gz import with a course.xml is
         correct.
         """
         with open(self.good_tar) as gtar:
-            resp = self.client.post(
-                    self.url,
-                    {
-                        "name": self.good_tar,
-                        "course-data": [gtar]
-                    })
+            args = {"name": self.good_tar, "course-data": [gtar]}
+            resp = self.client.post(self.url, args)
+
         self.assertEquals(resp.status_code, 200)
 
     ## Unsafe tar methods #####################################################
     # Each of these methods creates a tarfile with a single type of unsafe
     # content.
-
     def _fifo_tar(self):
         """
         Tar file with FIFO
         """
-        fifop    = self.unsafe_common_dir / "fifo.file"
+        fifop = self.unsafe_common_dir / "fifo.file"
         fifo_tar = self.unsafe_common_dir / "fifo.tar.gz"
         os.mkfifo(fifop)
         with tarfile.open(fifo_tar, "w:gz") as tar:
@@ -136,7 +129,7 @@ class ImportTestCase(CourseTestCase):
         symlinkp = self.unsafe_common_dir / "symlink.txt"
         symlink_tar = self.unsafe_common_dir / "symlink.tar.gz"
         outsidep.symlink(symlinkp)
-        with tarfile.open(symlink_tar, "w:gz" ) as tar:
+        with tarfile.open(symlink_tar, "w:gz") as tar:
             tar.add(symlinkp)
 
         return symlink_tar
@@ -185,10 +178,8 @@ class ImportTestCase(CourseTestCase):
 
         def try_tar(tarpath):
             with open(tarpath) as tar:
-                resp = self.client.post(
-                        self.url,
-                        { "name": tarpath, "course-data": [tar] }
-                )
+                args = { "name": tarpath, "course-data": [tar] }
+                resp = self.client.post(self.url, args)
             self.assertEquals(resp.status_code, 400)
             self.assertTrue("SuspiciousFileOperation" in resp.content)
 
@@ -207,3 +198,77 @@ class ImportTestCase(CourseTestCase):
         )
         import_status = json.loads(resp_status.content)["ImportStatus"]
         self.assertIn(import_status, (0, 3))
+
+
+@override_settings(CONTENTSTORE=TEST_DATA_CONTENTSTORE)
+class ExportTestCase(CourseTestCase):
+    """
+    Tests for export_handler.
+    """
+    def setUp(self):
+        """
+        Sets up the test course.
+        """
+        super(ExportTestCase, self).setUp()
+        location = loc_mapper().translate_location(self.course.location.course_id, self.course.location, False, True)
+        self.url = location.url_reverse('export/', '')
+
+    def test_export_html(self):
+        """
+        Get the HTML for the page.
+        """
+        resp = self.client.get_html(self.url)
+        self.assertEquals(resp.status_code, 200)
+        self.assertContains(resp, "Download Files")
+
+    def test_export_json_unsupported(self):
+        """
+        JSON is unsupported.
+        """
+        resp = self.client.get(self.url, HTTP_ACCEPT='application/json')
+        self.assertEquals(resp.status_code, 406)
+
+    def test_export_targz(self):
+        """
+        Get tar.gz file, using HTTP_ACCEPT.
+        """
+        resp = self.client.get(self.url, HTTP_ACCEPT='application/x-tgz')
+        self._verify_export_succeeded(resp)
+
+    def test_export_targz_urlparam(self):
+        """
+        Get tar.gz file, using URL parameter.
+        """
+        resp = self.client.get(self.url + '?_accept=application/x-tgz')
+        self._verify_export_succeeded(resp)
+
+    def _verify_export_succeeded(self, resp):
+        """ Export success helper method. """
+        self.assertEquals(resp.status_code, 200)
+        self.assertTrue(resp.get('Content-Disposition').startswith('attachment'))
+
+    def test_export_failure_top_level(self):
+        """
+        Export failure.
+        """
+        ItemFactory.create(parent_location=self.course.location, category='aawefawef')
+        self._verify_export_failure('/course/MITx.999.Robot_Super_Course/branch/draft/block/Robot_Super_Course')
+
+    def test_export_failure_subsection_level(self):
+        """
+        Slightly different export failure.
+        """
+        vertical = ItemFactory.create(parent_location=self.course.location, category='vertical', display_name='foo')
+        ItemFactory.create(
+            parent_location=vertical.location,
+            category='aawefawef'
+        )
+        self._verify_export_failure('/edit/i4x://MITx/999/vertical/foo')
+
+    def _verify_export_failure(self, expectedText):
+        """ Export failure helper method. """
+        resp = self.client.get(self.url, HTTP_ACCEPT='application/x-tgz')
+        self.assertEquals(resp.status_code, 200)
+        self.assertIsNone(resp.get('Content-Disposition'))
+        self.assertContains(resp, 'Unable to create xml for module')
+        self.assertContains(resp, expectedText)
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/import_export.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/import_export.py
index d8da8d0186..5d1b26ec3d 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/import_export.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/import_export.py
@@ -29,17 +29,17 @@ from xmodule.modulestore.xml_importer import import_from_xml
 from xmodule.contentstore.django import contentstore
 from xmodule.modulestore.xml_exporter import export_to_xml
 from xmodule.modulestore.django import modulestore, loc_mapper
-from xmodule.modulestore import Location
 from xmodule.exceptions import SerializationError
+
 from xmodule.modulestore.locator import BlockUsageLocator
 from .access import has_access
 
-from .access import get_location_and_verify_access
 from util.json_request import JsonResponse
 from extract_tar import safetar_extractall
 
 
-__all__ = ['import_handler', 'import_status_handler', 'generate_export_course', 'export_course']
+__all__ = ['import_handler', 'import_status_handler', 'export_handler']
+
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -287,88 +287,102 @@ def import_status_handler(request, tag=None, course_id=None, branch=None, versio
 
 @ensure_csrf_cookie
 @login_required
-def generate_export_course(request, org, course, name):
+@require_http_methods(("GET",))
+def export_handler(request, tag=None, course_id=None, branch=None, version_guid=None, block=None):
     """
-    This method will serialize out a course to a .tar.gz file which contains a
-    XML-based representation of the course
+    The restful handler for exporting a course.
+
+    GET
+        html: return html page for import page
+        application/x-tgz: return tar.gz file containing exported course
+        json: not supported
+
+    Note that there are 2 ways to request the tar.gz file. The request header can specify
+    application/x-tgz via HTTP_ACCEPT, or a query parameter can be used (?_accept=application/x-tgz).
+
+    If the tar.gz file has been requested but the export operation fails, an HTML page will be returned
+    which describes the error.
     """
-    location = get_location_and_verify_access(request, org, course, name)
-    course_module = modulestore().get_instance(location.course_id, location)
-    loc = Location(location)
-    export_file = NamedTemporaryFile(prefix=name + '.', suffix=".tar.gz")
+    location = BlockUsageLocator(course_id=course_id, branch=branch, version_guid=version_guid, usage_id=block)
+    if not has_access(request.user, location):
+        raise PermissionDenied()
 
-    new_location = loc_mapper().translate_location(course_module.location.course_id, course_module.location, False, True)
+    old_location = loc_mapper().translate_locator_to_location(location)
+    course_module = modulestore().get_item(old_location)
 
-    root_dir = path(mkdtemp())
+    # an _accept URL parameter will be preferred over HTTP_ACCEPT in the header.
+    requested_format = request.REQUEST.get('_accept', request.META.get('HTTP_ACCEPT', 'text/html'))
+
+    export_url = location.url_reverse('export/', '') + '?_accept=application/x-tgz'
+    if 'application/x-tgz' in requested_format:
+        name = old_location.name
+        export_file = NamedTemporaryFile(prefix=name + '.', suffix=".tar.gz")
+        root_dir = path(mkdtemp())
 
-    try:
-        export_to_xml(modulestore('direct'), contentstore(), loc, root_dir, name, modulestore())
-    except SerializationError, e:
-        logging.exception('There was an error exporting course {0}. {1}'.format(course_module.location, unicode(e)))
-        unit = None
-        failed_item = None
-        parent = None
         try:
-            failed_item = modulestore().get_instance(course_module.location.course_id, e.location)
-            parent_locs = modulestore().get_parent_locations(failed_item.location, course_module.location.course_id)
+            export_to_xml(modulestore('direct'), contentstore(), old_location, root_dir, name, modulestore())
 
-            if len(parent_locs) > 0:
-                parent = modulestore().get_item(parent_locs[0])
-                if parent.location.category == 'vertical':
-                    unit = parent
-        except:
-            # if we have a nested exception, then we'll show the more generic error message
-            pass
+        except SerializationError, e:
+            logging.exception('There was an error exporting course {0}. {1}'.format(course_module.location, unicode(e)))
+            unit = None
+            failed_item = None
+            parent = None
+            try:
+                failed_item = modulestore().get_instance(course_module.location.course_id, e.location)
+                parent_locs = modulestore().get_parent_locations(failed_item.location, course_module.location.course_id)
 
+                if len(parent_locs) > 0:
+                    parent = modulestore().get_item(parent_locs[0])
+                    if parent.location.category == 'vertical':
+                        unit = parent
+            except:
+                # if we have a nested exception, then we'll show the more generic error message
+                pass
+
+            return render_to_response('export.html', {
+                'context_course': course_module,
+                'in_err': True,
+                'raw_err_msg': str(e),
+                'failed_module': failed_item,
+                'unit': unit,
+                'edit_unit_url': reverse('edit_unit', kwargs={
+                    'location': parent.location
+                }) if parent else '',
+                'course_home_url': location.url_reverse("course/", ""),
+                'export_url': export_url
+
+            })
+        except Exception, e:
+            logging.exception('There was an error exporting course {0}. {1}'.format(course_module.location, unicode(e)))
+            return render_to_response('export.html', {
+                'context_course': course_module,
+                'in_err': True,
+                'unit': None,
+                'raw_err_msg': str(e),
+                'course_home_url': location.url_reverse("course/", ""),
+                'export_url': export_url
+            })
+
+        logging.debug('tar file being generated at {0}'.format(export_file.name))
+        tar_file = tarfile.open(name=export_file.name, mode='w:gz')
+        tar_file.add(root_dir / name, arcname=name)
+        tar_file.close()
+
+        # remove temp dir
+        shutil.rmtree(root_dir / name)
+
+        wrapper = FileWrapper(export_file)
+        response = HttpResponse(wrapper, content_type='application/x-tgz')
+        response['Content-Disposition'] = 'attachment; filename=%s' % os.path.basename(export_file.name)
+        response['Content-Length'] = os.path.getsize(export_file.name)
+        return response
+
+    elif 'text/html' in requested_format:
         return render_to_response('export.html', {
             'context_course': course_module,
-            'successful_import_redirect_url': '',
-            'in_err': True,
-            'raw_err_msg': str(e),
-            'failed_module': failed_item,
-            'unit': unit,
-            'edit_unit_url': reverse('edit_unit', kwargs={
-                'location': parent.location
-            }) if parent else '',
-            'course_home_url': new_location.url_reverse("course/", "")
-        })
-    except Exception, e:
-        logging.exception('There was an error exporting course {0}. {1}'.format(course_module.location, unicode(e)))
-        return render_to_response('export.html', {
-            'context_course': course_module,
-            'successful_import_redirect_url': '',
-            'in_err': True,
-            'unit': None,
-            'raw_err_msg': str(e),
-            'course_home_url': new_location.url_reverse("course/", "")
+            'export_url': export_url
         })
 
-    logging.debug('tar file being generated at {0}'.format(export_file.name))
-    tar_file = tarfile.open(name=export_file.name, mode='w:gz')
-    tar_file.add(root_dir / name, arcname=name)
-    tar_file.close()
-
-    # remove temp dir
-    shutil.rmtree(root_dir / name)
-
-    wrapper = FileWrapper(export_file)
-    response = HttpResponse(wrapper, content_type='application/x-tgz')
-    response['Content-Disposition'] = 'attachment; filename=%s' % os.path.basename(export_file.name)
-    response['Content-Length'] = os.path.getsize(export_file.name)
-    return response
-
-
-@ensure_csrf_cookie
-@login_required
-def export_course(request, org, course, name):
-    """
-    This method serves up the 'Export Course' page
-    """
-    location = get_location_and_verify_access(request, org, course, name)
-
-    course_module = modulestore().get_item(location)
-
-    return render_to_response('export.html', {
-        'context_course': course_module,
-        'successful_import_redirect_url': ''
-    })
+    else:
+        # Only HTML or x-tgz request formats are supported (no JSON).
+        return HttpResponse(status=406)
diff --git a/cms/static/sass/views/_export.scss b/cms/static/sass/views/_export.scss
index cdb2a8f757..3cb93bb686 100644
--- a/cms/static/sass/views/_export.scss
+++ b/cms/static/sass/views/_export.scss
@@ -102,24 +102,5 @@
         line-height: 48px;
       }
     }
-
-    // downloading state
-    &.is-downloading {
-
-      .progress-bar {
-        display: block;
-      }
-
-      .button-export {
-        padding: 10px 50px 11px;
-        font-size: 17px;
-
-        &.disabled {
-
-          pointer-events: none;
-          cursor: default;
-        }
-      }
-    }
   }
 }
diff --git a/cms/templates/export.html b/cms/templates/export.html
index 04b4572528..bc09f24b61 100644
--- a/cms/templates/export.html
+++ b/cms/templates/export.html
@@ -63,7 +63,14 @@ require(["domReady!", "gettext", "js/views/feedback_prompt"], function(doc, gett
       }
     });
   }
+
+  // The CSS animation for the dialog relies on the 'js' class
+  // being on the body. This happens after this JavaScript is executed,
+  // causing a "bouncing" of the dialog after it is initially shown.
+  // As a workaround, add this class first.
+  $('body').addClass('js');
   dialog.show();
+
 });
   </script>
   %endif
@@ -101,28 +108,13 @@ require(["domReady!", "gettext", "js/views/feedback_prompt"], function(doc, gett
 
       <!-- default state -->
       <div class="export-form-wrapper">
-        <form action="${reverse('generate_export_course', kwargs=dict(org=context_course.location.org, course=context_course.location.course, name=context_course.location.name))}" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data" class="export-form">
-          <h2>${_("Export Course:")}</h2>
+        <form method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data" class="export-form">
+            <h2>${_("Export Course:")}</h2>
 
-          <p class="error-block"></p>
-
-          <a href="${reverse('generate_export_course', kwargs=dict(org=context_course.location.org, course=context_course.location.course, name=context_course.location.name))}" class="button-export">${_("Download Files")}</a>
+          <a href="${export_url}" class="button-export">${_("Download Files")}</a>
         </form>
       </div>
 
-      <!-- download state: after user clicks download buttons -->
-      <%doc>
-      <div class="export-form-wrapper is-downloading">
-        <form action="${reverse('export_course', kwargs=dict(org=context_course.location.org, course=context_course.location.course, name=context_course.location.name))}" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data" class="export-form">
-          <h2>${_("Export Course:")}</h2>
-
-          <p class="error-block"></p>
-
-          <a href="#" class="button-export disabled">Files Downloading</a>
-          <p class="message-status">${_("Download not start?")} <a href="#" class="text-export">${_("Try again")}</a></p>
-        </form>
-      </div>
-      </%doc>
     </article>
   </div>
 </div>
diff --git a/cms/templates/widgets/header.html b/cms/templates/widgets/header.html
index d1eb2a3ac6..bccc89060c 100644
--- a/cms/templates/widgets/header.html
+++ b/cms/templates/widgets/header.html
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
             course_team_url = location.url_reverse('course_team/', '')
             assets_url = location.url_reverse('assets/', '')
             import_url = location.url_reverse('import/', '')
+            export_url = location.url_reverse('export/', '')
       %>
       <h2 class="info-course">
         <span class="sr">${_("Current Course:")}</span>
@@ -95,7 +96,7 @@
                     <a href="${import_url}">${_("Import")}</a>
                   </li>
                   <li class="nav-item nav-course-tools-export">
-                    <a href="${reverse('export_course', kwargs=dict(org=ctx_loc.org, course=ctx_loc.course, name=ctx_loc.name))}">${_("Export")}</a>
+                    <a href="${export_url}">${_("Export")}</a>
                   </li>
                 </ul>
               </div>
diff --git a/cms/urls.py b/cms/urls.py
index 811efc18e1..97e0f95a2c 100644
--- a/cms/urls.py
+++ b/cms/urls.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import re
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.conf.urls import patterns, include, url
 
@@ -32,11 +33,6 @@ urlpatterns = patterns('',  # nopep8
     url(r'^unpublish_unit$', 'contentstore.views.unpublish_unit', name='unpublish_unit'),
     url(r'^reorder_static_tabs', 'contentstore.views.reorder_static_tabs', name='reorder_static_tabs'),
 
-    url(r'^(?P<org>[^/]+)/(?P<course>[^/]+)/export/(?P<name>[^/]+)$',
-        'contentstore.views.export_course', name='export_course'),
-    url(r'^(?P<org>[^/]+)/(?P<course>[^/]+)/generate_export/(?P<name>[^/]+)$',
-        'contentstore.views.generate_export_course', name='generate_export_course'),
-
     url(r'^preview/modx/(?P<preview_id>[^/]*)/(?P<location>.*?)/(?P<dispatch>[^/]*)$',
         'contentstore.views.preview_dispatch', name='preview_dispatch'),
 
@@ -124,6 +120,7 @@ urlpatterns += patterns(
     url(r'(?ix)^assets/{}(/)?(?P<asset_id>.+)?$'.format(parsers.URL_RE_SOURCE), 'assets_handler'),
     url(r'(?ix)^import/{}$'.format(parsers.URL_RE_SOURCE), 'import_handler'),
     url(r'(?ix)^import_status/{}/(?P<filename>.+)$'.format(parsers.URL_RE_SOURCE), 'import_status_handler'),
+    url(r'(?ix)^export/{}$'.format(parsers.URL_RE_SOURCE), 'export_handler'),
 )
 
 js_info_dict = {