diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/management/commands/update_templates.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/management/commands/update_templates.py
index e94fee64b8..36348314b9 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/management/commands/update_templates.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/management/commands/update_templates.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 from xmodule.templates import update_templates
+from xmodule.modulestore.django import modulestore
 from django.core.management.base import BaseCommand
 
 
@@ -6,4 +7,4 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
     help = 'Imports and updates the Studio component templates from the code pack and put in the DB'
 
     def handle(self, *args, **options):
-        update_templates()
+        update_templates(modulestore('direct'))
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_contentstore.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_contentstore.py
index 07b7032e60..844ba87a11 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_contentstore.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_contentstore.py
@@ -937,7 +937,7 @@ class TemplateTestCase(ModuleStoreTestCase):
         self.assertIsNotNone(verify_create)
 
         # now run cleanup
-        update_templates()
+        update_templates(modulestore('direct'))
 
         # now try to find dangling template, it should not be in DB any longer
         asserted = False
diff --git a/cms/envs/aws.py b/cms/envs/aws.py
index 59ad8b835e..05c57d8263 100644
--- a/cms/envs/aws.py
+++ b/cms/envs/aws.py
@@ -43,6 +43,16 @@ CACHES = ENV_TOKENS['CACHES']
 
 SESSION_COOKIE_DOMAIN = ENV_TOKENS.get('SESSION_COOKIE_DOMAIN')
 
+#Email overrides
+DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL = ENV_TOKENS.get('DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL', DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL)
+DEFAULT_FEEDBACK_EMAIL = ENV_TOKENS.get('DEFAULT_FEEDBACK_EMAIL', DEFAULT_FEEDBACK_EMAIL)
+ADMINS = ENV_TOKENS.get('ADMINS', ADMINS)
+SERVER_EMAIL = ENV_TOKENS.get('SERVER_EMAIL', SERVER_EMAIL)
+
+#Timezone overrides
+TIME_ZONE = ENV_TOKENS.get('TIME_ZONE', TIME_ZONE)
+
+
 for feature, value in ENV_TOKENS.get('MITX_FEATURES', {}).items():
     MITX_FEATURES[feature] = value
 
diff --git a/cms/envs/common.py b/cms/envs/common.py
index 8effc773e0..a53830082b 100644
--- a/cms/envs/common.py
+++ b/cms/envs/common.py
@@ -152,6 +152,7 @@ IGNORABLE_404_ENDS = ('favicon.ico')
 EMAIL_BACKEND = 'django.core.mail.backends.console.EmailBackend'
 DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL = 'registration@edx.org'
 DEFAULT_FEEDBACK_EMAIL = 'feedback@edx.org'
+SERVER_EMAIL = 'devops@edx.org'
 ADMINS = (
     ('edX Admins', 'admin@edx.org'),
 )
diff --git a/common/djangoapps/terrain/course_helpers.py b/common/djangoapps/terrain/course_helpers.py
index f0df456c80..9d6837ae86 100644
--- a/common/djangoapps/terrain/course_helpers.py
+++ b/common/djangoapps/terrain/course_helpers.py
@@ -137,4 +137,4 @@ def clear_courses():
     # $ mongo test_xmodule --eval "db.dropDatabase()"
     _MODULESTORES = {}
     modulestore().collection.drop()
-    update_templates()
+    update_templates(modulestore('direct'))
diff --git a/common/lib/capa/capa/responsetypes.py b/common/lib/capa/capa/responsetypes.py
index b06a62ffc6..fda70c6a55 100644
--- a/common/lib/capa/capa/responsetypes.py
+++ b/common/lib/capa/capa/responsetypes.py
@@ -1783,7 +1783,7 @@ class FormulaResponse(LoncapaResponse):
     response_tag = 'formularesponse'
     hint_tag = 'formulahint'
     allowed_inputfields = ['textline']
-    required_attributes = ['answer']
+    required_attributes = ['answer', 'samples']
     max_inputfields = 1
 
     def setup_response(self):
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/mongo.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/mongo.py
index c8256422f8..24df17b15b 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/mongo.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/mongo.py
@@ -476,7 +476,15 @@ class MongoModuleStore(ModuleStoreBase):
         '''
         # TODO (vshnayder): Why do I have to specify i4x here?
         course_filter = Location("i4x", category="course")
-        return self.get_items(course_filter)
+        return [
+            course
+            for course
+            in self.get_items(course_filter)
+            if not (
+                course.location.org == 'edx' and
+                course.location.course == 'templates'
+            )
+        ]
 
     def _find_one(self, location):
         '''Look for a given location in the collection.  If revision is not
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/django_utils.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/django_utils.py
index 753cbfac4f..98523e9b15 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/django_utils.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/django_utils.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ class ModuleStoreTestCase(TestCase):
         num_templates = modulestore.collection.find(query).count()
 
         if num_templates < 1:
-            update_templates()
+            update_templates(modulestore)
 
     @classmethod
     def setUpClass(cls):
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/test_mongo.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/test_mongo.py
index 061d70d09f..6332ade04f 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/test_mongo.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/test_mongo.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ from pprint import pprint
 from xmodule.modulestore import Location
 from xmodule.modulestore.mongo import MongoModuleStore
 from xmodule.modulestore.xml_importer import import_from_xml
+from xmodule.templates import update_templates
 
 from .test_modulestore import check_path_to_location
 from . import DATA_DIR
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ class TestMongoModuleStore(object):
         # Explicitly list the courses to load (don't want the big one)
         courses = ['toy', 'simple']
         import_from_xml(store, DATA_DIR, courses)
+        update_templates(store)
         return store
 
     @staticmethod
@@ -103,3 +105,11 @@ class TestMongoModuleStore(object):
     def test_path_to_location(self):
         '''Make sure that path_to_location works'''
         check_path_to_location(self.store)
+
+    def test_get_courses_has_no_templates(self):
+        courses = self.store.get_courses()
+        for course in courses:
+            assert_false(
+                course.location.org == 'edx' and course.location.course == 'templates',
+                '{0} is a template course'.format(course)
+            )
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/templates.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/templates.py
index eaf821155e..f4e37ab0d5 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/templates.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/templates.py
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ from collections import defaultdict
 from .x_module import XModuleDescriptor
 from .mako_module import MakoDescriptorSystem
 from .modulestore import Location
-from .modulestore.django import modulestore
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -50,7 +49,7 @@ class TemplateTestSystem(MakoDescriptorSystem):
         )
 
 
-def update_templates():
+def update_templates(modulestore):
     """
     Updates the set of templates in the modulestore with all templates currently
     available from the installed plugins
@@ -58,7 +57,7 @@ def update_templates():
 
     # cdodge: build up a list of all existing templates. This will be used to determine which
     # templates have been removed from disk - and thus we need to remove from the DB
-    templates_to_delete = modulestore('direct').get_items(['i4x', 'edx', 'templates', None, None, None])
+    templates_to_delete = modulestore.get_items(['i4x', 'edx', 'templates', None, None, None])
 
     for category, templates in all_templates().items():
         for template in templates:
@@ -86,9 +85,9 @@ def update_templates():
                 ), exc_info=True)
                 continue
 
-            modulestore('direct').update_item(template_location, template.data)
-            modulestore('direct').update_children(template_location, template.children)
-            modulestore('direct').update_metadata(template_location, template.metadata)
+            modulestore.update_item(template_location, template.data)
+            modulestore.update_children(template_location, template.children)
+            modulestore.update_metadata(template_location, template.metadata)
 
             # remove template from list of templates to delete
             templates_to_delete = [t for t in templates_to_delete if t.location != template_location]
@@ -97,4 +96,4 @@ def update_templates():
     if len(templates_to_delete) > 0:
         logging.debug('deleting dangling templates = {0}'.format(templates_to_delete))
         for template in templates_to_delete:
-            modulestore('direct').delete_item(template.location)
+            modulestore.delete_item(template.location)
diff --git a/lms/templates/help_modal.html b/lms/templates/help_modal.html
index 83ea00068f..deebd391d2 100644
--- a/lms/templates/help_modal.html
+++ b/lms/templates/help_modal.html
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 <%namespace name='static' file='static_content.html'/>
+<%! from datetime import datetime %>
+<%! import pytz %>
 <%! from django.conf import settings %>
 <%! from courseware.tabs import get_discussion_link %>
 
@@ -79,9 +81,16 @@ discussion_link = get_discussion_link(course) if course else None
       <hr>
     </header>
 
+    <%
+      dst = datetime.now(pytz.utc).astimezone(pytz.timezone("America/New_York")).dst()
+      business_hours = "13:00 UTC to 21:00 UTC" if dst else "14:00 UTC to 22:00 UTC"
+    %>
     <p>
-    Thanks for your feedback. We will read your message, and our
-    support team may contact you to respond or ask for further clarification.
+    Thank you for your inquiry or feedback.  We typically respond to a
+    request within one business day (Monday to Friday,
+    ${business_hours}.) In the meantime, please review our
+    <a href="/help" target="_blank">detailed FAQs</a>
+    where most questions have already been answered.
     </p>
 
     <div class="close-modal">