diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/tests/test_import_static.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/tests/test_import_static.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2a667b05b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/tests/test_import_static.py
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import unittest
+from path import path
+from mock import Mock
+from xmodule.modulestore import Location
+from xmodule.modulestore.xml_importer import import_static_content
+from xmodule.tests import DATA_DIR
+
+
+class IgnoredFilesTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_ignore_tilde_static_files(self):
+        course_dir= DATA_DIR / "tilde"
+        loc = Location("edX", "tilde", "Fall_2012")
+        content_store = Mock()
+        content_store.generate_thumbnail.return_value = ("content", "location")
+        import_static_content(Mock(), Mock(), course_dir, content_store, loc)
+        saved_static_content = [call[0][0] for call in content_store.save.call_args_list]
+        name_val = {sc.name: sc.data for sc in saved_static_content}
+        self.assertIn("example.txt", name_val)
+        self.assertNotIn("example.txt~", name_val)
+        self.assertIn("GREEN", name_val["example.txt"])
diff --git a/common/test/data/tilde/static/example.txt b/common/test/data/tilde/static/example.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d991f425fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/test/data/tilde/static/example.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+GREEN
diff --git a/common/test/data/tilde/static/example.txt~ b/common/test/data/tilde/static/example.txt~
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f24fc29aa6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/test/data/tilde/static/example.txt~
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+RED