diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/capa_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/capa_module.py
index b78e2a4a5019..e4a2ada3746e 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/capa_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/capa_module.py
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 from xblock.fields import Scope, String, Boolean, Dict, Integer, Float
 from .fields import Timedelta, Date
 from django.utils.timezone import UTC
-from django.utils.translation import ugettext as _
 
 log = logging.getLogger("edx.courseware")
 
@@ -359,6 +358,7 @@ def check_button_name(self):
         """
         # The logic flow is a little odd so that _('xxx') strings can be found for
         # translation while also running _() just once for each string.
+        _ = self.runtime.service(self, "i18n").ugettext
         check = _('Check')
         final_check = _('Final Check')
 
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/video_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/video_module.py
index c5492db60139..02c458b3a552 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/video_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/video_module.py
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
 
 from django.http import Http404
 from django.conf import settings
-from django.utils.translation import ugettext as _
 
 from xmodule.x_module import XModule
 from xmodule.editing_module import TabsEditingDescriptor
@@ -302,6 +301,7 @@ def get_youtube_link(video_id):
             else:
                 return ''
 
+        _ = self.runtime.service(self, "i18n").ugettext
         video_url.update({
             'help': _('A YouTube URL or a link to a file hosted anywhere on the web.'),
             'display_name': 'Video URL',
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/x_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/x_module.py
index ef994bea7286..bf5fb18d6624 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/x_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/x_module.py
@@ -362,6 +362,7 @@ def __delete__(self, instance):
 module_runtime_attr = partial(ProxyAttribute, 'xmodule_runtime')  # pylint: disable=invalid-name
 
 
+@XBlock.needs("i18n")
 class XModule(XModuleMixin, HTMLSnippet, XBlock):  # pylint: disable=abstract-method
     """ Implements a generic learning module.
 
@@ -563,6 +564,7 @@ def get_template(cls, template_id):
             return None
 
 
+@XBlock.needs("i18n")
 class XModuleDescriptor(XModuleMixin, HTMLSnippet, ResourceTemplates, XBlock):
     """
     An XModuleDescriptor is a specification for an element of a course. This
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/module_render.py b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/module_render.py
index 92d4ad7f02c7..5b8168d2043d 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/module_render.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/module_render.py
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@
 from django.core.cache import cache
 from django.core.exceptions import PermissionDenied
 from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse
-from django.http import Http404
-from django.http import HttpResponse
+from django.http import Http404, HttpResponse
+import django.utils
 from django.views.decorators.csrf import csrf_exempt, csrf_protect
 
 from capa.xqueue_interface import XQueueInterface
@@ -419,6 +419,12 @@ def publish(event, custom_user=None):
         mixins=descriptor.runtime.mixologist._mixins,  # pylint: disable=protected-access
         wrappers=block_wrappers,
         get_real_user=user_by_anonymous_id,
+        services={
+            # django.utils.translation implements the gettext.Translations
+            # interface (it has ugettext, ungettext, etc), so we can use it
+            # directly as the runtime i18n service.
+            'i18n': django.utils.translation,
+        },
     )
 
     # pass position specified in URL to module through ModuleSystem
diff --git a/requirements/edx/github.txt b/requirements/edx/github.txt
index a27eaa05ad6d..d9fca2300e98 100644
--- a/requirements/edx/github.txt
+++ b/requirements/edx/github.txt
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 -e git+https://github.com/eventbrite/zendesk.git@d53fe0e81b623f084e91776bcf6369f8b7b63879#egg=zendesk
 
 # Our libraries:
--e git+https://github.com/edx/XBlock.git@fa88607#egg=XBlock
+-e git+https://github.com/edx/XBlock.git@2a1efc8a413cc140d48f33fa839143ffcbd21d83#egg=XBlock
 -e git+https://github.com/edx/codejail.git@e3d98f9455#egg=codejail
 -e git+https://github.com/edx/diff-cover.git@v0.2.6#egg=diff_cover
 -e git+https://github.com/edx/js-test-tool.git@v0.1.5#egg=js_test_tool