diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_module.py
index a88acc6ffd..67c7d15910 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_module.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ from .xml_module import XmlDescriptor
 from xmodule.modulestore import Location
 import self_assessment_module
 import open_ended_module
+from combined_open_ended_rubric import CombinedOpenEndedRubric
 
 from mitxmako.shortcuts import render_to_string
 
@@ -140,6 +141,12 @@ class CombinedOpenEndedModule(XModule):
         # completion (doesn't matter if you self-assessed correct/incorrect).
         self._max_score = int(self.metadata.get('max_score', MAX_SCORE))
 
+        rubric_renderer = CombinedOpenEndedRubric(True)
+        success, rubric_feedback = rubric_renderer.render_rubric(True, definition['rubric'])
+        if not success:
+            error_message="Could not parse rubric : {0}".format(definition['rubric'])
+            log.exception(error_message)
+            raise Exception(error_message)
         #Static data is passed to the child modules to render
         self.static_data = {
             'max_score': self._max_score,
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_rubric.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_rubric.py
index 4861a15dbc..2146942296 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_rubric.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_rubric.py
@@ -20,16 +20,26 @@ class CombinedOpenEndedRubric:
         html: the html that corresponds to the xml given
     '''
     def render_rubric(self, rubric_xml):
+        success = False
         try:
+            rubric_xml = rubric_xml.encode('ascii', 'ignore')
             rubric_categories = self.extract_categories(rubric_xml)
             html = render_to_string('open_ended_rubric.html', 
                     {'categories'  : rubric_categories,
                      'has_score': self.has_score,
                      'view_only': self.view_only})
+            success = True
         except:
             log.exception("Could not parse the rubric.")
-            html = etree.tostring(rubric_xml, pretty_print=True)
-        return html
+            try:
+                html = etree.tostring(rubric_xml, pretty_print=True)
+            except:
+                log.exception("Rubric XML is a string, not an XML object : {0}".format(rubric_xml))
+                if isinstance(rubric_xml, basestring):
+                    html = rubric_xml
+                else:
+                    html = "Invalid rubric.  Please contact course staff."
+        return success, html
 
     def extract_categories(self, element):
         '''
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/open_ended_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/open_ended_module.py
index 4033d140dd..824eac3639 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/open_ended_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/open_ended_module.py
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ class OpenEndedModule(openendedchild.OpenEndedChild):
         feedback = self._convert_longform_feedback_to_html(response_items)
         if response_items['rubric_scores_complete']==True:
             rubric_renderer = CombinedOpenEndedRubric(True)
-            rubric_feedback = rubric_renderer.render_rubric(response_items['rubric_xml'])
+            success, rubric_feedback = rubric_renderer.render_rubric(response_items['rubric_xml'])
 
         if not response_items['success']:
             return system.render_template("open_ended_error.html",
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/self_assessment_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/self_assessment_module.py
index 4a7e86e134..de842091c9 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/self_assessment_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/self_assessment_module.py
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ class SelfAssessmentModule(openendedchild.OpenEndedChild):
 
         rubric_renderer = CombinedOpenEndedRubric(True)
 
-        rubric_html  = rubric_renderer.render_rubric(self.rubric)
+        success, rubric_html  = rubric_renderer.render_rubric(self.rubric)
 
         # we'll render it
         context = {'rubric': rubric_html,
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/open_ended_grading/staff_grading_service.py b/lms/djangoapps/open_ended_grading/staff_grading_service.py
index c684fa1d95..9f7daeb786 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/open_ended_grading/staff_grading_service.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/open_ended_grading/staff_grading_service.py
@@ -264,7 +264,12 @@ def _get_next(course_id, grader_id, location):
         response_json = json.loads(response)
         rubric = response_json['rubric']
         rubric_renderer = CombinedOpenEndedRubric(False)
-        rubric_html = rubric_renderer.render_rubric(rubric)
+        success, rubric_html = rubric_renderer.render_rubric(rubric)
+        if not success:
+            error_message = "Could not render rubric: {0}".format(rubric)
+            log.exception(error_message)
+            return json.dumps({'success': False,
+                               'error': error_message})
         response_json['rubric'] = rubric_html
         return json.dumps(response_json)
     except GradingServiceError: