diff --git a/lib/xos-genx/xos-genx-tests/test_jinja2_base.py b/lib/xos-genx/xos-genx-tests/test_jinja2_base.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0e7a2d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/xos-genx/xos-genx-tests/test_jinja2_base.py
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+
+# Copyright 2017-present Open Networking Foundation
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+# http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+
+import unittest
+from xosgenx.jinja2_extensions.base import *
+from helpers import FakeArgs, XProtoTestHelpers
+
+class Jinja2BaseTests(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_xproto_is_true(self):
+        self.assertTrue(xproto_is_true(True))
+        self.assertTrue(xproto_is_true("True"))
+        self.assertTrue(xproto_is_true('"True"'))
+        self.assertFalse(xproto_is_true(False))
+        self.assertFalse(xproto_is_true("False"))
+        self.assertFalse(xproto_is_true('"False"'))
+        self.assertFalse(xproto_is_true(None))
+        self.assertFalse(xproto_is_true("something else"))
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    unittest.main()
+
+
diff --git a/lib/xos-genx/xosgenx/generator.py b/lib/xos-genx/xosgenx/generator.py
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
index 33e96b1..cc00742
--- a/lib/xos-genx/xosgenx/generator.py
+++ b/lib/xos-genx/xosgenx/generator.py
@@ -111,10 +111,9 @@
             print "Saved: %s" % file_name
 
     @staticmethod
-    def _write_file_per_model(rendered, dir, extension, quiet):
+    def _write_file_per_model(rendered, dir, suffix, quiet):
         for m in rendered:
-
-            file_name = "%s/%s.%s" % (dir, m.lower(), extension)
+            file_name = "%s/%s%s" % (dir, m.lower(), suffix)
             if not rendered[m]:
                 if quiet == False:
                     print "Not saving %s as it is empty" % file_name
@@ -186,7 +185,7 @@
         # Validating
         if args.write_to_file == 'single' and args.dest_file is None:
             raise Exception("[XosGenX] write_to_file option is specified as 'single' but no dest_file is provided")
-        if args.write_to_file == 'model' and args.dest_extension is None:
+        if args.write_to_file == 'model' and (args.dest_extension is None):
             raise Exception("[XosGenX] write_to_file option is specified as 'model' but no dest_extension is provided")
 
         if args.output is not None and not os.path.isabs(args.output):
@@ -262,7 +261,11 @@
                         "options": v.options
                     }
                 )
-            XOSProcessor._write_file_per_model(rendered, args.output, args.dest_extension, args.quiet)
+            if (str(v.options.get("legacy", "false")).strip('"').lower() == "true"):
+                suffix = "_decl." + args.dest_extension
+            else:
+                suffix = "." + args.dest_extension
+            XOSProcessor._write_file_per_model(rendered, args.output, suffix, args.quiet)
         else:
             rendered = template.render(
                 {"proto":
diff --git a/lib/xos-genx/xosgenx/jinja2_extensions/base.py b/lib/xos-genx/xosgenx/jinja2_extensions/base.py
index f8224b2..dd19bd8 100644
--- a/lib/xos-genx/xosgenx/jinja2_extensions/base.py
+++ b/lib/xos-genx/xosgenx/jinja2_extensions/base.py
@@ -272,3 +272,9 @@
         return list
     else:
         return False
+
+def xproto_is_true(x):
+    # TODO: Audit xproto and make specification of trueness more uniform
+    if (x==True) or (x=="True") or (x=='"True"'):
+        return True
+    return False
diff --git a/lib/xos-genx/xosgenx/targets/django.xtarget b/lib/xos-genx/xosgenx/targets/django.xtarget
index ca81240..8ef8e5f 100644
--- a/lib/xos-genx/xosgenx/targets/django.xtarget
+++ b/lib/xos-genx/xosgenx/targets/django.xtarget
@@ -1,6 +1,23 @@
+{%- if options.legacy =='"True"' -%}
+{%- set legacy_tag = '_decl' -%}
+{%- set legacy = True -%}
+{%- else -%}
+{%- set legacy_tag = '' -%}
+{%- set legacy = False -%}
+{%- endif -%}
 {% for m in proto.messages %}{% if not m.options.skip_django -%}
+{% if legacy %}
+{# handle models that use custom headers rather than deriving from xosbase #}
+{% if m.options.custom_header %}
+from {{ m.options.custom_header|replace('"','') }} import *
+{% else %}
+from core.models.xosbase import *
+{% endif %}
+{% else %}
 {% if file_exists(xproto_base_name(m.name)|lower+'_header.py') -%}from {{xproto_base_name(m.name)|lower }}_header import *{%- else -%}from header import *{% endif %}
 {% if file_exists(xproto_base_name(m.name)|lower+'_top.py') -%}{{ include_file(xproto_base_name(m.name)|lower+'_top.py') }} {% endif %}
+{% endif %}
+
 {%- for l in m.links %}
 
 {% if l.peer.name != m.name %}
@@ -24,7 +41,7 @@
 {{ xproto_fol_to_python_validator(policy, proto.policies[policy], m, error) }}
 {% endfor %}
 
-class {{ m.name }}{{ xproto_base_def(m.name, m.bases) }}:
+class {{ m.name }}{{ legacy_tag }}{{ xproto_base_def(m.name, m.bases) }}:
   plural_name = "{{ xproto_pluralize(m) }}"
 
 {#  {% if m.options.no_sync or m.options.no_policy %}#}
@@ -53,11 +70,16 @@
   {%- endfor %}
 
   # Meta
+  class Meta:
   {%- set uniques = xproto_field_graph_components(m.fields) %}
   {%- if uniques %}
-  class Meta:
       unique_together = {{ xproto_tuplify(uniques) }}
   {%- endif %}
+  {%- if xproto_is_true(m.options.abstract) %}
+      abstract=True
+  {%- endif %}
+      pass
+
   {% if file_exists(m.name|lower + '_model.py') -%}{{ include_file(m.name|lower + '_model.py') | indent(width=2)}}{%- endif %}
   pass
 
@@ -75,7 +97,7 @@
       {% for policy,error in xproto_validations(m.options) %}
       policy_{{policy}}_validator(self, None)
       {% endfor %}
-      super({{ m.name }}, self).save(*args, **kwds)
+      super({{ m.name }}{{ legacy_tag }}, self).save(*args, **kwds)
 
   def can_access(self, ctx):
       {% if m.policy %}