diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/utils.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/utils.py
index 18afd331d0..508236a1e9 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/utils.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/utils.py
@@ -33,6 +33,31 @@ def get_course_location_for_item(location):
 
     return location
 
+def get_course_for_item(location):
+    '''
+    cdodge: for a given Xmodule, return the course that it belongs to
+    NOTE: This makes a lot of assumptions about the format of the course location
+    Also we have to assert that this module maps to only one course item - it'll throw an
+    assert if not
+    '''
+    item_loc = Location(location)
+
+    # @hack! We need to find the course location however, we don't
+    # know the 'name' parameter in this context, so we have
+    # to assume there's only one item in this query even though we are not specifying a name
+    course_search_location = ['i4x', item_loc.org, item_loc.course, 'course', None]
+    courses = modulestore().get_items(course_search_location)
+
+    # make sure we found exactly one match on this above course search
+    found_cnt = len(courses)
+    if found_cnt == 0:
+        raise BaseException('Could not find course at {0}'.format(course_search_location))
+
+    if found_cnt > 1:
+        raise BaseException('Found more than one course at {0}. There should only be one!!! Dump = {1}'.format(course_search_location, courses))
+
+    return courses[0]
+
 
 def get_lms_link_for_item(location, preview=False):
     location = Location(location)
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views.py
index 5495b5ea0b..61cd6cde01 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views.py
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ from cache_toolbox.core import set_cached_content, get_cached_content, del_cache
 from auth.authz import is_user_in_course_group_role, get_users_in_course_group_by_role
 from auth.authz import get_user_by_email, add_user_to_course_group, remove_user_from_course_group
 from auth.authz import INSTRUCTOR_ROLE_NAME, STAFF_ROLE_NAME, create_all_course_groups
-from .utils import get_course_location_for_item, get_lms_link_for_item, compute_unit_state, get_date_display, UnitState
+from .utils import get_course_location_for_item, get_lms_link_for_item, compute_unit_state, get_date_display, UnitState, get_course_for_item
 
 from xmodule.templates import all_templates
 from xmodule.modulestore.xml_importer import import_from_xml
@@ -68,6 +68,9 @@ COMPONENT_TYPES = ['customtag', 'discussion', 'html', 'problem', 'video']
 
 DIRECT_ONLY_CATEGORIES = ['course', 'chapter', 'sequential', 'about', 'static_tab', 'course_info']
 
+# cdodge: these are categories which should not be parented, they are detached from the hierarchy
+DETACHED_CATEGORIES = ['about', 'static_tab', 'course_info']
+
 
 def _modulestore(location):
     """
@@ -616,6 +619,17 @@ def save_item(request):
         # commit to datastore
         store.update_metadata(item_location, existing_item.metadata)
 
+        # cdodge: special case logic for updating static_tabs
+        # unfortunately tabs are enumerated in the course policy data structure, so if we change the display name of
+        # the tab, we need to update the course policy (which has a nice .tabs property on it)
+        item_loc = Location(item_location)
+        if item_loc.category == 'static_tab':
+            # VS[compat] Rework when we can stop having to support tabs lists in the policy
+            tag_module = store.get_item(item_location)
+            course = get_course_for_item(item_location)
+            course.update_tab_reference(tag_module)
+            modulestore('direct').update_metadata(course.location, course.metadata)
+
     return HttpResponse()
 
 
@@ -689,7 +703,16 @@ def clone_item(request):
         new_item.metadata['display_name'] = display_name
 
     _modulestore(template).update_metadata(new_item.location.url(), new_item.own_metadata)
-    _modulestore(parent.location).update_children(parent_location, parent.definition.get('children', []) + [new_item.location.url()])
+
+    if new_item.location.category not in DETACHED_CATEGORIES:
+        _modulestore(parent.location).update_children(parent_location, parent.definition.get('children', []) + [new_item.location.url()])
+    elif new_item.location.category == 'static_tab':
+        # static tabs - in our data model - are described in the course policy
+        # VS[compat]: Rework when we can stop having to support tabs lists in the policy
+        if parent.location.category != 'course':
+            raise BaseException('adding a new static_tab must be on a course object')
+        parent.add_tab_reference(new_item)
+        _modulestore(parent.location).update_metadata(parent.location.url(), parent.metadata)
 
     return HttpResponse(json.dumps({'id': dest_location.url()}))
 
@@ -877,7 +900,7 @@ def edit_tabs(request, org, course, coursename):
 
     static_tabs = modulestore('direct').get_items(static_tabs_loc)
 
-    # import pudb; pudb.set_trace()
+    logging.debug('tabs in policy = %s', course_item.tabs)
 
     components = [
         static_tab.location.url()
@@ -995,6 +1018,17 @@ def create_new_course(request):
     # set a default start date to now
     new_course.metadata['start'] = stringify_time(time.gmtime())
 
+    # set up the default tabs
+    # I've added this because when we add static tabs, the LMS either expects a None for the tabs list or
+    # at least a list populated with the minimal times
+    # @TODO: I don't like the fact that the presentation tier is away of these data related constraints, let's find a better
+    # place for this. Also rather than using a simple list of dictionaries a nice class model would be helpful here
+    new_course.tabs = [{"type": "courseware"}, 
+        {"type": "course_info", "name": "Course Info"}, 
+        {"type": "discussion", "name": "Discussion"},
+        {"type": "wiki", "name": "Wiki"},
+        {"type": "progress", "name": "Progress"}]
+
     modulestore('direct').update_metadata(new_course.location.url(), new_course.own_metadata)   
 
     create_all_course_groups(request.user, new_course.location)
diff --git a/cms/static/coffee/src/views/tabs.coffee b/cms/static/coffee/src/views/tabs.coffee
index 9797b9495b..34d86a3051 100644
--- a/cms/static/coffee/src/views/tabs.coffee
+++ b/cms/static/coffee/src/views/tabs.coffee
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ class CMS.Views.TabsEdit extends Backbone.View
 
     @$('.components').sortable(
       handle: '.drag-handle'
-      update: (event, ui) => alert 'got it!'
+      update: (event, ui) => alert 'not yet implemented!'
       helper: 'clone'
       opacity: '0.5'
       placeholder: 'component-placeholder'
diff --git a/cms/templates/edit-tabs.html b/cms/templates/edit-tabs.html
index 7c4fc57ec2..94c5e38260 100644
--- a/cms/templates/edit-tabs.html
+++ b/cms/templates/edit-tabs.html
@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@
 <%block name="content">
 <div class="main-wrapper">
   <div class="inner-wrapper">
-    <h1>Static Tabs</h1>
+    <div>
+      <h1>Static Tabs</h1>
+    </div>
     <div class="main-column">
  	   <article class="unit-body window">
 		    <div class="tab-list">
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/course_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/course_module.py
index 6e3f450324..fe2c6ca87a 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/course_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/course_module.py
@@ -266,6 +266,33 @@ class CourseDescriptor(SequenceDescriptor):
         """
         return self.metadata.get('tabs')
 
+    @tabs.setter
+    def tabs(self, value):
+        self.metadata['tabs'] = value
+
+    def add_tab_reference(self, tab_module):
+        '''
+        Since in CMS we can add static tabs via data, the current data model expects that
+        the list of tabs be encapsulated in the course.
+        VS[compat] we can rework this to avoid pointers to static tab modules once we fully deprecate filesystem support
+        '''
+        existing_tabs = self.tabs or []
+        existing_tabs.append({'type':'static_tab', 'name' : tab_module.metadata.get('display_name'), 'url_slug' : tab_module.location.name})
+        self.tabs = existing_tabs
+
+
+    def update_tab_reference(self, tab_module):
+        '''
+        Since in CMS we can add static tabs via data, the current data model expects that
+        the list of tabs be encapsulated in the course.
+        VS[compat] we can rework this to avoid pointers to static tab modules once we fully deprecate filesystem support
+        '''
+        existing_tabs = self.tabs
+        for tab in existing_tabs:
+            if tab.get('url_slug') == tab_module.location.name:
+                tab['name'] = tab_module.metadata.get('display_name')
+        self.tabs = existing_tabs
+
     @property
     def show_calculator(self):
         return self.metadata.get("show_calculator", None) == "Yes"