diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/xml.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/xml.py
index da86279b68..a8e9da03d7 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/xml.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/xml.py
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ class ImportSystem(XMLParsingSystem, MakoDescriptorSystem):
                 # Normally, we don't want lots of exception traces in our logs from common
                 # content problems.  But if you're debugging the xml loading code itself,
                 # uncomment the next line.
-                log.exception(msg)
+                #   log.exception(msg)
 
                 self.error_tracker(msg)
                 err_msg = msg + "\n" + exc_info_to_str(sys.exc_info())
diff --git a/lms/envs/common.py b/lms/envs/common.py
index 0542853101..03e8202d75 100644
--- a/lms/envs/common.py
+++ b/lms/envs/common.py
@@ -366,6 +366,10 @@ MODULESTORE = {
 }
 CONTENTSTORE = None
 
+# Should we initialize the modulestores at startup, or wait until they are
+# needed?
+INIT_MODULESTORE_ON_STARTUP = True
+
 ############# XBlock Configuration ##########
 
 # This should be moved into an XBlock Runtime/Application object
diff --git a/lms/envs/test.py b/lms/envs/test.py
index f79c8c4218..0951601ec7 100644
--- a/lms/envs/test.py
+++ b/lms/envs/test.py
@@ -110,6 +110,10 @@ MODULESTORE = {
     }
 }
 
+# Starting modulestores generates log messages.  If we wait to init modulestores,
+# then those messages will be silenced by the test runner.
+INIT_MODULESTORE_ON_STARTUP = False
+
 CONTENTSTORE = {
     'ENGINE': 'xmodule.contentstore.mongo.MongoContentStore',
     'OPTIONS': {
diff --git a/lms/startup.py b/lms/startup.py
index 6837383130..ead831600d 100644
--- a/lms/startup.py
+++ b/lms/startup.py
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ def run():
     """
     autostartup()
 
-    # trigger a forced initialization of our modulestores since this can take a while to complete
-    # and we want this done before HTTP requests are accepted
-    for store_name in settings.MODULESTORE:
-    	modulestore(store_name)
+    # Trigger a forced initialization of our modulestores since this can take a while to complete
+    # and we want this done before HTTP requests are accepted.
+    if settings.INIT_MODULESTORE_ON_STARTUP:
+        for store_name in settings.MODULESTORE:
+            modulestore(store_name)