diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/discussion_api/api.py b/lms/djangoapps/discussion_api/api.py
index 0b54ec0ccf..548a76c919 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/discussion_api/api.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/discussion_api/api.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ from urlparse import urlunparse
 from django.core.exceptions import ValidationError
 from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse
 from django.http import Http404
+import itertools
 
 from rest_framework.exceptions import PermissionDenied
 
@@ -378,7 +379,7 @@ def get_comment_list(request, thread_id, endorsed, page, page_size, mark_as_read
         request,
         thread_id,
         retrieve_kwargs={
-            "recursive": True,
+            "recursive": False,
             "user_id": request.user.id,
             "mark_as_read": mark_as_read,
             "response_skip": response_skip,
@@ -415,7 +416,7 @@ def get_comment_list(request, thread_id, endorsed, page, page_size, mark_as_read
         raise Http404
     num_pages = (resp_total + page_size - 1) / page_size if resp_total else 1
 
-    results = [CommentSerializer(response, remove_fields=["children"], context=context).data for response in responses]
+    results = [CommentSerializer(response, context=context).data for response in responses]
     return get_paginated_data(request, results, page, num_pages)
 
 
@@ -740,9 +741,15 @@ def get_response_comments(request, comment_id, page, page_size):
     """
     try:
         cc_comment = Comment(id=comment_id).retrieve()
-        cc_thread, context = _get_thread_and_context(request, cc_comment["thread_id"])
+        cc_thread, context = _get_thread_and_context(
+            request,
+            cc_comment["thread_id"],
+            retrieve_kwargs={
+                "recursive": True,
+            }
+        )
         if cc_thread["thread_type"] == "question":
-            thread_responses = cc_thread["endorsed_responses"] + cc_thread["non_endorsed_responses"]
+            thread_responses = itertools.chain(cc_thread["endorsed_responses"], cc_thread["non_endorsed_responses"])
         else:
             thread_responses = cc_thread["children"]
         response_comments = []
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/discussion_api/tests/test_api.py b/lms/djangoapps/discussion_api/tests/test_api.py
index ca14dfbec9..7b0568cf6d 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/discussion_api/tests/test_api.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/discussion_api/tests/test_api.py
@@ -1085,7 +1085,7 @@ class GetCommentListTest(CommentsServiceMockMixin, SharedModuleStoreTestCase):
         self.assert_query_params_equal(
             httpretty.httpretty.latest_requests[-2],
             {
-                "recursive": ["True"],
+                "recursive": ["False"],
                 "user_id": [str(self.user.id)],
                 "mark_as_read": ["False"],
                 "resp_skip": ["70"],
@@ -1147,6 +1147,7 @@ class GetCommentListTest(CommentsServiceMockMixin, SharedModuleStoreTestCase):
                 "voted": False,
                 "vote_count": 4,
                 "editable_fields": ["abuse_flagged", "voted"],
+                "children": [],
             },
             {
                 "id": "test_comment_2",
@@ -1166,6 +1167,7 @@ class GetCommentListTest(CommentsServiceMockMixin, SharedModuleStoreTestCase):
                 "voted": False,
                 "vote_count": 7,
                 "editable_fields": ["abuse_flagged", "voted"],
+                "children": [],
             },
         ]
         actual_comments = self.get_comment_list(
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/discussion_api/tests/test_views.py b/lms/djangoapps/discussion_api/tests/test_views.py
index 915cfc89ec..6f5f699827 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/discussion_api/tests/test_views.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/discussion_api/tests/test_views.py
@@ -681,6 +681,7 @@ class CommentViewSetListTest(DiscussionAPIViewTestMixin, ModuleStoreTestCase):
             "voted": True,
             "vote_count": 4,
             "editable_fields": ["abuse_flagged", "voted"],
+            "children": [],
         }]
         self.register_get_thread_response({
             "id": self.thread_id,
@@ -704,7 +705,7 @@ class CommentViewSetListTest(DiscussionAPIViewTestMixin, ModuleStoreTestCase):
         self.assert_query_params_equal(
             httpretty.httpretty.latest_requests[-2],
             {
-                "recursive": ["True"],
+                "recursive": ["False"],
                 "resp_skip": ["0"],
                 "resp_limit": ["10"],
                 "user_id": [str(self.user.id)],
@@ -738,7 +739,7 @@ class CommentViewSetListTest(DiscussionAPIViewTestMixin, ModuleStoreTestCase):
         self.assert_query_params_equal(
             httpretty.httpretty.latest_requests[-2],
             {
-                "recursive": ["True"],
+                "recursive": ["False"],
                 "resp_skip": ["68"],
                 "resp_limit": ["4"],
                 "user_id": [str(self.user.id)],
@@ -1026,6 +1027,7 @@ class ThreadViewSetRetrieveTest(DiscussionAPIViewTestMixin, ModuleStoreTestCase)
 
 
 @httpretty.activate
+@mock.patch.dict("django.conf.settings.FEATURES", {"ENABLE_DISCUSSION_SERVICE": True})
 class CommentViewSetRetrieveTest(DiscussionAPIViewTestMixin, ModuleStoreTestCase):
     """Tests for CommentViewSet Retrieve"""
     def setUp(self):