diff --git a/cms/envs/common.py b/cms/envs/common.py
index 4f801aa29a4675438201b4f3a5830e23fa90f3de..8d3e2672daab0a85da9979b3ab652254912f3714 100644
--- a/cms/envs/common.py
+++ b/cms/envs/common.py
@@ -36,14 +36,15 @@ MITX_FEATURES = {
 
 ############################# SET PATH INFORMATION #############################
 PROJECT_ROOT = path(__file__).abspath().dirname().dirname()  # /mitx/cms
-COMMON_ROOT = PROJECT_ROOT.dirname() / "common"
-ENV_ROOT = PROJECT_ROOT.dirname().dirname()  # virtualenv dir /mitx is in
+REPO_ROOT = PROJECT_ROOT.dirname()
+COMMON_ROOT = REPO_ROOT / "common"
+ENV_ROOT = REPO_ROOT.dirname()  # virtualenv dir /mitx is in
 COURSES_ROOT = ENV_ROOT / "data"
 
 # FIXME: To support multiple courses, we should walk the courses dir at startup
 DATA_DIR = COURSES_ROOT
 
-sys.path.append(ENV_ROOT)
+sys.path.append(REPO_ROOT)
 sys.path.append(PROJECT_ROOT / 'djangoapps')
 sys.path.append(PROJECT_ROOT / 'lib')
 sys.path.append(COMMON_ROOT / 'djangoapps')
diff --git a/lms/envs/common.py b/lms/envs/common.py
index 117c433aae71424907ff70ff677ae6b1434503d6..772c0db85ead47668e471e55d3412eb924633f94 100644
--- a/lms/envs/common.py
+++ b/lms/envs/common.py
@@ -50,16 +50,17 @@ DEFAULT_GROUPS = []
 GENERATE_PROFILE_SCORES = False
 
 ############################# SET PATH INFORMATION #############################
-PROJECT_ROOT = path(__file__).abspath().dirname().dirname() # /mitx/lms
-COMMON_ROOT = PROJECT_ROOT.dirname() / "common"
-ENV_ROOT = PROJECT_ROOT.dirname().dirname() # virtualenv dir /mitx is in
+PROJECT_ROOT = path(__file__).abspath().dirname().dirname()  # /mitx/lms
+REPO_ROOT = PROJECT_ROOT.dirname()
+COMMON_ROOT = REPO_ROOT / "common"
+ENV_ROOT = REPO_ROOT.dirname()  # virtualenv dir /mitx is in
 ASKBOT_ROOT = ENV_ROOT / "askbot-devel"
 COURSES_ROOT = ENV_ROOT / "data"
 
 # FIXME: To support multiple courses, we should walk the courses dir at startup
 DATA_DIR = COURSES_ROOT
 
-sys.path.append(ENV_ROOT)
+sys.path.append(REPO_ROOT)
 sys.path.append(ASKBOT_ROOT)
 sys.path.append(ASKBOT_ROOT / "askbot" / "deps")
 sys.path.append(PROJECT_ROOT / 'djangoapps')