diff --git a/cms/static/js/views/modals/base_modal.js b/cms/static/js/views/modals/base_modal.js
index e8f8696d59..61b6c5c15f 100644
--- a/cms/static/js/views/modals/base_modal.js
+++ b/cms/static/js/views/modals/base_modal.js
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ define(["jquery", "underscore", "gettext", "js/views/baseview"],
                 'click .action-cancel': 'cancel'
             },
 
-            options: $.extend({}, BaseView.prototype.options, {
+            options: _.extend({}, BaseView.prototype.options, {
                 type: 'prompt',
                 closeIcon: false,
                 icon: false,
diff --git a/cms/static/js/views/modals/course_outline_modals.js b/cms/static/js/views/modals/course_outline_modals.js
index 28a4fa9aa4..a08a7097df 100644
--- a/cms/static/js/views/modals/course_outline_modals.js
+++ b/cms/static/js/views/modals/course_outline_modals.js
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ define(['jquery', 'backbone', 'underscore', 'gettext', 'js/views/baseview',
         VerificationAccessEditor, TimedExaminationPreferenceEditor, AccessEditor;
 
     CourseOutlineXBlockModal = BaseModal.extend({
-        events : {
+        events : _.extend({}, BaseModal.prototype.events, {
             'click .action-save': 'save'
-        },
+        }),
 
         options: $.extend({}, BaseModal.prototype.options, {
             modalName: 'course-outline',
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ define(['jquery', 'backbone', 'underscore', 'gettext', 'js/views/baseview',
 
         initialize: function() {
             BaseModal.prototype.initialize.call(this);
-            this.events = $.extend({}, BaseModal.prototype.events, this.events);
             this.template = this.loadTemplate('course-outline-modal');
             this.options.title = this.getTitle();
         },
@@ -154,10 +153,10 @@ define(['jquery', 'backbone', 'underscore', 'gettext', 'js/views/baseview',
             }
         },
 
-        events: {
+        events: _.extend({}, CourseOutlineXBlockModal.prototype.events, {
             'click .action-save': 'save',
-            'click .settings-tab-button': 'handleShowTab',
-        },
+            'click .settings-tab-button': 'handleShowTab'
+        }),
 
         /**
          * Return request data.
@@ -185,9 +184,9 @@ define(['jquery', 'backbone', 'underscore', 'gettext', 'js/views/baseview',
 
 
     PublishXBlockModal = CourseOutlineXBlockModal.extend({
-        events : {
+        events : _.extend({}, CourseOutlineXBlockModal.prototype.events, {
             'click .action-publish': 'save'
-        },
+        }),
 
         initialize: function() {
             CourseOutlineXBlockModal.prototype.initialize.call(this);
diff --git a/cms/static/js/views/modals/edit_xblock.js b/cms/static/js/views/modals/edit_xblock.js
index ea10dabd09..c4f6b1044e 100644
--- a/cms/static/js/views/modals/edit_xblock.js
+++ b/cms/static/js/views/modals/edit_xblock.js
@@ -9,10 +9,10 @@ define(["jquery", "underscore", "gettext", "js/views/modals/base_modal", "common
         "strict mode";
 
         var EditXBlockModal = BaseModal.extend({
-            events : {
+            events: _.extend({}, BaseModal.prototype.events, {
                 "click .action-save": "save",
                 "click .action-modes a": "changeMode"
-            },
+            }),
 
             options: $.extend({}, BaseModal.prototype.options, {
                 modalName: 'edit-xblock',
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ define(["jquery", "underscore", "gettext", "js/views/modals/base_modal", "common
 
             initialize: function() {
                 BaseModal.prototype.initialize.call(this);
-                this.events = _.extend({}, BaseModal.prototype.events, this.events);
                 this.template = this.loadTemplate('edit-xblock-modal');
                 this.editorModeButtonTemplate = this.loadTemplate('editor-mode-button');
             },
diff --git a/cms/static/js/views/modals/validation_error_modal.js b/cms/static/js/views/modals/validation_error_modal.js
index 545fed566d..dc759a5a2b 100644
--- a/cms/static/js/views/modals/validation_error_modal.js
+++ b/cms/static/js/views/modals/validation_error_modal.js
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ define(['jquery', 'underscore', 'gettext', 'js/views/modals/base_modal'],
 
                 return this.template({
                     response: this.response,
-                    num_errors: this.response.length,
+                    num_errors: this.response.length
                 });
             },
 
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ define(['jquery', 'underscore', 'gettext', 'js/views/modals/base_modal'],
 
                 // hide the modal
                 BaseModal.prototype.hide.call(this); 
-            },
+            }
         });
 
         return ValidationErrorModal;
diff --git a/cms/static/js/views/pages/paged_container.js b/cms/static/js/views/pages/paged_container.js
index a3f7cfd3f2..2c1227825e 100644
--- a/cms/static/js/views/pages/paged_container.js
+++ b/cms/static/js/views/pages/paged_container.js
@@ -6,12 +6,14 @@ define(["jquery", "underscore", "gettext", "js/views/pages/container", "js/views
         'use strict';
         var PagedXBlockContainerPage = XBlockContainerPage.extend({
 
-            events: {"click .toggle-preview-button": "toggleChildrenPreviews"},
+            events: _.extend({}, XBlockContainerPage.prototype.events, {
+                'click .toggle-preview-button': 'toggleChildrenPreviews'
+            }),
+
             defaultViewClass: PagedContainerView,
             components_on_init: false,
 
-            initialize: function (options){
-                this.events = _.extend({}, XBlockContainerPage.prototype.events, this.events);
+            initialize: function (options) {
                 this.page_size = options.page_size || 10;
                 this.showChildrenPreviews = options.showChildrenPreviews || true;
                 XBlockContainerPage.prototype.initialize.call(this, options);
diff --git a/cms/static/js/views/uploads.js b/cms/static/js/views/uploads.js
index 4b2cd0d620..42dc7d88ec 100644
--- a/cms/static/js/views/uploads.js
+++ b/cms/static/js/views/uploads.js
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 define(["jquery", "underscore", "gettext", "js/views/modals/base_modal", "jquery.form"],
     function($, _, gettext, BaseModal) {
         var UploadDialog = BaseModal.extend({
-            events: {
+            events: _.extend({}, BaseModal.prototype.events, {
                 "change input[type=file]": "selectFile",
                 "click .action-upload": "upload"
-            },
+            }),
 
             options: $.extend({}, BaseModal.prototype.options, {
                 modalName: 'assetupload',
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ define(["jquery", "underscore", "gettext", "js/views/modals/base_modal", "jquery
 
             initialize: function() {
                 BaseModal.prototype.initialize.call(this);
-                this.events = _.extend({}, BaseModal.prototype.events, this.events);
                 this.template = this.loadTemplate("upload-dialog");
                 this.listenTo(this.model, "change", this.renderContents);
                 this.options.title = this.model.get('title');