diff --git a/src/settings_default.py b/src/settings_default.py
index 7a6d5b2e11..db9a2d247e 100644
--- a/src/settings_default.py
+++ b/src/settings_default.py
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ BASE_ROOM_TYPECLASS = "src.objects.objects.DefaultRoom"
 # Typeclass for Exit objects (fallback).
 BASE_EXIT_TYPECLASS = "src.objects.objects.DefaultExit"
 # Typeclass for Channel (fallback).
-BASE_CHANNEL_TYPECLASS = "src.comms.comms.DefaultChannel"
+BASE_CHANNEL_TYPECLASS = "src.comms.comms.Channel"
 # Typeclass for Scripts (fallback). You usually don't need to change this
 # but create custom variations of scripts on a per-case basis instead.
 BASE_SCRIPT_TYPECLASS = "src.scripts.scripts.DoNothing"
diff --git a/src/typeclasses/models.py b/src/typeclasses/models.py
index 874e3dab8c..7a98390e40 100644
--- a/src/typeclasses/models.py
+++ b/src/typeclasses/models.py
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ from src.server.caches import get_prop_cache, set_prop_cache
 from src.typeclasses import managers
 from src.locks.lockhandler import LockHandler
 from src.utils.utils import (
-    is_iter, to_str, inherits_from, lazy_property,
+    is_iter, inherits_from, lazy_property,
     class_from_module)
 from src.typeclasses.django_new_patch import patched_new
 
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ class TypedObject(SharedMemoryModel):
         else:
             self.db_typeclass_path = "%s.%s" % (self.__module__, self.__class__.__name__)
         # important to put this at the end since _meta is based on the set __class__
-        self.__dbclass__ = self._meta.proxy_for_model
+        self.__dbclass__ = self._meta.proxy_for_model or self.__class__
 
     # initialize all handlers in a lazy fashion
     @lazy_property
@@ -348,6 +348,7 @@ class TypedObject(SharedMemoryModel):
                                    "right type instead." % self.key)
 
         self.typeclass_path = new_typeclass.path
+        self.__class__ = new_typeclass
 
         if clean_attributes:
             # Clean out old attributes
diff --git a/src/utils/utils.py b/src/utils/utils.py
index fa17d4e0e7..89c54bab80 100644
--- a/src/utils/utils.py
+++ b/src/utils/utils.py
@@ -933,24 +933,29 @@ def class_from_module(path, defaultpaths=None):
     """
     cls = None
     if defaultpaths:
-        paths = [path] + make_iter(defaultpaths) if defaultpaths else []
+        paths = [path] + ["%s.%s" % (dpath, path) for dpath in make_iter(defaultpaths)] if defaultpaths else []
     else:
         paths = [path]
 
-    for path in paths:
-        path, clsname = path.rsplit(".", 1)
+    for testpath in paths:
+        if "." in path:
+            testpath, clsname = testpath.rsplit(".", 1)
+        else:
+            testpath, clsname = ".", testpath
         try:
-            mod = import_module(path)
+            mod = import_module(testpath)
         except ImportError, ex:
             # normally this is due to a not-found property
-            if not str(ex).startswith ("No module named %s" % path):
-                raise ex
+            if not str(ex).startswith("No module named"):
+                exc = sys.exc_info()
+                raise exc[1], None, exc[2]
         try:
             cls = getattr(mod, clsname)
             break
         except AttributeError, ex:
-            if not str(ex).startswith("Object 'module' has no attribute '%s'" % clsname):
-                raise ex
+            if not str(ex).startswith("'module' object has no attribute '%s'" % clsname):
+                exc = sys.exc_info()
+                raise exc[1], None, exc[2]
     if not cls:
         raise ImportError("Could not load typeclass '%s'." % path)
     return cls