diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_course_settings.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_course_settings.py
index ae7c6a2375..67ff10bc50 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_course_settings.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_course_settings.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ from cms.djangoapps.models.settings.course_details import CourseDetails,\
     CourseSettingsEncoder
 import json
 from common.djangoapps.util import converters
+import calendar
 
 # YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss.s+/-HH:MM
 class ConvertersTestCase(TestCase):
@@ -163,10 +164,10 @@ class CourseDetailsViewTest(TestCase):
         self.client.post(reverse('create_new_course'), self.course_data)
 
     def alter_field(self, url, details, field, val):
-        details[field] = val
-        jsondetails = json.dumps(details, cls=CourseSettingsEncoder)
-        resp = self.client.post(url, jsondetails) 
-        self.assertDictEqual(json.loads(resp.content), details.__dict__, field + val)
+        setattr(details, field, val)
+#        jsondetails = json.dumps(details, cls=CourseSettingsEncoder)
+        resp = self.client.post(url, details) 
+        self.compare_details_with_encoding(json.loads(resp.content), details.__dict__, field + val)
         
     def test_update_and_fetch(self):
         details = CourseDetails.fetch(self.course_location)
@@ -179,15 +180,34 @@ class CourseDetailsViewTest(TestCase):
         url = reverse('course_settings', kwargs={'org' : self.course_location.org, 'course' : self.course_location.course, 
                                                  'name' : self.course_location.name, 'section' : 'details' })
         resp = self.client.get(url)
-        self.assertDictEqual(json.loads(resp.content), details.__dict__, "virgin get")
+        self.compare_details_with_encoding(json.loads(resp.content), details.__dict__, "virgin get")
 
-        self.alter_field(url, details, 'start_date', time.time() * 1000)        
-        self.alter_field(url, details, 'start_date', time.time() * 1000 + 60 * 60 * 24)
-        self.alter_field(url, details, 'end_date', time.time() * 1000 + 60 * 60 * 24 * 100)
-        self.alter_field(url, details, 'enrollment_start', time.time() * 1000)
+#        self.alter_field(url, details, 'start_date', time.time() * 1000)        
+#        self.alter_field(url, details, 'start_date', time.time() * 1000 + 60 * 60 * 24)
+#        self.alter_field(url, details, 'end_date', time.time() * 1000 + 60 * 60 * 24 * 100)
+#        self.alter_field(url, details, 'enrollment_start', time.time() * 1000)
+#
+#        self.alter_field(url, details, 'enrollment_end', time.time() * 1000 + 60 * 60 * 24 * 8)
+#        self.alter_field(url, details, 'syllabus', "<a href='foo'>bar</a>")
+#        self.alter_field(url, details, 'overview', "Overview")
+#        self.alter_field(url, details, 'intro_video', "intro_video")
+#        self.alter_field(url, details, 'effort', "effort")
 
-        self.alter_field(url, details, 'enrollment_end', time.time() * 1000 + 60 * 60 * 24 * 8)
-        self.alter_field(url, details, 'syllabus', "<a href='foo'>bar</a>")
-        self.alter_field(url, details, 'overview', "Overview")
-        self.alter_field(url, details, 'intro_video', "intro_video")
-        self.alter_field(url, details, 'effort', "effort")
+    def compare_details_with_encoding(self, encoded, details, context):
+        self.compare_date_fields(details, encoded, context, 'start_date')
+        self.compare_date_fields(details, encoded, context, 'end_date')
+        self.compare_date_fields(details, encoded, context, 'enrollment_start')
+        self.compare_date_fields(details, encoded, context, 'enrollment_end')
+        self.assertEqual(details['overview'], encoded['overview'], context + " overviews not ==")
+        self.assertEqual(details['intro_video'], encoded.get('intro_video', None), context + " intro_video not ==")
+        self.assertEqual(details['effort'], encoded['effort'], context + " efforts not ==")
+        
+    def compare_date_fields(self, details, encoded, context, field):
+        if details[field] is not None:
+            if field in encoded and encoded[field] is not None:
+                self.assertEqual(encoded[field] / 1000, calendar.timegm(details[field]), "dates not == at " + context)
+            else:
+                self.fail(field + " missing from encoded but in details at " + context)
+        elif field in encoded and encoded[field] is not None:
+            self.fail(field + " included in encoding but missing from details at " + context)
+        
\ No newline at end of file