diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_textbooks.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_textbooks.py
index cfbef2491a..5b6076f49d 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_textbooks.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_textbooks.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ class TextbookIndexTestCase(CourseTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(resp.status_code, 200)
         # we don't have resp.context right now,
         # due to bugs in our testing harness :(
-        if resp.context:
+        if resp.context and resp.context.get('course'):
             self.assertEqual(resp.context['course'], self.course)
 
     def test_view_index_xhr(self):
diff --git a/cms/envs/test.py b/cms/envs/test.py
index 62d0eefea4..f33f0f3e76 100644
--- a/cms/envs/test.py
+++ b/cms/envs/test.py
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@ TEST_ROOT = path('test_root')
 
 # Want static files in the same dir for running on jenkins.
 STATIC_ROOT = TEST_ROOT / "staticfiles"
+INSTALLED_APPS = tuple(app for app in INSTALLED_APPS if app != 'webpack_loader')
+INSTALLED_APPS += ('openedx.tests.util.webpack_loader',)
 WEBPACK_LOADER['DEFAULT']['STATS_FILE'] = STATIC_ROOT / "webpack-stats.json"
 
 GITHUB_REPO_ROOT = TEST_ROOT / "data"
diff --git a/cms/templates/base.html b/cms/templates/base.html
index 8e24b21021..9cc015c745 100644
--- a/cms/templates/base.html
+++ b/cms/templates/base.html
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ from openedx.core.djangolib.js_utils import (
 
     <%static:js group='base_vendor'/>
 
+    <%static:webpack entry="commons"/>
+
     <script type="text/javascript">
       window.baseUrl = "${settings.STATIC_URL | n, js_escaped_string}";
       require.config({
diff --git a/common/djangoapps/pipeline_mako/templates/static_content.html b/common/djangoapps/pipeline_mako/templates/static_content.html
index e59b2636e3..6e0aecc977 100644
--- a/common/djangoapps/pipeline_mako/templates/static_content.html
+++ b/common/djangoapps/pipeline_mako/templates/static_content.html
@@ -94,21 +94,18 @@ source, template_path = Loader(engine).load_template_source(path)
     <%
         from django.template import Template, Context
         from webpack_loader.exceptions import WebpackLoaderBadStatsError
-        try:
-            return Template("""
-                {% load render_bundle from webpack_loader %}
-                {% render_bundle "commons" %}
-                {% render_bundle entry %}
-                <script type="text/javascript">
-                    {% autoescape off %}{{ body }}{% endautoescape %}
-                </script>
-            """).render(Context({
-                'entry': entry,
-                'body': capture(caller.body)
-            }))
-        except (IOError, WebpackLoaderBadStatsError) as e:
-            # Don't break Mako template rendering if the bundle or webpack-stats can't be found, but log it
-            logger.error('[LEARNER-1938] {error}'.format(error=e))
+        return Template("""
+            {% load render_bundle from webpack_loader %}
+            {% render_bundle entry %}
+            {% if body %}
+              <script type="text/javascript">
+                  {% autoescape off %}{{ body }}{% endautoescape %}
+              </script>
+            {% endif %}
+        """).render(Context({
+            'entry': entry,
+            'body': capture(caller.body)
+        }))
     %>
 </%def>
 
diff --git a/lms/envs/common.py b/lms/envs/common.py
index 52a991bab3..5d5ef06219 100644
--- a/lms/envs/common.py
+++ b/lms/envs/common.py
@@ -1967,6 +1967,7 @@ YOUTUBE = {
 YOUTUBE_API_KEY = None
 
 ################################### APPS ######################################
+
 INSTALLED_APPS = (
     # Standard ones that are always installed...
     'django.contrib.auth',
diff --git a/lms/envs/test.py b/lms/envs/test.py
index f980451e99..a1264048df 100644
--- a/lms/envs/test.py
+++ b/lms/envs/test.py
@@ -113,6 +113,8 @@ NOSE_PLUGINS = [
 TEST_ROOT = path("test_root")
 # Want static files in the same dir for running on jenkins.
 STATIC_ROOT = TEST_ROOT / "staticfiles"
+INSTALLED_APPS = tuple(app for app in INSTALLED_APPS if app != 'webpack_loader')
+INSTALLED_APPS += ('openedx.tests.util.webpack_loader',)
 WEBPACK_LOADER['DEFAULT']['STATS_FILE'] = STATIC_ROOT / "webpack-stats.json"
 
 STATUS_MESSAGE_PATH = TEST_ROOT / "status_message.json"
diff --git a/lms/templates/main.html b/lms/templates/main.html
index dad1767c40..e25c17cc8c 100644
--- a/lms/templates/main.html
+++ b/lms/templates/main.html
@@ -81,6 +81,8 @@ from pipeline_mako import render_require_js_path_overrides
     <%static:js group='lms_bootstrap'/>
   % endif
 
+  <%static:webpack entry="commons"/>
+
   <script>
     window.baseUrl = "${settings.STATIC_URL | n, js_escaped_string}";
     (function (require) {
diff --git a/lms/templates/main_django.html b/lms/templates/main_django.html
index 9ff95e38ed..406775084f 100644
--- a/lms/templates/main_django.html
+++ b/lms/templates/main_django.html
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@
     {% endwith %}
 
   </div>
+    {% load render_bundle from webpack_loader %}
+    {% render_bundle "commons" %}
 
     {% javascript 'base_application' %}
 
diff --git a/openedx/tests/util/__init__.py b/openedx/tests/util/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e69de29bb2
diff --git a/openedx/tests/util/webpack_loader/__init__.py b/openedx/tests/util/webpack_loader/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e69de29bb2
diff --git a/openedx/tests/util/webpack_loader/templatetags/__init__.py b/openedx/tests/util/webpack_loader/templatetags/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e69de29bb2
diff --git a/openedx/tests/util/webpack_loader/templatetags/webpack_loader.py b/openedx/tests/util/webpack_loader/templatetags/webpack_loader.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..aa342f6231
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openedx/tests/util/webpack_loader/templatetags/webpack_loader.py
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+"""
+This module mocks the external package django-webpack-loader within
+python unittest execution, so python tests have no dependency on
+frontend assets. See LEARNER-1938 for further details.
+"""
+from django import template
+
+register = template.Library()
+
+
+@register.simple_tag
+def render_bundle(bundle_name):
+    """
+    This is the only webpack_loader function we call directly.
+    """
+    return ''