diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_course_listing.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_course_listing.py
index 6f73530ef4..1ead15c37e 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_course_listing.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_course_listing.py
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ class TestCourseListing(ModuleStoreTestCase):
         course_db_record = modulestore()._find_one(course.location)
         course_db_record.setdefault('metadata', {}).get('tabs', []).append({"type": "wiko", "name": "Wiki" })
         modulestore().collection.update(
-            {'_id': course_db_record['_id']},
+            {'_id': course.location.to_deprecated_son()},
             {'$set': {
                 'metadata.tabs': course_db_record['metadata']['tabs'],
             }},
diff --git a/common/djangoapps/student/tests/test_course_listing.py b/common/djangoapps/student/tests/test_course_listing.py
index 6decc8cbe2..f0bc2bb67e 100644
--- a/common/djangoapps/student/tests/test_course_listing.py
+++ b/common/djangoapps/student/tests/test_course_listing.py
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ class TestCourseListing(ModuleStoreTestCase):
         course_db_record = modulestore('direct')._find_one(course.location)
         course_db_record.setdefault('metadata', {}).get('tabs', []).append({"type": "wiko", "name": "Wiki" })
         modulestore('direct').collection.update(
-            {'_id': course_db_record['_id']},
+            {'_id': course.location.to_deprecated_son()},
             {'$set': {
                 'metadata.tabs': course_db_record['metadata']['tabs'],
             }},
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/contentstore/mongo.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/contentstore/mongo.py
index d80819faea..8763f5233a 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/contentstore/mongo.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/contentstore/mongo.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ class MongoContentStore(ContentStore):
             pymongo.MongoClient(
                 host=host,
                 port=port,
-                document_class=SON,
+                document_class=dict,
                 **kwargs
             ),
             db
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/mongo/base.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/mongo/base.py
index f277aeab95..cffd73fe31 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/mongo/base.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/mongo/base.py
@@ -295,8 +295,7 @@ class MongoModuleStore(ModuleStoreWriteBase):
                     host=host,
                     port=port,
                     tz_aware=tz_aware,
-                    # deserialize dicts as SONs
-                    document_class=SON,
+                    document_class=dict,
                     **kwargs
                 ),
                 db
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/test_mixed_modulestore.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/test_mixed_modulestore.py
index 084fb7d91d..8cdb614191 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/test_mixed_modulestore.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/test_mixed_modulestore.py
@@ -99,7 +99,6 @@ class TestMixedModuleStore(LocMapperSetupSansDjango):
             host=self.HOST,
             port=self.PORT,
             tz_aware=True,
-            document_class=bson.son.SON,
         )
         self.connection.drop_database(self.DB)
         self.addCleanup(self.connection.drop_database, self.DB)
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/test_mongo.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/test_mongo.py
index ad2f121aa7..ca07038831 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/test_mongo.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/test_mongo.py
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ class TestMongoModuleStore(unittest.TestCase):
             host=HOST,
             port=PORT,
             tz_aware=True,
-            document_class=bson.son.SON,
+            document_class=dict,
         )
         cls.connection.drop_database(DB)