diff --git a/cms/static/coffee/spec/models/textbook_spec.coffee b/cms/static/coffee/spec/models/textbook_spec.coffee
index 7153122a8c..2a3cc20e97 100644
--- a/cms/static/coffee/spec/models/textbook_spec.coffee
+++ b/cms/static/coffee/spec/models/textbook_spec.coffee
@@ -14,10 +14,11 @@ describe "CMS.Models.Textbook", ->
     it "should not show chapters by default", ->
         expect(@model.get("showChapters")).toBeFalsy()
 
-    it "should have a ChapterSet with one chapter by default", ->
+    it "should have an empty ChapterSet by default", ->
         chapters = @model.get("chapters")
         expect(chapters).toBeInstanceOf(CMS.Collections.ChapterSet)
-        expect(chapters.length).toEqual(1)
+        expect(chapters.isEmpty()).toBeTruthy()
+        expect(chapters.length).toEqual(0)
 
     it "should be empty by default", ->
         expect(@model.isEmpty()).toBeTruthy()
diff --git a/cms/static/coffee/spec/views/textbook_spec.coffee b/cms/static/coffee/spec/views/textbook_spec.coffee
index d3086ea9b0..e50f8f46a0 100644
--- a/cms/static/coffee/spec/views/textbook_spec.coffee
+++ b/cms/static/coffee/spec/views/textbook_spec.coffee
@@ -89,10 +89,18 @@ describe "CMS.Views.TextbookEdit", ->
             @view.render()
             expect(@view.$("input[name=textbook-name]").val()).toEqual("Life Sciences")
 
-        it "should allow you to create new chapters", ->
+        it "should create an empty chapter when it is rendered, if there are no chapters", ->
+            expect(@model.get("chapters").length).toEqual(0)
+            @view.render()
+            expect(@model.get("chapters").length).toEqual(1)
+            expect(@model.get("chapters").last().isEmpty()).toBeTruthy()
+
+        it "should allow you to create new empty chapters", ->
+            @view.render()
             numChapters = @model.get("chapters").length
-            @view.render().$(".action-add-chapter").click()
+            @view.$(".action-add-chapter").click()
             expect(@model.get("chapters").length).toEqual(numChapters+1)
+            expect(@model.get("chapters").last().isEmpty()).toBeTruthy()
 
         it "should save properly", ->
             @view.render()
@@ -104,6 +112,7 @@ describe "CMS.Views.TextbookEdit", ->
             expect(@collection.save).toHaveBeenCalled()
 
         it "does not save on cancel", ->
+            @model.get("chapters").add([{name: "a", asset_path: "b"}])
             @view.render()
             @view.$("input[name=textbook-name]").val("starfish")
             @view.$("input[name=chapter1-name]").val("foobar")
@@ -113,6 +122,14 @@ describe "CMS.Views.TextbookEdit", ->
             expect(@collection.save).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
             expect(@collection.editing).toBeUndefined()
 
+        it "does not save empty chapters on cancel", ->
+            chapters = @model.get("chapters")
+            origLength = chapters.length
+            @view.render()
+            chapters.add([{}, {}, {}]) # add three empty chapters
+            @view.$(".action-cancel").click()
+            expect(chapters.length).toEqual(origLength)
+
 
 describe "CMS.Views.ListTextbooks", ->
     noTextbooksTpl = readFixtures("no-textbooks.underscore")
diff --git a/cms/static/js/models/textbook.js b/cms/static/js/models/textbook.js
index 4870b003a4..1b7b53f59d 100644
--- a/cms/static/js/models/textbook.js
+++ b/cms/static/js/models/textbook.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ CMS.Models.Textbook = Backbone.AssociatedModel.extend({
     defaults: function() {
         return {
             name: "",
-            chapters: new CMS.Collections.ChapterSet([{}]),
+            chapters: new CMS.Collections.ChapterSet(),
             showChapters: false
         };
     },
diff --git a/cms/static/js/views/textbook.js b/cms/static/js/views/textbook.js
index dd2816254d..0394640e5d 100644
--- a/cms/static/js/views/textbook.js
+++ b/cms/static/js/views/textbook.js
@@ -78,6 +78,10 @@ CMS.Views.TextbookEdit = Backbone.View.extend({
             name: this.model.escape('name'),
             errors: null
         }));
+        var chapters = this.model.get('chapters');
+        if (chapters.length === 0) {
+            chapters.add([{}]);
+        }
         this.addAll();
         return this;
     },
@@ -109,6 +113,7 @@ CMS.Views.TextbookEdit = Backbone.View.extend({
         var that = this;
         _.each(this.$("li"), function(li, i) {
             var chapter = that.model.get('chapters').at(i);
+            if(!chapter) { return; }
             chapter.set({
                 "name": $(".chapter-name", li).val(),
                 "asset_path": $(".chapter-asset-path", li).val()
@@ -145,6 +150,11 @@ CMS.Views.TextbookEdit = Backbone.View.extend({
         // if the textbook has no content, remove it from the collection
         if(this.model.isEmpty()) {
             textbooks.remove(this.model);
+        } else {
+            // remove empty chapters from textbook
+            var chapters = this.model.get("chapters");
+            chapters.remove(chapters.filter(
+                function(chapter) { return chapter.isEmpty(); }));
         }
         textbooks.trigger('render');
         return this;