diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/component.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/component.py
index f2ec685730..6b641fc33b 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/component.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/component.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ from xblock.runtime import Mixologist
 
 from lms.lib.xblock.runtime import unquote_slashes
 
-from contentstore.utils import get_lms_link_for_item, compute_unit_state, UnitState
+from contentstore.utils import get_lms_link_for_item, compute_unit_state, UnitState, get_modulestore
 from contentstore.views.helpers import get_parent_xblock
 
 from models.settings.course_grading import CourseGradingModel
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ def component_handler(request, usage_id, handler, suffix=''):
 
     location = unquote_slashes(usage_id)
 
-    descriptor = modulestore().get_item(location)
+    descriptor = get_modulestore(location).get_item(location)
     # Let the module handle the AJAX
     req = django_to_webob_request(request)
 
@@ -371,9 +371,6 @@ def component_handler(request, usage_id, handler, suffix=''):
 
     # unintentional update to handle any side effects of handle call; so, request user didn't author
     # the change
-    if getattr(descriptor, 'is_draft', False):
-        modulestore('draft').update_item(descriptor, None)
-    else:
-        modulestore('direct').update_item(descriptor, None)
+    get_modulestore(location).update_item(descriptor, None)
 
     return webob_to_django_response(resp)
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/item.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/item.py
index 6c15a7d400..5a7550611f 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/item.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/item.py
@@ -202,12 +202,9 @@ def xblock_view_handler(request, package_id, view_name, tag=None, branch=None, v
                 log.debug("unable to render studio_view for %r", component, exc_info=True)
                 fragment = Fragment(render_to_string('html_error.html', {'message': str(exc)}))
 
-            # change not authored by requestor but by xblocks. should not convert to draft if not
-            # already draft
-            if getattr(component, 'is_draft', False):
-                modulestore('draft').update_item(component, None)
-            else:
-                modulestore('direct').update_item(component, None)
+            # change not authored by requestor but by xblocks.
+            store.update_item(component, None)
+
         elif view_name == 'student_view' and component.has_children:
             # For non-leaf xblocks on the unit page, show the special rendering
             # which links to the new container page.
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_item.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_item.py
index 3aa3f15ad9..cfa1088e20 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_item.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_item.py
@@ -636,11 +636,11 @@ class TestComponentHandler(TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         self.request_factory = RequestFactory()
 
-        patcher = patch('contentstore.views.component.modulestore')
-        self.modulestore = patcher.start()
+        patcher = patch('contentstore.views.component.get_modulestore')
+        self.get_modulestore = patcher.start()
         self.addCleanup(patcher.stop)
 
-        self.descriptor = self.modulestore.return_value.get_item.return_value
+        self.descriptor = self.get_modulestore.return_value.get_item.return_value
 
         self.usage_id = 'dummy_usage_id'