diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/capa_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/capa_module.py
index 67e3aac93d..f6f9bd52ec 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/capa_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/capa_module.py
@@ -503,3 +503,10 @@ class CapaDescriptor(RawDescriptor):
     """
 
     module_class = CapaModule
+
+    # TODO (cpennington): Delete this method once all fall 2012 course are being
+    # edited in the cms
+    @classmethod
+    def backcompat_path(cls, path):
+        if path.startswith('problem'):
+            return 'problems/' + path[7:]
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/html_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/html_module.py
index 337a833dc3..a5554a8403 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/html_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/html_module.py
@@ -28,6 +28,16 @@ class HtmlDescriptor(RawDescriptor):
     js = {'coffee': [resource_string(__name__, 'js/module/html.coffee')]}
     js_module = 'HTML'
 
+    # TODO (cpennington): Delete this method once all fall 2012 course are being
+    # edited in the cms
+    @classmethod
+    def backcompat_path(cls, path):
+        if path.startswith('html/html'):
+            path = path[5:]
+        if path.endswith('.html.html'):
+            path = path[:-5]
+        return path
+
     @classmethod
     def file_to_xml(cls, file_object):
         parser = etree.HTMLParser()
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/xml_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/xml_module.py
index 9be9b0f900..96d7da3fb1 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/xml_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/xml_module.py
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ from lxml import etree
 import copy
 import logging
 from collections import namedtuple
+from fs.errors import ResourceNotFoundError
+import os
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -154,13 +156,28 @@ class XmlDescriptor(XModuleDescriptor):
                 definition_xml = copy.deepcopy(xml_object)
             else:
                 filepath = cls._format_filepath(xml_object.tag, filename)
-                log.debug('filepath=%s, resources_fs=%s' % (filepath,system.resources_fs))
-                with system.resources_fs.open(filepath) as file:
-                    try:
-                        definition_xml = cls.file_to_xml(file)
-                    except:
-                        log.exception("Failed to parse xml in file %s" % filepath)
-                        raise
+
+                # TODO (cpennington): If the file doesn't exist at the right path,
+                # give the class a chance to fix it up. The file will be written out again
+                # in the correct format.
+                # This should go away once the CMS is online and has imported all current (fall 2012)
+                # courses from xml
+                if not system.resources_fs.exists(filepath) and hasattr(cls, 'backcompat_path'):
+                    new_filepath = cls.backcompat_path(filepath)
+                    if new_filepath is not None and system.resources_fs.exists(new_filepath):
+                        filepath = new_filepath
+
+                log.debug('filepath=%s, resources_fs=%s' % (filepath, system.resources_fs))
+                try:
+                    with system.resources_fs.open(filepath) as file:
+                        try:
+                            definition_xml = cls.file_to_xml(file)
+                        except:
+                            log.exception("Failed to parse xml in file %s" % filepath)
+                            raise
+                except ResourceNotFoundError:
+                    log.exception('Unable to load file contents at path %s' % filepath)
+                    return {'data': 'Error loading file contents at path %s' % filepath}
 
             cls.clean_metadata_from_xml(definition_xml)
             return cls.definition_from_xml(definition_xml, system)
@@ -200,7 +217,7 @@ class XmlDescriptor(XModuleDescriptor):
         if len(list(xml_object.iter())) > 5:
 
             filepath = self.__class__._format_filepath(self.category, self.name)
-            resource_fs.makedir(self.category, allow_recreate=True)
+            resource_fs.makedir(os.path.dirname(filepath), allow_recreate=True)
             with resource_fs.open(filepath, 'w') as file:
                 file.write(etree.tostring(xml_object, pretty_print=True))