diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_contentstore.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_contentstore.py
index edb20561bc..a8cde71379 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_contentstore.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_contentstore.py
@@ -213,6 +213,10 @@ class ContentStoreToyCourseTest(ModuleStoreTestCase):
             resp = self.client.get(reverse('edit_unit', kwargs={'location': new_loc.url()}))
             self.assertEqual(resp.status_code, 200)    
 
+    def test_bad_contentstore_request(self):
+        resp = self.client.get('http://localhost:8001/c4x/CDX/123123/asset/&images_circuits_Lab7Solution2.png')
+        self.assertEqual(resp.status_code, 400)
+
     def test_delete_course(self):
         import_from_xml(modulestore(), 'common/test/data/', ['full'])
 
diff --git a/common/djangoapps/contentserver/middleware.py b/common/djangoapps/contentserver/middleware.py
index e8674a1e9e..8e9e70046d 100644
--- a/common/djangoapps/contentserver/middleware.py
+++ b/common/djangoapps/contentserver/middleware.py
@@ -17,8 +17,9 @@ class StaticContentServer(object):
             try:
                 loc = StaticContent.get_location_from_path(request.path)
             except InvalidLocationError:
+                # return a 'Bad Request' to browser as we have a malformed Location
                 response = HttpResponse()
-                response.status_code = 404
+                response.status_code = 400
                 return response     
 
             # first look in our cache so we don't have to round-trip to the DB