diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views.py
index 499b7b7f36..6770de8274 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views.py
@@ -1268,26 +1268,30 @@ def course_advanced_updates(request, org, course, name):
         request_body = json.loads(request.body)
         #Whether or not to filter the tabs key out of the settings metadata
         filter_tabs = True
-        #Check to see if the user instantiated any advanced components.  This is a hack to add the open ended panel tab
-        #to a course automatically if the user has indicated that they want to edit the combinedopenended or peergrading
-        #module, and to remove it if they have removed the open ended elements.
-        #Note: it has also been extended to include additional component types beyond openended.
+
+        #Check to see if the user instantiated any advanced components. This is a hack
+        #that does the following : 
+        #   1) adds/removes the open ended panel tab to a course automatically if the user 
+        #   has indicated that they want to edit the combinedopendended or peergrading module
+        #   2) adds/removes the notes panel tab to a course automatically if the user has
+        #   indicated that they want the notes module enabled in their course
         if ADVANCED_COMPONENT_POLICY_KEY in request_body:
-            #Check to see if the user instantiated any open ended components
             #Get the course so that we can scrape current tabs
             course_module = modulestore().get_item(location)
-            tab_component_types = ['open_ended', 'notes']
+
+            #Maps tab types to components 
             tab_component_map = {
                 'open_ended': OPEN_ENDED_COMPONENT_TYPES, 
                 'notes': NOTE_COMPONENT_TYPES,
             }
 
-            for tab_type in tab_component_types:
+            #Check to see if the user instantiated any notes or open ended components
+            for tab_type in tab_component_map.keys():
                 component_types = tab_component_map.get(tab_type)
                 found_ac_type = False
                 for ac_type in component_types:
                     if ac_type in request_body[ADVANCED_COMPONENT_POLICY_KEY]:
-                        #Add an open ended tab to the course if needed
+                        #Add tab to the course if needed
                         changed, new_tabs = add_extra_panel_tab(tab_type, course_module)
                         #If a tab has been added to the course, then send the metadata along to CourseMetadata.update_from_json
                         if changed:
@@ -1295,18 +1299,18 @@ def course_advanced_updates(request, org, course, name):
                             request_body.update({'tabs': new_tabs})
                             #Indicate that tabs should not be filtered out of the metadata
                             filter_tabs = False
-                        #Set this flag to avoid the open ended tab removal code below.
+                        #Set this flag to avoid the tab removal code below.
                         found_ac_type = True
                         break
-                #If we did not find an open ended module type in the advanced settings,
-                # we may need to remove the open ended tab from the course.
+                #If we did not find a module type in the advanced settings,
+                # we may need to remove the tab from the course.
                 if not found_ac_type:
-                    #Remove open ended tab to the course if needed
+                    #Remove tab from the course if needed
                     changed, new_tabs = remove_extra_panel_tab(tab_type, course_module)
                     if changed:
                         course_module.tabs = new_tabs
                         request_body.update({'tabs': new_tabs})
-                        #Indicate that tabs should not be filtered out of the metadata
+                        #Indicate that tabs should *not* be filtered out of the metadata
                         filter_tabs = False
         response_json = json.dumps(CourseMetadata.update_from_json(location, request_body, filter_tabs=filter_tabs))
         return HttpResponse(response_json, mimetype="application/json")