diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/certificates/api.py b/lms/djangoapps/certificates/api.py
index 8d0f1dc69f..745e6f8420 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/certificates/api.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/certificates/api.py
@@ -234,8 +234,9 @@ def certificate_downloadable_status(student, course_key):
         'download_url': None,
         'uuid': None,
     }
+    may_view_certificate = CourseOverview.get_from_id(course_key).may_certify()
 
-    if current_status['status'] == CertificateStatuses.downloadable:
+    if current_status['status'] == CertificateStatuses.downloadable and may_view_certificate:
         response_data['is_downloadable'] = True
         response_data['download_url'] = current_status['download_url'] or get_certificate_url(student.id, course_key)
         response_data['uuid'] = current_status['uuid']
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/certificates/tests/test_api.py b/lms/djangoapps/certificates/tests/test_api.py
index 4a12529528..e583fe105f 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/certificates/tests/test_api.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/certificates/tests/test_api.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ from functools import wraps
 
 import ddt
 from datetime import datetime
+from datetime import timedelta
 from config_models.models import cache
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ from freezegun import freeze_time
 from mock import patch
 from nose.plugins.attrib import attr
 from opaque_keys.edx.locator import CourseLocator
+import pytz
 
 from certificates import api as certs_api
 from certificates.models import (
@@ -81,6 +83,7 @@ class WebCertificateTestMixin(object):
 
 
 @attr(shard=1)
+@ddt.ddt
 class CertificateDownloadableStatusTests(WebCertificateTestMixin, ModuleStoreTestCase):
     """Tests for the `certificate_downloadable_status` helper function. """
     ENABLED_SIGNALS = ['course_published']
@@ -94,7 +97,9 @@ class CertificateDownloadableStatusTests(WebCertificateTestMixin, ModuleStoreTes
             org='edx',
             number='verified',
             display_name='Verified Course',
-            end=datetime.now()
+            end=datetime.now(pytz.UTC),
+            self_paced=False,
+            certificate_available_date=datetime.now(pytz.UTC) - timedelta(days=2)
         )
 
         self.request_factory = RequestFactory()
@@ -201,6 +206,31 @@ class CertificateDownloadableStatusTests(WebCertificateTestMixin, ModuleStoreTes
             }
         )
 
+    @ddt.data(
+        (False, datetime.now(pytz.UTC) + timedelta(days=2), False),
+        (False, datetime.now(pytz.UTC) - timedelta(days=2), True),
+        (True, datetime.now(pytz.UTC) + timedelta(days=2), True)
+    )
+    @ddt.unpack
+    @patch.dict(settings.FEATURES, {'CERTIFICATES_HTML_VIEW': True})
+    def test_cert_api_return(self, self_paced, cert_avail_date, cert_downloadable_status):
+        """
+        Test 'downloadable status'
+        """
+        self.course.self_paced = self_paced
+        self.course.certificate_available_date = cert_avail_date
+        self.course.save()
+
+        CourseEnrollment.enroll(self.student, self.course.id, mode='honor')
+        self._setup_course_certificate()
+        with mock_passing_grade():
+            certs_api.generate_user_certificates(self.student, self.course.id)
+
+        self.assertEqual(
+            certs_api.certificate_downloadable_status(self.student, self.course.id)['is_downloadable'],
+            cert_downloadable_status
+        )
+
 
 @attr(shard=1)
 @ddt.ddt
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/tests/test_views.py b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/tests/test_views.py
index 6203de8e9e..650e79a711 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/tests/test_views.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/tests/test_views.py
@@ -2075,7 +2075,8 @@ class GenerateUserCertTests(ModuleStoreTestCase):
             number='verified',
             end=datetime.now(),
             display_name='Verified Course',
-            grade_cutoffs={'cutoff': 0.75, 'Pass': 0.5}
+            grade_cutoffs={'cutoff': 0.75, 'Pass': 0.5},
+            self_paced=True
         )
         self.enrollment = CourseEnrollment.enroll(self.student, self.course.id, mode='honor')
         self.assertTrue(self.client.login(username=self.student, password='123456'))
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/mobile_api/testutils.py b/lms/djangoapps/mobile_api/testutils.py
index 85533ef816..3739e5c0d1 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/mobile_api/testutils.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/mobile_api/testutils.py
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ Test utilities for mobile API tests:
      MobileCourseAccessTestMixin - tests for APIs with mobile_course_access.
 """
 # pylint: disable=no-member
-from datetime import timedelta
 
 import ddt
 import datetime
@@ -19,6 +18,7 @@ from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse
 from django.utils import timezone
 from mock import patch
 from opaque_keys.edx.keys import CourseKey
+import pytz
 from rest_framework.test import APITestCase
 
 from courseware.access_response import MobileAvailabilityError, StartDateError, VisibilityError
@@ -43,7 +43,9 @@ class MobileAPITestCase(ModuleStoreTestCase, APITestCase):
         self.course = CourseFactory.create(
             mobile_available=True,
             static_asset_path="needed_for_split",
-            end=datetime.datetime.now())
+            end=datetime.datetime.now(pytz.UTC),
+            certificate_available_date=datetime.datetime.now(pytz.UTC)
+        )
         self.user = UserFactory.create()
         self.password = 'test'
         self.username = self.user.username
@@ -176,7 +178,7 @@ class MobileCourseAccessTestMixin(MobileAPIMilestonesMixin):
         # pylint: disable=attribute-defined-outside-init
         self.course = CourseFactory.create(mobile_available=True, static_asset_path="needed_for_split")
         # pylint: disable=attribute-defined-outside-init
-        self.course.start = timezone.now() + timedelta(days=365)
+        self.course.start = timezone.now() + datetime.timedelta(days=365)
         self.init_course_access()
         self._verify_response(self.ALLOW_ACCESS_TO_UNRELEASED_COURSE, StartDateError(self.course.start))