diff --git a/awx/main/management/commands/register_default_execution_environments.py b/awx/main/management/commands/register_default_execution_environments.py
index faaa91ae29..67d101bba3 100644
--- a/awx/main/management/commands/register_default_execution_environments.py
+++ b/awx/main/management/commands/register_default_execution_environments.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 # Copyright (c) 2015 Ansible, Inc.
 # All Rights Reserved
 import sys
+from distutils.util import strtobool
+from argparse import RawTextHelpFormatter
 
 from django.core.management.base import BaseCommand
 from django.conf import settings
@@ -16,6 +18,12 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
     Note that settings.DEFAULT_EXECUTION_ENVIRONMENTS is and ordered list, the first in the list will be used for project updates and system jobs.
     """
 
+    # Preserves newlines in the help text
+    def create_parser(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        parser = super(Command, self).create_parser(*args, **kwargs)
+        parser.formatter_class = RawTextHelpFormatter
+        return parser
+
     def add_arguments(self, parser):
         parser.add_argument(
             "--registry-url",
@@ -37,7 +45,7 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
         )
         parser.add_argument(
             "--verify-ssl",
-            type=bool,
+            type=lambda x: bool(strtobool(str(x))),
             default=True,
             help="Verify SSL when authenticating with the container registry",
         )
@@ -50,33 +58,36 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
             if not options.get("registry_password"):
                 sys.stderr.write("Registry password must be provided when providing registry username\n")
                 sys.exit(1)
+
             if not options.get("registry_url"):
                 sys.stderr.write("Registry url must be provided when providing registry username\n")
                 sys.exit(1)
-            registry_cred_inputs = {
+
+            registry_cred_type = CredentialType.objects.filter(kind="registry")
+            if not registry_cred_type.exists():
+                sys.stderr.write("No registry credential type found")
+                sys.exit(1)
+
+            registry_cred, created = Credential.objects.get_or_create(
+                name="Default Execution Environment Registry Credential", managed_by_tower=True, credential_type=registry_cred_type[0]
+            )
+
+            if created:
+                print("Default Execution Environment Credential registered.")
+
+            inputs = {
                 "host": options.get("registry_url"),
                 "password": options.get("registry_password"),
                 "username": options.get("registry_username"),
                 "verify_ssl": options.get("verify_ssl"),
             }
-            registry_cred_type = CredentialType.objects.filter(kind="registry")
-            if not registry_cred_type.exists():
-                sys.stderr.write("No registry credential type found")
-                sys.exit(1)
-            registry_cred, created = Credential.objects.get_or_create(
-                name="Default Execution Environment Registry Credential",
-                managed_by_tower=True,
-                credential_type=registry_cred_type[0],
-                defaults={"inputs": registry_cred_inputs},
-            )
-            if created:
-                changed = True
-                print("Default Execution Environment Credential registered.")
-            elif registry_cred.inputs != registry_cred_inputs:
-                registry_cred.inputs = registry_cred_inputs
-                registry_cred.save()
-                changed = True
-                print("Default Execution Environment Credential updated.")
+
+            registry_cred.inputs = inputs
+            registry_cred.save()
+            changed = True
+
+            if not created:
+                print('Updated Default Execution Environment Credential')
 
         for ee in reversed(settings.DEFAULT_EXECUTION_ENVIRONMENTS):
             _, created = ExecutionEnvironment.objects.update_or_create(