diff --git a/awx/api/views.py b/awx/api/views.py
index 754ca9c02a..18f6d9c37a 100644
--- a/awx/api/views.py
+++ b/awx/api/views.py
@@ -1755,8 +1755,11 @@ class SystemJobTemplateLaunch(GenericAPIView):
         new_job = obj.create_unified_job()
         if 'extra_vars' in request.DATA:
             try:
-                extra_vars = json.loads(request.DATA['extra_vars'])
-            except Exception:
+                if type(request.DATA['extra_vars']) == dict:
+                    extra_vars = request.DATA['extra_vars']
+                else:
+                    extra_vars = json.loads(request.DATA['extra_vars'])
+            except Exception, e:
                 extra_vars = {}
         else:
             extra_vars = {}
diff --git a/awx/main/models/jobs.py b/awx/main/models/jobs.py
index c45f688047..31c853155f 100644
--- a/awx/main/models/jobs.py
+++ b/awx/main/models/jobs.py
@@ -994,13 +994,15 @@ class SystemJob(UnifiedJob, SystemJobOptions):
     def handle_extra_data(self, extra_data):
         if extra_data == "" or extra_data is None:
             return
+        try:
+            evars = json.loads(self.extra_vars)
+        except Exception, e:
+            evars = {}
         if type(extra_data) == str:
             try:
-                evars = json.loads(self.extra_vars)
+                extra_data = json.loads(extra_data)
             except Exception, e:
-                return
-        else:
-            evars = extra_data
+                extra_data = {}
         if evars is None:
             evars = extra_data
         else: