diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_course_settings.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_course_settings.py
index 84e79b9670..925b2431b9 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_course_settings.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_course_settings.py
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ class CourseGradingTest(CourseTestCase):
         altered_grader = CourseGradingModel.update_from_json(test_grader.__dict__)
         self.assertDictEqual(test_grader.__dict__, altered_grader.__dict__, "cutoff add D")
 
-        test_grader.grace_period = {'hours' :  '4'}
+        test_grader.grace_period = {'hours' :  4, 'minutes' : 5, 'seconds': 0}
         altered_grader = CourseGradingModel.update_from_json(test_grader.__dict__)
         self.assertDictEqual(test_grader.__dict__, altered_grader.__dict__, "4 hour grace period")
 
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/models/settings/course_grading.py b/cms/djangoapps/models/settings/course_grading.py
index 321c521045..3d0b8f78af 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/models/settings/course_grading.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/models/settings/course_grading.py
@@ -235,10 +235,10 @@ class CourseGradingModel(object):
 
     @staticmethod
     def convert_set_grace_period(descriptor):
-        # 5 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds => converted to iso format
+        # 5 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds => { hours: 5, minutes : 59, seconds : 59}
         rawgrace = descriptor.metadata.get('graceperiod', None)
         if rawgrace:
-            parsedgrace = {str(key): val for (val, key) in re.findall('\s*(\d+)\s*(\w+)', rawgrace)}
+            parsedgrace = {str(key): int(val) for (val, key) in re.findall('\s*(\d+)\s*(\w+)', rawgrace)}
             return parsedgrace
         else: return None