diff --git a/lib/galaxy/web/controllers/root.py b/lib/galaxy/web/controllers/root.py
index 96de1dfd68a..3f895dae385 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/web/controllers/root.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/web/controllers/root.py
@@ -84,11 +84,11 @@ class Universe( BaseController ):
             return self.history_new(trans)
         if as_xml:
             trans.response.set_content_type('text/xml')
-            template = "history.xml"
+            return trans.fill_template_mako( "root/history_as_xml.mako", history=history )
         else:
             template = "root/history.mako"
-        mode = trans.get_cookie(name=self.pref_cookie_name)
-        return trans.fill_template(template, history=history, mode=mode )
+            mode = trans.get_cookie( name=self.pref_cookie_name )
+            return trans.fill_template( "root/history.mako", history=history, mode=mode )
 
     @web.expose
     def display(self, trans, id=None, hid=None, tofile=None, toext=".txt"):
diff --git a/templates/history.xml b/templates/history.xml
deleted file mode 100644
index 89c6f045cb6..00000000000
--- a/templates/history.xml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-<?xml version="1.0"?>
-<history>
-  #for $data in $history.active_datasets
-    <data id="$data.id" hid="$data.hid" name="$data.name" state="$data.state" dbkey="$data.dbkey">
-	  $data.blurb
-    </data>
-  #end for
-</history>
diff --git a/templates/root/history_as_xml.mako b/templates/root/history_as_xml.mako
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1b2d88ea59a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/root/history_as_xml.mako
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+<?xml version="1.0"?>
+<history>
+  %for data in history.active_datasets:
+    <data id="${data.id}" hid="${data.hid}" name="${data.name}" state="${data.state}" dbkey="${data.dbkey}">
+	  ${data.blurb}
+    </data>
+  %endfor
+</history>