diff --git a/awx/ui/static/js/controllers/Adhoc.js b/awx/ui/static/js/controllers/Adhoc.js
index dd16cc28b3..0046bde8ae 100644
--- a/awx/ui/static/js/controllers/Adhoc.js
+++ b/awx/ui/static/js/controllers/Adhoc.js
@@ -80,8 +80,13 @@ export function AdhocCtrl($scope, $rootScope, $location, $routeParams,
         choicesReadyCount++;
 
         if (choicesReadyCount === 2) {
+            var verbosity;
             // this sets the default options for the selects as specified by the controller.
-            $scope.verbosity = $scope.adhoc_verbosity_options[$scope.verbosity_field.default];
+            for (verbosity in $scope.adhoc_verbosity_options) {
+                if ($scope.adhoc_verbosity_options[verbosity].isDefault) {
+                    $scope.verbosity = $scope.adhoc_verbosity_options[verbosity];
+                }
+            }
             $("#forks-number").spinner("value", $scope.forks_field.default);
             $scope.forks = $scope.forks_field.default;
             Wait('stop'); // END: form population
diff --git a/awx/ui/static/js/controllers/JobTemplates.js b/awx/ui/static/js/controllers/JobTemplates.js
index 99c72cb0ae..c0ac5789a9 100644
--- a/awx/ui/static/js/controllers/JobTemplates.js
+++ b/awx/ui/static/js/controllers/JobTemplates.js
@@ -340,8 +340,13 @@ export function JobTemplatesAdd($scope, $rootScope, $compile, $location, $log, $
     $scope.removeChoicesReady = $scope.$on('choicesReadyVerbosity', function () {
         selectCount++;
         if (selectCount === 2) {
+            var verbosity;
             // this sets the default options for the selects as specified by the controller.
-            $scope.verbosity = $scope.verbosity_options[$scope.verbosity_field.default];
+            for (verbosity in $scope.verbosity_options) {
+                if ($scope.verbosity_options[verbosity].isDefault) {
+                    $scope.verbosity = $scope.verbosity_options[verbosity];
+                }
+            }
             $scope.job_type = $scope.job_type_options[$scope.job_type_field.default];
 
             // if you're getting to the form from the scan job section on inventories,
diff --git a/awx/ui/static/js/shared/Utilities.js b/awx/ui/static/js/shared/Utilities.js
index 72a8c80a20..bb4f36a45d 100644
--- a/awx/ui/static/js/shared/Utilities.js
+++ b/awx/ui/static/js/shared/Utilities.js
@@ -765,8 +765,9 @@ angular.module('Utilities', ['RestServices', 'Utilities', 'sanitizeFilter'])
             Rest.setUrl(url);
             Rest.options()
                 .success(function (data) {
-                    var choices;
+                    var choices, defaultChoice;
                     choices = (choice_name) ? data.actions.GET[field][choice_name] : data.actions.GET[field].choices;
+                    defaultChoice = data.actions.POST[field].default;
                     if (choices) {
                         // including 'name' property so list can be used by search
                         choices.forEach(function(choice) {
@@ -777,6 +778,14 @@ angular.module('Utilities', ['RestServices', 'Utilities', 'sanitizeFilter'])
                             });
                         });
                     }
+                    if (defaultChoice !== undefined) {
+                        var val;
+                        for (val in scope[variable]) {
+                            if (scope[variable][val].value === defaultChoice) {
+                                scope[variable][val].isDefault = true;
+                            }
+                        }
+                    }
                     if (callback) {
                         scope.$emit(callback);
                     }