diff --git a/awx/main/fields.py b/awx/main/fields.py
index 852ea863eb..b2f144980f 100644
--- a/awx/main/fields.py
+++ b/awx/main/fields.py
@@ -673,6 +673,19 @@ class CredentialTypeInputField(JSONSchemaField):
             }
         }
 
+    def validate(self, value, model_instance):
+        super(CredentialTypeInputField, self).validate(
+            value, model_instance
+        )
+
+        for field in value.get('fields', []):
+            if field.get('id') == 'tower':
+                raise django_exceptions.ValidationError(
+                    _('"tower" is a reserved field name'),
+                    code='invalid',
+                    params={'value': value},
+                )
+
 
 
 class CredentialTypeInjectorField(JSONSchemaField):
@@ -723,8 +736,14 @@ class CredentialTypeInjectorField(JSONSchemaField):
             value, model_instance
         )
 
-        # make sure the inputs are clean first
-        CredentialTypeInputField().validate(model_instance.inputs, model_instance)
+        # make sure the inputs are valid first
+        try:
+            CredentialTypeInputField().validate(model_instance.inputs, model_instance)
+        except django_exceptions.ValidationError:
+            # If `model_instance.inputs` itself is invalid, we can't make an
+            # estimation as to whether our Jinja templates contain valid field
+            # names; don't continue
+            return
 
         # In addition to basic schema validation, search the injector fields
         # for template variables and make sure they match the fields defined in
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/functional/test_credential.py b/awx/main/tests/functional/test_credential.py
index 87e17034a8..62e6c49bcc 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/functional/test_credential.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/functional/test_credential.py
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ def test_cloud_kind_uniqueness():
     ({'fields': [{'id': 'become_method', 'label': 'Become', 'choices': []}]}, False),
     ({'fields': [{'id': 'become_method', 'label': 'Become', 'choices': ['su', 'sudo']}]}, True),  # noqa
     ({'fields': [{'id': 'become_method', 'label': 'Become', 'choices': ['dup', 'dup']}]}, False),  # noqa
+    ({'fields': [{'id': 'tower', 'label': 'Reserved!', }]}, False),  # noqa
 ])
 def test_cred_type_input_schema_validity(input_, valid):
     type_ = CredentialType(