diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views.py
index 6f428ee3e8..14a11a2db1 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views.py
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ def edit_item(request):
         'category': item.category,
         'url_name': item.url_name,
         'previews': get_module_previews(request, item),
+        'metadata': item.metadata
     })
 
 
@@ -284,6 +285,11 @@ def save_item(request):
         children = request.POST['children']
         modulestore().update_children(item_location, children)
 
+    # cdodge: also commit any metadata which might have been passed along in the
+    # POST from the client
+    if request.POST['metadata']:
+        modulestore().update_metadata(item_location, request.POST['metadata'])
+
     # Export the course back to github
     # This uses wildcarding to find the course, which requires handling
     # multiple courses returned, but there should only ever be one
diff --git a/cms/static/coffee/src/models/module.coffee b/cms/static/coffee/src/models/module.coffee
index e2f911e9bd..4e1a926445 100644
--- a/cms/static/coffee/src/models/module.coffee
+++ b/cms/static/coffee/src/models/module.coffee
@@ -3,14 +3,26 @@ class CMS.Models.Module extends Backbone.Model
   defaults:
     data: ''
     children: ''
+    metadata: {}
 
   loadModule: (element) ->
     elt = $(element).find('.xmodule_edit').first()
     @module = XModule.loadModule(elt)
+    # find the metadata edit region which should be setup server side,
+    # so that we can wire up posting back those changes
+    @metadata_elt = $(element).find('.metadata_edit')
 
   editUrl: ->
     "/edit_item?#{$.param(id: @get('id'))}"
 
   save: (args...) ->
     @set(data: @module.save()) if @module
+    # cdodge: package up metadata which is separated into a number of input fields
+    # there's probably a better way to do this, but at least this lets me continue to move onwards
+    if @metadata_elt
+      _metadata = {}
+      # walk through the set of elments which have the 'xmetadata_name' attribute and
+      # build up a object to pass back to the server on the subsequent POST
+      _metadata[el.getAttribute("xmetadata_name")]=el.value for el in $('[xmetadata_name]')
+      @set(metadata: _metadata)
     super(args...)
diff --git a/cms/templates/widgets/html-edit.html b/cms/templates/widgets/html-edit.html
index 1e86c6c734..9f7196b6e4 100644
--- a/cms/templates/widgets/html-edit.html
+++ b/cms/templates/widgets/html-edit.html
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+<%include file="metadata-edit.html" />
 <section class="html-edit">
   <textarea name="" class="edit-box" rows="8" cols="40">${data}</textarea>
 </section>
diff --git a/cms/templates/widgets/metadata-edit.html b/cms/templates/widgets/metadata-edit.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a130436e37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cms/templates/widgets/metadata-edit.html
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+<section class="metadata_edit">
+  <h3>Metadata</h3>
+  <ul>
+    % for keyname in metadata.keys():
+    <li>${keyname}: <input type='text' xmetadata_name='${keyname}' value='${metadata[keyname]}' size='60' /></li>
+    % endfor
+  </ul>
+</section>
diff --git a/cms/templates/widgets/raw-edit.html b/cms/templates/widgets/raw-edit.html
index fbd1757be5..9488552be5 100644
--- a/cms/templates/widgets/raw-edit.html
+++ b/cms/templates/widgets/raw-edit.html
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+<%include file="metadata-edit.html" />
 <section class="raw-edit">
   <textarea name="" class="edit-box" rows="8" cols="40">${data | h}</textarea>
 </section>
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/editing_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/editing_module.py
index 67a4d66dad..c562617c98 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/editing_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/editing_module.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ class EditingDescriptor(MakoModuleDescriptor):
         return {
             'module': self,
             'data': self.definition.get('data', ''),
+            'metadata': self.metadata
     # TODO (vshnayder): allow children and metadata to be edited.
     #'children' : self.definition.get('children, ''),