diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/utils.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/utils.py
index b5a8c525f2..914ad1ec65 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/utils.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/utils.py
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+"""
+Common utility functions useful throughout the contentstore
+"""
 # pylint: disable=no-member
 
 import copy
diff --git a/cms/envs/debug_upload.py b/cms/envs/debug_upload.py
index 58f31a99e0..c854d9c933 100644
--- a/cms/envs/debug_upload.py
+++ b/cms/envs/debug_upload.py
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+"""
+A new cms ENV configuration to use a slow upload file handler to help test
+progress bars in uploads
+"""
 # pylint: disable=W0614, W0401
 from .dev import *
 
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/test_modulestore.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/test_modulestore.py
index ebc6892729..ba3d54bfc0 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/test_modulestore.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/test_modulestore.py
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+"""
+Defines a test function, check_has_course_method, useful in various modulestore tests.
+
+This file should potentially be renamed "utilties" since this file contains no tests.
+"""
 from nose.tools import assert_equals, assert_true, assert_false  # pylint: disable=no-name-in-module
 
 
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/test_mongo.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/test_mongo.py
index 9da34dbb5d..663be7a467 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/test_mongo.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/test_mongo.py
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+"""
+Unit tests for the Mongo modulestore
+"""
 # pylint: disable=no-member
 # pylint: disable=W0212
 # pylint: disable=no-name-in-module
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/tests/test_stringify.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/tests/test_stringify.py
index 8bdf59f5ba..1aacfc0dc9 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/tests/test_stringify.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/tests/test_stringify.py
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+"""
+Tests stringify functions used in xmodule html
+"""
 from nose.tools import assert_equals  # pylint: disable=no-name-in-module
 from lxml import etree
 from xmodule.stringify import stringify_children
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/tests.py b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/tests.py
index d9f601ad0b..dd6b4b5832 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/tests.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/tests.py
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+"""
+Tests of various permissions levels for the comment client
+"""
 import string       # pylint: disable=W0402
 import random
 
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/tests/test_utils.py b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/tests/test_utils.py
index a6c9fc5861..50ffbe6381 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/tests/test_utils.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ class CoursewareContextTestCase(ModuleStoreTestCase):
         utils.add_courseware_context(threads, self.course)
 
         def assertThreadCorrect(thread, discussion, expected_title):  # pylint: disable=invalid-name
+            """Asserts that the given thread has the expected set of properties"""
             self.assertEqual(
                 set(thread.keys()),
                 set(["commentable_id", "courseware_url", "courseware_title"])