diff --git a/awx/ui/static/js/controllers/JobTemplates.js b/awx/ui/static/js/controllers/JobTemplates.js
index 6877083daf..147a8bcbd9 100644
--- a/awx/ui/static/js/controllers/JobTemplates.js
+++ b/awx/ui/static/js/controllers/JobTemplates.js
@@ -594,8 +594,22 @@ function JobTemplatesEdit($scope, $rootScope, $compile, $location, $log, $routeP
                         data.extra_vars === "" || data.extra_vars === null) {
                         $scope.variables = "---";
                     } else {
-                        json_obj = JSON.parse(data.extra_vars);
-                        $scope.variables = jsyaml.safeDump(json_obj);
+                        $scope.variables = '---';
+                        try {
+                            json_obj = JSON.parse(data.extra_vars);
+                            $scope.variables = jsyaml.safeDump(json_obj);
+                        }
+                        catch (e) {
+                            $log.info('Attempt to parse extra_vars as JSON faild. Attempting to parse as YAML');
+                            try {
+                                json_obj = jsyaml.safeLoad(data.extra_vars);
+                                $scope.variables = jsyaml.safeDump(json_obj);
+                            }
+                            catch(e2) {
+                                ProcessErrors($scope, data.extra_vars, e2.message, null, { hdr: 'Error!',
+                                    msg: 'Attempts to parse variables as JSON and YAML failed. Last attempt returned: ' + e2.message });
+                            }
+                        }
                     }
                     master.variables = $scope.variables;
                 }
diff --git a/awx/ui/static/js/controllers/Jobs.js b/awx/ui/static/js/controllers/Jobs.js
index 018313c4ed..2f71835c75 100644
--- a/awx/ui/static/js/controllers/Jobs.js
+++ b/awx/ui/static/js/controllers/Jobs.js
@@ -379,8 +379,22 @@ function JobsEdit($scope, $rootScope, $compile, $location, $log, $routeParams, J
                         data.extra_vars === "" || data.extra_vars === null) {
                         $scope.variables = "---";
                     } else {
-                        json_obj = JSON.parse(data.extra_vars);
-                        $scope.variables = jsyaml.safeDump(json_obj);
+                        $scope.variables = '---';
+                        try {
+                            json_obj = JSON.parse(data.extra_vars);
+                            $scope.variables = jsyaml.safeDump(json_obj);
+                        }
+                        catch (e) {
+                            $log.info('Attempt to parse extra_vars as JSON faild. Attempting to parse as YAML');
+                            try {
+                                json_obj = jsyaml.safeLoad(data.extra_vars);
+                                $scope.variables = jsyaml.safeDump(json_obj);
+                            }
+                            catch(e2) {
+                                ProcessErrors($scope, data.extra_vars, e2.message, null, { hdr: 'Error!',
+                                    msg: 'Attempts to parse variables as JSON and YAML failed. Last attempt returned: ' + e2.message });
+                            }
+                        }
                     }
                 }
                 if (JobTemplateForm.fields[fld].type === 'lookup' && data.summary_fields[JobTemplateForm.fields[fld].sourceModel]) {
diff --git a/awx/ui/static/lib/ansible/Utilities.js b/awx/ui/static/lib/ansible/Utilities.js
index a200acc90c..53e09d3f52 100644
--- a/awx/ui/static/lib/ansible/Utilities.js
+++ b/awx/ui/static/lib/ansible/Utilities.js
@@ -133,10 +133,13 @@ angular.module('Utilities', ['RestServices', 'Utilities'])
         return function (scope, data, status, form, defaultMsg) {
             var field, fieldErrors, msg;
             Wait('stop');
-            if ($AnsibleConfig.debug_mode && console) {
-                console.log('Debug status: ' + status);
-                console.log('Debug data: ');
-                console.log(data);
+            if ($AnsibleConfig.debug_mode) {
+                $log.debug('Debug status: ' + status);
+                $log.debug('Debug data: ');
+                $log.debug(data);
+                if (defaultMsg.msg) {
+                    $log.debug('Debug: ' + defaultMsg.msg);
+                }
             }
             if (status === 403) {
                 msg = 'The API responded with a 403 Access Denied error. ';