diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/css/combinedopenended/display.scss b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/css/combinedopenended/display.scss
index 120ea0c52d..551d1c181f 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/css/combinedopenended/display.scss
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/css/combinedopenended/display.scss
@@ -234,6 +234,9 @@ section.combined-open-ended-status {
   &:hover {
     background-color: #eee;
   }
+  .rubric-label-selected{
+    border: 2px solid #666;
+  }
 }
 
 span.rubric-category {
@@ -952,3 +955,11 @@ section.open-ended-child {
     }
   }
 }
+
+section.peer-grading-container{
+    div.peer-grading{
+        section.calibration-feedback {
+            padding: 20px;
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/js/src/peergrading/peer_grading_problem.coffee b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/js/src/peergrading/peer_grading_problem.coffee
index 8771b4fe91..4151bda33d 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/js/src/peergrading/peer_grading_problem.coffee
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/js/src/peergrading/peer_grading_problem.coffee
@@ -338,13 +338,15 @@ class @PeerGradingProblem
   remove_flag: () =>
     @flag_student_checkbox.removeAttr("checked")
     @close_dialog_box()
+    @submit_button.attr('disabled', true)
 
   close_dialog_box: () =>
-    @$(@flag_submission_confirmation_sel).dialog('close')
+    $(@flag_submission_confirmation_sel).dialog('close')
 
   flag_box_checked: () =>
     if @flag_student_checkbox.is(':checked')
       @$(@flag_submission_confirmation_sel).dialog({ height: 400, width: 400 })
+      @submit_button.attr('disabled', false)
 
   # called after we perform an is_student_calibrated check
   calibration_check_callback: (response) =>
@@ -397,6 +399,10 @@ class @PeerGradingProblem
 
   # called after a grade is selected on the interface
   graded_callback: (event) =>
+    ev = @$(event.target).parent().parent()
+    ul = ev.parent().parent()
+    ul.find(".rubric-label-selected").removeClass('rubric-label-selected')
+    ev.addClass('rubric-label-selected')
     # check to see whether or not any categories have not been scored
     if @rub.check_complete()
       # show button if we have scores for all categories
@@ -479,6 +485,7 @@ class @PeerGradingProblem
       @answer_unknown_container.show()
       @feedback_area.val("")
 
+      @flag_student_checkbox.removeAttr("checked")
       @submit_button.show()
       @submit_button.unbind('click')
       @submit_button.click @submit_grade
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/peer_grading_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/peer_grading_module.py
index e8409948e9..d60f448d3b 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/peer_grading_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/peer_grading_module.py
@@ -310,13 +310,16 @@ class PeerGradingModule(PeerGradingFields, XModule):
             error: if there was an error in the submission, this is the error message
         """
 
-        required = set(['location', 'submission_id', 'submission_key', 'score', 'feedback', 'rubric_scores[]', 'submission_flagged', 'answer_unknown'])
-        success, message = self._check_required(data, required)
+        required = ['location', 'submission_id', 'submission_key', 'score', 'feedback', 'submission_flagged', 'answer_unknown']
+        if 'submission_flagged' not in data or data['submission_flagged'] in ["false", False, "False"]:
+            required.append("rubric_scores[]")
+        success, message = self._check_required(data, set(required))
         if not success:
             return self._err_response(message)
 
         data_dict = {k:data.get(k) for k in required}
-        data_dict['rubric_scores'] = data.getlist('rubric_scores[]')
+        if 'rubric_scores[]' in required:
+            data_dict['rubric_scores'] = data.getlist('rubric_scores[]')
         data_dict['grader_id'] = self.system.anonymous_student_id
 
         try: