diff --git a/common/djangoapps/track/contexts.py b/common/djangoapps/track/contexts.py
index db7923b1b8..8bbd40ed39 100644
--- a/common/djangoapps/track/contexts.py
+++ b/common/djangoapps/track/contexts.py
@@ -20,19 +20,27 @@ def course_context_from_url(url, course_id_string=None):
     url = url or ''
     course_id = None
 
-    if course_id_string is None:
+    if not course_id_string:
         match = COURSE_REGEX.match(url)
         if match:
             course_id_string = match.group('course_id')
-    try:
-        course_id = CourseKey.from_string(course_id_string)
-    except InvalidKeyError:
-        log.warning(
-            'unable to parse course_id "{course_id}"'.format(
-                course_id=course_id_string
+    if not course_id_string:
+        log.debug(
+            'no course_id found in "{url}"'.format(
+                url=str(url)[0:256]
             ),
             exc_info=True
         )
+    else:
+        try:
+            course_id = CourseKey.from_string(course_id_string)
+        except InvalidKeyError:
+            log.warning(
+                'unable to parse course_id "{course_id}"'.format(
+                    course_id=str(course_id_string)[0:256]
+                ),
+                exc_info=True
+            )
 
     return course_context_from_course_id(course_id)
 
diff --git a/common/djangoapps/track/tests/test_contexts.py b/common/djangoapps/track/tests/test_contexts.py
index e216c60fc0..fc3a7d97d0 100644
--- a/common/djangoapps/track/tests/test_contexts.py
+++ b/common/djangoapps/track/tests/test_contexts.py
@@ -13,6 +13,23 @@ class TestContexts(TestCase):  # lint-amnesty, pylint: disable=missing-class-doc
     SPLIT_COURSE_ID = 'course-v1:test+course_name+course_run'
     ORG_ID = 'test'
 
+    @ddt.data(
+        (COURSE_ID, ''),
+        (COURSE_ID, '/more/stuff'),
+        (COURSE_ID, '?format=json'),
+        (SPLIT_COURSE_ID, ''),
+        (SPLIT_COURSE_ID, '/more/stuff'),
+        (SPLIT_COURSE_ID, '?format=json')
+    )
+    @ddt.unpack
+    def test_explicit_course_id(self, course_id, postfix):
+        url = f'http://foo.bar.com/courses/not-a-course-id{postfix}'
+        self.assert_parses_explicit_course_id(url, course_id)
+
+    def assert_parses_explicit_course_id(self, url, course_id):
+        assert contexts.course_context_from_url(url, course_id_string=course_id) ==\
+               {'course_id': course_id, 'org_id': self.ORG_ID, 'enterprise_uuid': ''}
+
     @ddt.data(
         (COURSE_ID, ''),
         (COURSE_ID, '/more/stuff'),
diff --git a/common/djangoapps/track/views/__init__.py b/common/djangoapps/track/views/__init__.py
index 9021183224..b111623e2a 100644
--- a/common/djangoapps/track/views/__init__.py
+++ b/common/djangoapps/track/views/__init__.py
@@ -79,16 +79,17 @@ def user_track(request):
 
     name = _get_request_value(request, 'event_type')
     data = _get_request_value(request, 'event', {})
-    course_id_string = _get_request_value(request, 'courserun_key', None)
     page = _get_request_value(request, 'page')
 
     if isinstance(data, str) and len(data) > 0:
         try:
             data = json.loads(data)
-            _add_user_id_for_username(data)
         except ValueError:
             pass
 
+    _add_user_id_for_username(data)
+    course_id_string = data.get('courserun_key') if (data and 'courserun_key' in data) else None
+
     context_override = contexts.course_context_from_url(page, course_id_string)
     context_override['username'] = username
     context_override['event_source'] = 'browser'
diff --git a/common/djangoapps/track/views/tests/test_views.py b/common/djangoapps/track/views/tests/test_views.py
index 2ffc754908..b12b37efc6 100644
--- a/common/djangoapps/track/views/tests/test_views.py
+++ b/common/djangoapps/track/views/tests/test_views.py
@@ -42,6 +42,32 @@ class TestTrackViews(EventTrackingTestCase):  # lint-amnesty, pylint: disable=mi
         }
 
     def test_user_track(self):
+        request = self.request_factory.get('/event', {
+            'page': self.url_with_course,
+            'event_type': sentinel.event_type,
+            'event': '{"courserun_key": "explicit/course/id"}'
+        })
+
+        views.user_track(request)
+
+        actual_event = self.get_event()
+        expected_event = {
+            'context': {
+                'course_id': 'explicit/course/id',
+                'org_id': 'explicit',
+                'event_source': 'browser',
+                'page': self.url_with_course,
+                'username': 'anonymous'
+            },
+            'data': {
+                'courserun_key': 'explicit/course/id'
+            },
+            'timestamp': FROZEN_TIME,
+            'name': str(sentinel.event_type)
+        }
+        assert_event_matches(expected_event, actual_event)
+
+    def test_user_track_with_implicit_course_id(self):
         request = self.request_factory.get('/event', {
             'page': self.url_with_course,
             'event_type': sentinel.event_type,
diff --git a/common/static/js/spec/logger_spec.js b/common/static/js/spec/logger_spec.js
index 03c0ed18e5..3c92005200 100644
--- a/common/static/js/spec/logger_spec.js
+++ b/common/static/js/spec/logger_spec.js
@@ -10,14 +10,13 @@
             // proper deprecation and notification for external authors.
             it('can send a request to log event', function() {
                 spyOn(jQuery, 'ajaxWithPrefix');
-                Logger.log('example', 'data');
+                Logger.log('example');
                 expect(jQuery.ajaxWithPrefix).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
                     url: '/event',
                     type: 'POST',
                     data: {
                         event_type: 'example',
-                        event: '"data"',
-                        courserun_key: 'edx/999/test',
+                        event: '{"courserun_key":"edX/999/test"}',
                         page: window.location.href
                     },
                     async: true
@@ -26,14 +25,13 @@
 
             it('can send a request with custom options to log event', function() {
                 spyOn(jQuery, 'ajaxWithPrefix');
-                Logger.log('example', 'data', null, {type: 'GET', async: false});
+                Logger.log('example', null, null, {type: 'GET', async: false});
                 expect(jQuery.ajaxWithPrefix).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
                     url: '/event',
                     type: 'GET',
                     data: {
                         event_type: 'example',
-                        event: '"data"',
-                        courserun_key: 'edx/999/test',
+                        event: '{"courserun_key":"edX/999/test"}',
                         page: window.location.href
                     },
                     async: false
@@ -61,14 +59,13 @@
                 $meta_tag = $('<meta name="path_prefix1" content="">');
                 $meta_tag.appendTo('body');
                 spyOn(jQuery, 'ajax');
-                Logger.log('example', 'data');
+                Logger.log('example');
                 expect(jQuery.ajax).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
                     url: 'undefined/event',
                     type: 'POST',
                     data: {
                         event_type: 'example',
-                        event: '"data"',
-                        courserun_key: 'edx/999/test',
+                        event: '{"courserun_key":"edX/999/test"}',
                         page: window.location.href
                     },
                     async: true
@@ -79,14 +76,13 @@
                 $meta_tag = $('<meta name="path_prefix" content="">');
                 $meta_tag.appendTo('body');
                 spyOn(jQuery, 'ajax');
-                Logger.log('example', 'data');
+                Logger.log('example');
                 expect(jQuery.ajax).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
                     url: '/event',
                     type: 'POST',
                     data: {
                         event_type: 'example',
-                        event: '"data"',
-                        courserun_key: 'edx/999/test',
+                        event: '{"courserun_key":"edX/999/test"}',
                         page: window.location.href
                     },
                     async: true
@@ -97,14 +93,13 @@
                 $meta_tag = $('<meta name="path_prefix" content="testpath">');
                 $meta_tag.appendTo('body');
                 spyOn(jQuery, 'ajax');
-                Logger.log('example', 'data');
+                Logger.log('example');
                 expect(jQuery.ajax).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
                     url: 'testpath/event',
                     type: 'POST',
                     data: {
                         event_type: 'example',
-                        event: '"data"',
-                        courserun_key: 'edx/999/test',
+                        event: '{"courserun_key":"edX/999/test"}',
                         page: window.location.href
                     },
                     async: true
@@ -127,24 +122,24 @@
             });
 
             it('can listen to events when the element name is unknown', function() {
-                Logger.log('example', 'data');
-                expect(this.callbacks[0]).toHaveBeenCalledWith('example', 'data', null);
-                expect(this.callbacks[1]).toHaveBeenCalledWith('example', 'data', null);
+                Logger.log('example');
+                expect(this.callbacks[0]).toHaveBeenCalledWith('example', undefined, null);
+                expect(this.callbacks[1]).toHaveBeenCalledWith('example', undefined, null);
                 expect(this.callbacks[2]).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
                 expect(this.callbacks[3]).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
             });
 
             it('can listen to events when the element name is known', function() {
-                Logger.log('example', 'data', 'element');
+                Logger.log('example', null, 'element');
                 expect(this.callbacks[0]).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
                 expect(this.callbacks[1]).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
-                expect(this.callbacks[2]).toHaveBeenCalledWith('example', 'data', 'element');
+                expect(this.callbacks[2]).toHaveBeenCalledWith('example', null, 'element');
                 expect(this.callbacks[3]).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
             });
 
             it('can catch exceptions', function() {
                 var callback = function() {
-                    Logger.log('exception', 'data');
+                    Logger.log('exception');
                 };
                 Logger.listen('exception', null, function() {
                     throw new Error();
@@ -188,7 +183,6 @@
                     data: {
                         event_type: 'page_close',
                         event: '',
-                        courserun_key: 'edx/999/test',
                         page: window.location.href
                     },
                     async: false
diff --git a/common/static/js/src/logger.js b/common/static/js/src/logger.js
index c031b55e0e..7fb1d7f5ae 100644
--- a/common/static/js/src/logger.js
+++ b/common/static/js/src/logger.js
@@ -56,10 +56,15 @@
                     }
                 }
                 // Regardless of whether any callbacks were made, log this event.
+                if (typeof $$course_id !== 'undefined') {
+                  if (!data) {
+                    data = {}
+                  }
+                  data.courserun_key = $$course_id;
+                }
                 return sendRequest({
                     event_type: eventType,
                     event: JSON.stringify(data),
-                    courserun_key: $$course_id,
                     page: window.location.href
                 }, requestOptions);
             },
diff --git a/lms/static/js/spec/edxnotes/views/note_item_spec.js b/lms/static/js/spec/edxnotes/views/note_item_spec.js
index 624d97f5dc..a0a84b8a09 100644
--- a/lms/static/js/spec/edxnotes/views/note_item_spec.js
+++ b/lms/static/js/spec/edxnotes/views/note_item_spec.js
@@ -119,7 +119,8 @@ define([
                 {
                     note_id: 'id-123',
                     component_usage_id: 'usage_id-123',
-                    view: 'Test View'
+                    view: 'Test View',
+                    courserun_key: 'edX/999/test'
                 },
                 null,
                 {