diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/management/commands/check_course.py b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/management/commands/check_course.py
index 755cf089f4..4c80221702 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/management/commands/check_course.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/management/commands/check_course.py
@@ -10,46 +10,80 @@ from courseware.content_parser import course_file
 import courseware.module_render
 import xmodule
 
+import mitxmako.middleware as middleware
+middleware.MakoMiddleware()
+
+def check_names(user, course):
+    all_ok = True
+    print "Confirming all problems have alphanumeric names"
+    for problem in course.xpath('//problem'):
+        filename = problem.get('filename')
+        if not filename.isalnum():
+            print "==============> Invalid (non-alphanumeric) filename", filename
+            all_ok = False
+    return all_ok
+
+def check_rendering(user, course):
+    '''Check that all modules render'''
+    all_ok = True
+    print "Confirming all modules render. Nothing should print during this step. "
+    for module in course.xpath('//problem|//html|//video|//vertical|//sequential|/tab'):
+        module_class = xmodule.modx_modules[module.tag]
+        # TODO: Abstract this out in render_module.py
+        try: 
+            module_class(etree.tostring(module), 
+                         module.get('id'), 
+                         ajax_url='',
+                         state=None, 
+                         track_function = lambda x,y,z:None, 
+                         render_function = lambda x: {'content':'','type':'video'})
+        except Exception as ex:
+            print "==============> Error in ", etree.tostring(module)
+            print ""
+            print ex
+            all_ok = False
+    print "Module render check finished"
+    return all_ok
+
+def check_sections(user, course):
+    all_ok = True
+    sections_dir = settings.DATA_DIR + "/sections"
+    print "Checking that all sections exist and parse properly"
+    if os.path.exists(sections_dir):
+        print "Checking all section includes are valid XML"
+        for f in os.listdir(sections_dir):
+            sectionfile = sections_dir + '/' + f
+            print sectionfile
+            try:
+                etree.parse(sectionfile)
+            except Exception as ex:
+                print "================> Error parsing ", sectionfile
+                print ex
+                all_ok = False
+        print "checked all sections"
+    else:
+        print "Skipping check of include files -- no section includes dir ("+sections_dir+")"
+    return all_ok
+
 class Command(BaseCommand):
     help = "Does basic validity tests on course.xml."
     def handle(self, *args, **options):
-        check = True
+        all_ok = True
         sample_user = User.objects.all()[0]
+
         print "Attempting to load courseware"
         course = course_file(sample_user)
-        print "Confirming all problems have alphanumeric names"
-        for problem in course.xpath('//problem'):
-            filename = problem.get('filename')
-            if not filename.isalnum():
-                print "==============> Invalid (non-alphanumeric) filename", filename
-                check = False
-        print "Confirming all modules render. Nothing should print during this step. "
-        for module in course.xpath('//problem|//html|//video|//vertical|//sequential|/tab'):
-            module_class = xmodule.modx_modules[module.tag]
-            # TODO: Abstract this out in render_module.py
-            try: 
-                module_class(etree.tostring(module), 
-                             module.get('id'), 
-                             ajax_url='',
-                             state=None, 
-                             track_function = lambda x,y,z:None, 
-                             render_function = lambda x: {'content':'','type':'video'})
-            except:
-                print "==============> Error in ", etree.tostring(module)
-                check = False
-        print "Module render check finished"
-        sections_dir = settings.DATA_DIR+"sections"
-        if os.path.exists(sections_dir):
-            print "Checking all section includes are valid XML"
-            for f in os.listdir(sections_dir):
-                print f
-                etree.parse(sections_dir+'/'+f)
-        else:
-            print "Skipping check of include files -- no section includes dir ("+sections_dir+")"
+
+        to_run = [check_names,
+                  #                  check_rendering,
+                  check_sections,
+                  ]
+        for check in to_run:
+            all_ok = check(sample_user, course) and all_ok
+
         # TODO: print "Checking course properly annotated with preprocess.py"
         
-            
-        if check:
+        if all_ok:
             print 'Courseware passes all checks!'
         else: 
             print "Courseware fails some checks"