diff --git a/public/index.html b/public/index.html
index 99e3b51e..d78929b7 100644
--- a/public/index.html
+++ b/public/index.html
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
       };
     </script>
     <script
-      async
+      defer
       src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/mathjax@3/es5/tex-mml-chtml.js"
       id="MathJax-script"
     ></script>
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
     <div id="root" class="small"></div>
 
     <!-- begin usabilla live embed code -->
-    <script type="text/javascript">
+    <script defer type="text/javascript">
       window.lightningjs ||
         (function (n) {
           var e = "lightningjs";
diff --git a/src/discussions/data/hooks.js b/src/discussions/data/hooks.js
index 701d3997..2e2c4670 100644
--- a/src/discussions/data/hooks.js
+++ b/src/discussions/data/hooks.js
@@ -71,14 +71,14 @@ export const useSidebarVisible = () => {
   return !hideSidebar;
 };
 
-export function useCourseDiscussionData(courseId) {
+export function useCourseDiscussionData(courseId, enableInContextSidebar) {
   const dispatch = useDispatch();
   const { authenticatedUser } = useContext(AppContext);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     async function fetchBaseData() {
       await dispatch(fetchCourseConfig(courseId));
-      await dispatch(fetchCourseBlocks(courseId, authenticatedUser.username));
+      if (!enableInContextSidebar) { await dispatch(fetchCourseBlocks(courseId, authenticatedUser.username)); }
     }
 
     fetchBaseData();
diff --git a/src/discussions/discussions-home/DiscussionsHome.jsx b/src/discussions/discussions-home/DiscussionsHome.jsx
index 2623ffca..efb538e1 100644
--- a/src/discussions/discussions-home/DiscussionsHome.jsx
+++ b/src/discussions/discussions-home/DiscussionsHome.jsx
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ export default function DiscussionsHome() {
     courseId, postId, topicId, category, learnerUsername,
   } = params;
 
-  useCourseDiscussionData(courseId);
+  useCourseDiscussionData(courseId, enableInContextSidebar);
   useRedirectToThread(courseId, enableInContextSidebar);
 
   /*  Display the content area if we are currently viewing/editing a post or creating one.
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ export default function DiscussionsHome() {
             </Switch>
           )}
         </div>
-        <DiscussionsProductTour />
+        {!enableInContextSidebar && <DiscussionsProductTour />}
       </main>
       {!enableInContextSidebar && <Footer />}
     </DiscussionContext.Provider>