diff --git a/djangoapps/courseware/module_render.py b/djangoapps/courseware/module_render.py
index 04179e3d14..7a3e4cd7b7 100644
--- a/djangoapps/courseware/module_render.py
+++ b/djangoapps/courseware/module_render.py
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ class I4xSystem(object):
                 print "[courseware.module_render.I4xSystem] filestore path = %s" % filestore
         self.render_function = render_function
         self.exception404 = Http404
+        self.DEBUG = settings.DEBUG
     def __repr__(self):
         return repr(self.__dict__)
     def __str__(self):
diff --git a/djangoapps/courseware/modules/capa_module.py b/djangoapps/courseware/modules/capa_module.py
index 78fdcd6a19..5110a817aa 100644
--- a/djangoapps/courseware/modules/capa_module.py
+++ b/djangoapps/courseware/modules/capa_module.py
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ import traceback
 from lxml import etree
 
 ## TODO: Abstract out from Django
-from django.conf import settings
 from mitxmako.shortcuts import render_to_string
 
 from x_module import XModule
@@ -26,6 +25,8 @@ from multicourse import multicourse_settings
 
 log = logging.getLogger("mitx.courseware")
 
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
 class ComplexEncoder(json.JSONEncoder):
     def default(self, obj):
         if isinstance(obj, complex):
@@ -202,7 +203,7 @@ class Module(XModule):
             fp = self.filestore.open(self.filename)
         except Exception,err:
             print '[courseware.capa.capa_module.Module.init] error %s: cannot open file %s' % (err,self.filename)
-            if settings.DEBUG:
+            if self.DEBUG:
                 # create a dummy problem instead of failing
                 fp = StringIO.StringIO('<problem><text>Problem file %s is missing</text></problem>' % self.filename)
             else:
diff --git a/djangoapps/courseware/modules/html_module.py b/djangoapps/courseware/modules/html_module.py
index 5ef5e8d060..1bdb64a0b7 100644
--- a/djangoapps/courseware/modules/html_module.py
+++ b/djangoapps/courseware/modules/html_module.py
@@ -1,11 +1,15 @@
 import json
+import logging
 
-from django.conf import settings
 from mitxmako.shortcuts import render_to_response, render_to_string
 
 from x_module import XModule
 from lxml import etree
 
+log = logging.getLogger("mitx.courseware")
+
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
 class Module(XModule):
     id_attribute = 'filename'
 
@@ -26,8 +30,8 @@ class Module(XModule):
             filename="html/"+self.filename
             return self.filestore.open(filename).read()
         except: # For backwards compatibility. TODO: Remove
-            if settings.DEBUG:
-                print '[courseware.modules.html_module] filename=%s' % self.filename
+            if self.DEBUG:
+                log.info('[courseware.modules.html_module] filename=%s' % self.filename)
             #return render_to_string(self.filename, {'id': self.item_id})
             return render_to_string(self.filename, {'id': self.item_id},namespace='course')