diff --git a/lib/galaxy/managers/base.py b/lib/galaxy/managers/base.py
index 9304f9cafed..613890a77ac 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/managers/base.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/managers/base.py
@@ -504,6 +504,8 @@ class HasAModelManager( object ):
 
     #: the class used to create this serializer's generically accessible model_manager
     model_manager_class = None
+    # examples where this doesn't really work are ConfigurationSerializer (no manager)
+    # and contents (2 managers)
 
     def __init__( self, app, manager=None, **kwargs ):
         self._manager = manager
@@ -515,6 +517,7 @@ class HasAModelManager( object ):
         if not self._manager:
             # TODO: pass this serializer to it
             self._manager = self.model_manager_class( self.app )
+            # this will error for unset model_manager_class'es
         return self._manager
 
 
diff --git a/lib/galaxy/managers/configuration.py b/lib/galaxy/managers/configuration.py
index 80d3a1f7742..49bcca7e257 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/managers/configuration.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/managers/configuration.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ log = logging.getLogger( __name__ )
 
 # TODO: for lack of a manager file for the config. May well be better in config.py? Circ imports?
 class ConfigSerializer( base.ModelSerializer ):
+    """Configuration (galaxy.ini) settings viewable by all users"""
 
     def __init__( self, app ):
         super( ConfigSerializer, self ).__init__( app )
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@ class ConfigSerializer( base.ModelSerializer ):
 
 
 class AdminConfigSerializer( ConfigSerializer ):
-    # config attributes viewable by admin users
+    """Configuration attributes viewable only by admin users"""
 
     def add_serializers( self ):
         super( AdminConfigSerializer, self ).add_serializers()
diff --git a/lib/galaxy/managers/datasets.py b/lib/galaxy/managers/datasets.py
index 44e5dbe4b21..072c94c73dd 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/managers/datasets.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/managers/datasets.py
@@ -133,10 +133,11 @@ class DatasetRBACPermissions( object ):
 
 
 class DatasetSerializer( base.ModelSerializer, deletable.PurgableSerializerMixin ):
+    model_manager_class = DatasetManager
 
     def __init__( self, app ):
         super( DatasetSerializer, self ).__init__( app )
-        self.dataset_manager = DatasetManager( app )
+        self.dataset_manager = self.manager
         # needed for admin test
         self.user_manager = users.UserManager( app )
 
@@ -274,6 +275,8 @@ class DatasetAssociationManager( base.ModelManager,
     # Instead, a dataset association HAS a dataset but contains metadata specific to a library (lda) or user (hda)
     model_class = model.DatasetInstance
 
+    # NOTE: model_manager_class should be set in HDA/LDA subclasses
+
     def __init__( self, app ):
         super( DatasetAssociationManager, self ).__init__( app )
         self.dataset_manager = DatasetManager( app )
diff --git a/lib/galaxy/managers/hdas.py b/lib/galaxy/managers/hdas.py
index 19f24159a14..927f01de97a 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/managers/hdas.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/managers/hdas.py
@@ -243,12 +243,11 @@ class HDASerializer(  # datasets._UnflattenedMetadataDatasetAssociationSerialize
         datasets.DatasetAssociationSerializer,
         taggable.TaggableSerializerMixin,
         annotatable.AnnotatableSerializerMixin ):
-    # TODO: inherit from datasets.DatasetAssociationSerializer
-    # TODO: move what makes sense into DatasetSerializer
+    model_manager_class = HDAManager
 
     def __init__( self, app ):
         super( HDASerializer, self ).__init__( app )
-        self.hda_manager = HDAManager( app )
+        self.hda_manager = self.manager
 
         self.default_view = 'summary'
         self.add_view( 'summary', [
@@ -463,6 +462,7 @@ class HDADeserializer( datasets.DatasetAssociationDeserializer,
 class HDAFilterParser( datasets.DatasetAssociationFilterParser,
                        taggable.TaggableFilterMixin,
                        annotatable.AnnotatableFilterMixin ):
+    model_manager_class = HDAManager
     model_class = model.HistoryDatasetAssociation
 
     def _add_parsers( self ):
diff --git a/lib/galaxy/managers/users.py b/lib/galaxy/managers/users.py
index 1d52ae5cc09..9ebda079bb9 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/managers/users.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/managers/users.py
@@ -239,13 +239,14 @@ class UserManager( base.ModelManager, deletable.PurgableManagerMixin ):
 
 
 class UserSerializer( base.ModelSerializer, deletable.PurgableSerializerMixin ):
+    model_manager_class = UserManager
 
     def __init__( self, app ):
         """
         Convert a User and associated data to a dictionary representation.
         """
         super( UserSerializer, self ).__init__( app )
-        self.user_manager = UserManager( app )
+        self.user_manager = self.manager
 
         self.default_view = 'summary'
         self.add_view( 'summary', [
@@ -288,6 +289,7 @@ class UserSerializer( base.ModelSerializer, deletable.PurgableSerializerMixin ):
 
 
 class CurrentUserSerializer( UserSerializer ):
+    model_manager_class = UserManager
 
     def serialize( self, user, keys, **kwargs ):
         """
@@ -324,6 +326,7 @@ class CurrentUserSerializer( UserSerializer ):
 
 
 class AdminUserFilterParser( base.ModelFilterParser, deletable.PurgableFiltersMixin ):
+    model_manager_class = UserManager
     model_class = model.User
 
     def _add_parsers( self ):
diff --git a/lib/galaxy/managers/visualizations.py b/lib/galaxy/managers/visualizations.py
index 825caa229f2..34368fb9186 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/managers/visualizations.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/managers/visualizations.py
@@ -42,11 +42,12 @@ class VisualizationSerializer( sharable.SharableModelSerializer ):
     """
     Interface/service object for serializing visualizations into dictionaries.
     """
+    model_manager_class = VisualizationManager
     SINGLE_CHAR_ABBR = 'v'
 
     def __init__( self, app ):
         super( VisualizationSerializer, self ).__init__( app )
-        self.visualizations_manager = VisualizationManager( app )
+        self.visualization_manager = self.manager
 
         self.default_view = 'summary'
         self.add_view( 'summary', [] )