diff --git a/IPython/html/files/handlers.py b/IPython/html/files/handlers.py
index 1301b8e5a..f1f38b176 100644
--- a/IPython/html/files/handlers.py
+++ b/IPython/html/files/handlers.py
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
-"""Base Tornado handlers for the notebook server."""
+"""Serve files directly from the ContentsManager."""
 
 # Copyright (c) IPython Development Team.
 # Distributed under the terms of the Modified BSD License.
 
-import logging
 import os
 import mimetypes
 import json
@@ -11,11 +10,6 @@ import base64
 
 from tornado import web
 
-try:
-    from tornado.log import app_log
-except ImportError:
-    app_log = logging.getLogger()
-
 from IPython.html.base.handlers import IPythonHandler
 
 class FilesHandler(IPythonHandler):
@@ -49,3 +43,6 @@ class FilesHandler(IPythonHandler):
             self.write(model['content'])
         self.flush()
 
+default_handlers = [
+    (r"/files/(.*)", FilesHandler),
+]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/IPython/html/notebookapp.py b/IPython/html/notebookapp.py
index 98d7364ea..e8e920f34 100644
--- a/IPython/html/notebookapp.py
+++ b/IPython/html/notebookapp.py
@@ -34,8 +34,6 @@ from jinja2 import Environment, FileSystemLoader
 from zmq.eventloop import ioloop
 ioloop.install()
 
-from IPython.html.files.handlers import FilesHandler
-
 # check for tornado 3.1.0
 msg = "The IPython Notebook requires tornado >= 3.1.0"
 try:
@@ -188,6 +186,7 @@ class NotebookWebApplication(web.Application):
         handlers.extend(load_handlers('tree.handlers'))
         handlers.extend(load_handlers('auth.login'))
         handlers.extend(load_handlers('auth.logout'))
+        handlers.extend(load_handlers('files.handlers'))
         handlers.extend(load_handlers('notebook.handlers'))
         handlers.extend(load_handlers('nbconvert.handlers'))
         handlers.extend(load_handlers('kernelspecs.handlers'))
@@ -197,9 +196,6 @@ class NotebookWebApplication(web.Application):
         handlers.extend(load_handlers('services.sessions.handlers'))
         handlers.extend(load_handlers('services.nbconvert.handlers'))
         handlers.extend(load_handlers('services.kernelspecs.handlers'))
-        handlers.append(
-            (r"/files/(.*)", FilesHandler),
-        )
         handlers.append(
             (r"/nbextensions/(.*)", FileFindHandler, {'path' : settings['nbextensions_path']}),
         )