Index: lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/toolApplicationContext.xml
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/toolApplicationContext.xml,v
diff -u -r1.9 -r1.10
--- lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/toolApplicationContext.xml	25 Jul 2013 05:55:36 -0000	1.9
+++ lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/toolApplicationContext.xml	12 Dec 2013 11:38:16 -0000	1.10
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
 		<property name="target"><ref local="lamsCoreToolServiceTarget"/></property>
 		<property name="transactionAttributes">
 			<props>
-				<prop key="createToolSession*">PROPAGATION_REQUIRED</prop>
+				<prop key="createToolSession*">PROPAGATION_REQUIRED,+java.lang.Exception</prop>
 				<prop key="notifyTool*">PROPAGATION_REQUIRED</prop>
 			    <prop key="update*">PROPAGATION_REQUIRED</prop>
 			    <prop key="remove*">PROPAGATION_REQUIRED</prop>
Index: lams_learning/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/learning/learningApplicationContext.xml
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/lams_learning/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/learning/learningApplicationContext.xml,v
diff -u -r1.30 -r1.31
--- lams_learning/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/learning/learningApplicationContext.xml	7 Jan 2013 10:02:24 -0000	1.30
+++ lams_learning/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/learning/learningApplicationContext.xml	12 Dec 2013 11:33:08 -0000	1.31
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
 				<prop key="knockGate">PROPAGATION_REQUIRED</prop>
 				<prop key="determineBranch">PROPAGATION_REQUIRED</prop>				
 				<prop key="selectBranch">PROPAGATION_REQUIRED</prop>
-				<prop key="create*">PROPAGATION_REQUIRED</prop>
+				<prop key="create*">PROPAGATION_REQUIRED,+java.lang.Exception</prop>
 				<prop key="learner*">PROPAGATION_REQUIRED</prop>
 				<prop key="get*">PROPAGATION_REQUIRED,readOnly</prop>
    			</props>
Index: lams_learning/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/learning/web/action/LoadToolActivityAction.java
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/lams_learning/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/learning/web/action/LoadToolActivityAction.java,v
diff -u -r1.17 -r1.18
--- lams_learning/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/learning/web/action/LoadToolActivityAction.java	25 Jun 2008 06:40:33 -0000	1.17
+++ lams_learning/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/learning/web/action/LoadToolActivityAction.java	12 Dec 2013 11:41:01 -0000	1.18
@@ -75,10 +75,14 @@
 		ActivityMapping actionMappings = LearnerServiceProxy.getActivityMapping(this.getServlet().getServletContext());
 		
 		ICoreLearnerService learnerService = getLearnerService();
-		LearnerProgress learnerProgress = LearningWebUtil.getLearnerProgress(request,learnerService);
-		Activity activity = LearningWebUtil.getActivityFromRequest(request, learnerService);
-		learnerService.createToolSessionsIfNecessary(activity, learnerProgress);
-				
+        	LearnerProgress learnerProgress = LearningWebUtil.getLearnerProgress(request, learnerService);
+        	Activity activity = LearningWebUtil.getActivityFromRequest(request, learnerService);
+        	try {
+        	    learnerService.createToolSessionsIfNecessary(activity, learnerProgress);
+        	} catch (Exception e) {
+        	    log.warn("Got exception while trying to create a tool session, but carrying on.", e);
+        	}
+
 		form.setActivityID(activity.getActivityId());
 		
 		String mappingName = "displayTool";