diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/open_ended_grading/grading_service.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/grading_service_module.py
similarity index 78%
rename from lms/djangoapps/open_ended_grading/grading_service.py
rename to common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/grading_service_module.py
index 63febb105f..7c18731f53 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/open_ended_grading/grading_service.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/grading_service_module.py
@@ -5,16 +5,8 @@ import requests
 from requests.exceptions import RequestException, ConnectionError, HTTPError
 import sys
 
-from django.conf import settings
-from django.http import HttpResponse, Http404
-
-from courseware.access import has_access
-from util.json_request import expect_json
-from xmodule.course_module import CourseDescriptor
 from xmodule.combined_open_ended_rubric import CombinedOpenEndedRubric, RubricParsingError
 from lxml import etree
-from mitxmako.shortcuts import render_to_string
-from xmodule.x_module import ModuleSystem
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -31,7 +23,7 @@ class GradingService(object):
         self.url = config['url']
         self.login_url = self.url + '/login/'
         self.session = requests.session()
-        self.system = ModuleSystem(None, None, None, render_to_string, None)
+        self.system = config['system']
 
     def _login(self):
         """
@@ -42,20 +34,20 @@ class GradingService(object):
         Returns the decoded json dict of the response.
         """
         response = self.session.post(self.login_url,
-                                     {'username': self.username,
-                                      'password': self.password,})
+            {'username': self.username,
+             'password': self.password,})
 
         response.raise_for_status()
 
         return response.json
 
-    def post(self, url, data, allow_redirects=False): 
+    def post(self, url, data, allow_redirects=False):
         """
         Make a post request to the grading controller
         """
         try:
             op = lambda: self.session.post(url, data=data,
-                                           allow_redirects=allow_redirects)
+                allow_redirects=allow_redirects)
             r = self._try_with_login(op)
         except (RequestException, ConnectionError, HTTPError) as err:
             # reraise as promised GradingServiceError, but preserve stacktrace.
@@ -69,8 +61,8 @@ class GradingService(object):
         """
         log.debug(params)
         op = lambda: self.session.get(url,
-                                      allow_redirects=allow_redirects,
-                                      params=params)
+            allow_redirects=allow_redirects,
+            params=params)
         try:
             r = self._try_with_login(op)
         except (RequestException, ConnectionError, HTTPError) as err:
@@ -78,7 +70,7 @@ class GradingService(object):
             raise GradingServiceError, str(err), sys.exc_info()[2]
 
         return r.text
-        
+
 
     def _try_with_login(self, operation):
         """
@@ -96,8 +88,8 @@ class GradingService(object):
             r = self._login()
             if r and not r.get('success'):
                 log.warning("Couldn't log into staff_grading backend. Response: %s",
-                            r)
-            # try again
+                    r)
+                # try again
             response = operation()
             response.raise_for_status()
 
@@ -113,23 +105,23 @@ class GradingService(object):
         """
         try:
             response_json = json.loads(response)
+        except:
+            response_json = response
+
+        try:
             if 'rubric' in response_json:
                 rubric = response_json['rubric']
                 rubric_renderer = CombinedOpenEndedRubric(self.system, False)
                 success, rubric_html = rubric_renderer.render_rubric(rubric)
                 response_json['rubric'] = rubric_html
             return response_json
-        # if we can't parse the rubric into HTML, 
+        # if we can't parse the rubric into HTML,
         except etree.XMLSyntaxError, RubricParsingError:
             log.exception("Cannot parse rubric string. Raw string: {0}"
-                          .format(rubric))
+            .format(rubric))
             return {'success': False,
-                               'error': 'Error displaying submission'}
+                    'error': 'Error displaying submission'}
         except ValueError:
             log.exception("Error parsing response: {0}".format(response))
             return {'success': False,
-                                'error': "Error displaying submission"} 
-
-
-
-
+                    'error': "Error displaying submission"}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/peer_grading_service.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/peer_grading_service.py
index 2f01abdd44..3d956bdd97 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/peer_grading_service.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/peer_grading_service.py
@@ -12,22 +12,20 @@ from django.conf import settings
 
 from combined_open_ended_rubric import CombinedOpenEndedRubric, RubricParsingError
 from lxml import etree
+from grading_service_module import GradingService, GradingServiceError
 
 log=logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 class GradingServiceError(Exception):
     pass
 
-class PeerGradingService():
+class PeerGradingService(GradingService):
     """
     Interface with the grading controller for peer grading
     """
     def __init__(self, config, system):
-        self.username = config['username']
-        self.password = config['password']
-        self.url = config['url']
-        self.login_url = self.url + '/login/'
-        self.session = requests.session()
+        config['system'] = system
+        super(StaffGradingService, self).__init__(config)
         self.get_next_submission_url = self.url + '/get_next_submission/'
         self.save_grade_url = self.url + '/save_grade/'
         self.is_student_calibrated_url = self.url + '/is_student_calibrated/'
@@ -107,6 +105,14 @@ class PeerGradingService():
 
         return response.json
 
+    def try_to_decode(self, text):
+        try:
+            text= json.loads(text)
+        except:
+            pass
+
+        return text
+
     def post(self, url, data, allow_redirects=False):
         """
         Make a post request to the grading controller
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/open_ended_grading/controller_query_service.py b/lms/djangoapps/open_ended_grading/controller_query_service.py
index d40c9b4428..5d2c40b6ce 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/open_ended_grading/controller_query_service.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/open_ended_grading/controller_query_service.py
@@ -3,11 +3,12 @@ import logging
 import requests
 from requests.exceptions import RequestException, ConnectionError, HTTPError
 import sys
-from grading_service import GradingService
-from grading_service import GradingServiceError
+from xmodule.grading_service_module import GradingService, GradingServiceError
 
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.http import HttpResponse, Http404
+from xmodule.x_module import ModuleSystem
+from mitxmako.shortcuts import render_to_string
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@ class ControllerQueryService(GradingService):
     Interface to staff grading backend.
     """
     def __init__(self, config):
+        config['system'] = ModuleSystem(None,None,None,render_to_string,None)
         super(ControllerQueryService, self).__init__(config)
         self.check_eta_url = self.url + '/get_submission_eta/'
         self.is_unique_url = self.url + '/is_name_unique/'
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/open_ended_grading/staff_grading_service.py b/lms/djangoapps/open_ended_grading/staff_grading_service.py
index 4e776b688b..d8bee99ac7 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/open_ended_grading/staff_grading_service.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/open_ended_grading/staff_grading_service.py
@@ -7,8 +7,7 @@ import logging
 import requests
 from requests.exceptions import RequestException, ConnectionError, HTTPError
 import sys
-from grading_service import GradingService
-from grading_service import GradingServiceError
+from xmodule.grading_service_module import GradingService, GradingServiceError
 
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.http import HttpResponse, Http404
@@ -22,8 +21,6 @@ from mitxmako.shortcuts import render_to_string
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
-
-
 class MockStaffGradingService(object):
     """
     A simple mockup of a staff grading service, testing.
@@ -64,6 +61,7 @@ class StaffGradingService(GradingService):
     Interface to staff grading backend.
     """
     def __init__(self, config):
+        config['system'] = ModuleSystem(None,None,None,render_to_string,None)
         super(StaffGradingService, self).__init__(config)
         self.get_next_url = self.url + '/get_next_submission/'
         self.save_grade_url = self.url + '/save_grade/'
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/open_ended_grading/views.py b/lms/djangoapps/open_ended_grading/views.py
index a40645cca3..d6fd88211f 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/open_ended_grading/views.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/open_ended_grading/views.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ from student.models import unique_id_for_user
 from courseware.courses import get_course_with_access 
 
 from controller_query_service import ControllerQueryService
-from grading_service import GradingServiceError
+from xmodule.grading_service_module import GradingServiceError
 import json
 from .staff_grading import StaffGrading
 from student.models import unique_id_for_user