diff --git a/cms/envs/common.py b/cms/envs/common.py
index f110ede87ae5c53f6229afe8cf8399157d18de88..4b4b69ad3920bfaaf90d6731ad38d6ed820ec56f 100644
--- a/cms/envs/common.py
+++ b/cms/envs/common.py
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ MITX_FEATURES = {
     'ENABLE_DISCUSSION_SERVICE': False,
     'AUTH_USE_MIT_CERTIFICATES' : False,
 }
+ENABLE_JASMINE = False
 
 # needed to use lms student app
 GENERATE_RANDOM_USER_CREDENTIALS = False
diff --git a/lms/envs/common.py b/lms/envs/common.py
index 251427d0147a76649784bdd01b04fd7b9e2eb70a..2af62182ac748ae5e5793ae280f55bc2afc1450b 100644
--- a/lms/envs/common.py
+++ b/lms/envs/common.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ from .discussionsettings import *
 
 ################################### FEATURES ###################################
 COURSEWARE_ENABLED = True
+ENABLE_JASMINE = False
 GENERATE_RANDOM_USER_CREDENTIALS = False
 PERFSTATS = False
 
diff --git a/rakefile b/rakefile
index e0972df12a9cd1cae30fc3fdc84633324c2a50d8..5cdc5b3214a788a4477e6f5d47a5c86eaec36cfb 100644
--- a/rakefile
+++ b/rakefile
@@ -48,7 +48,11 @@ def django_for_jasmine(system)
     puts django_pid
     jasmine_url = 'http://localhost:12345/_jasmine/'
     up = false
+    start_time = Time.now
     until up do
+        if Time.now - start_time > 30
+            abort "Timed out waiting for server to start to run jasmine tests"
+        end
         begin
             response = Net::HTTP.get_response(URI(jasmine_url))
             puts response.code