diff --git a/awx/main/tests/functional/api/test_job_runtime_params.py b/awx/main/tests/functional/api/test_job_runtime_params.py
index 340e2e3082..7a8f184476 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/functional/api/test_job_runtime_params.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/functional/api/test_job_runtime_params.py
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ def test_job_launch_JT_with_validation(machine_credential, credential, deploy_jo
     kv['credentials'] = [machine_credential]  # conversion to internal value
     job_obj = deploy_jobtemplate.create_unified_job(**kv)
 
-    final_job_extra_vars = yaml.load(job_obj.extra_vars)
+    final_job_extra_vars = yaml.safe_load(job_obj.extra_vars)
     assert 'job_launch_var' in final_job_extra_vars
     assert 'job_template_var' in final_job_extra_vars
     assert set([cred.pk for cred in job_obj.credentials.all()]) == set([machine_credential.id, credential.id])
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/unit/test_tasks.py b/awx/main/tests/unit/test_tasks.py
index 07a6959f58..4b4ac01931 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/unit/test_tasks.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/unit/test_tasks.py
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ def test_openstack_client_config_generation(mocker, source, expected, private_da
         'ansible_virtualenv_path': '/venv/foo'
     })
     cloud_config = update.build_private_data(inventory_update, private_data_dir)
-    cloud_credential = yaml.load(
+    cloud_credential = yaml.safe_load(
         cloud_config.get('credentials')[credential]
     )
     assert cloud_credential['clouds'] == {
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ def test_openstack_client_config_generation_with_private_source_vars(mocker, sou
     })
     cloud_config = update.build_private_data(inventory_update, private_data_dir)
     cloud_credential = yaml.load(
-        cloud_config.get('credentials')[credential]
+        cloud_config.get('credentials')[credential], Loader=SafeLoader
     )
     assert cloud_credential['clouds'] == {
         'devstack': {
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ def parse_extra_vars(args):
     for chunk in args:
         if chunk.startswith('@/tmp/'):
             with open(chunk.strip('@'), 'r') as f:
-                extra_vars.update(yaml.load(f, SafeLoader))
+                extra_vars.update(yaml.load(f, Loader=SafeLoader))
     return extra_vars
 
 
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ class TestExtraVarSanitation(TestJobExecution):
         task.build_extra_vars_file(job, private_data_dir, {})
 
         fd = open(os.path.join(private_data_dir, 'env', 'extravars'))
-        extra_vars = yaml.load(fd, SafeLoader)
+        extra_vars = yaml.load(fd, Loader=SafeLoader)
 
         # ensure that strings are marked as unsafe
         for unsafe in ['awx_job_template_name', 'tower_job_template_name',
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ class TestExtraVarSanitation(TestJobExecution):
         task.build_extra_vars_file(job, private_data_dir, {})
 
         fd = open(os.path.join(private_data_dir, 'env', 'extravars'))
-        extra_vars = yaml.load(fd, SafeLoader)
+        extra_vars = yaml.load(fd, Loader=SafeLoader)
         assert extra_vars['msg'] == self.UNSAFE
         assert hasattr(extra_vars['msg'], '__UNSAFE__')
 
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ class TestExtraVarSanitation(TestJobExecution):
         task.build_extra_vars_file(job, private_data_dir, {})
 
         fd = open(os.path.join(private_data_dir, 'env', 'extravars'))
-        extra_vars = yaml.load(fd, SafeLoader)
+        extra_vars = yaml.load(fd, Loader=SafeLoader)
         assert extra_vars['msg'] == {'a': [self.UNSAFE]}
         assert hasattr(extra_vars['msg']['a'][0], '__UNSAFE__')
 
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ class TestExtraVarSanitation(TestJobExecution):
         task.build_extra_vars_file(job, private_data_dir, {})
 
         fd = open(os.path.join(private_data_dir, 'env', 'extravars'))
-        extra_vars = yaml.load(fd, SafeLoader)
+        extra_vars = yaml.load(fd, Loader=SafeLoader)
         assert extra_vars['msg'] == self.UNSAFE
         assert not hasattr(extra_vars['msg'], '__UNSAFE__')
 
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ class TestExtraVarSanitation(TestJobExecution):
         task.build_extra_vars_file(job, private_data_dir, {})
 
         fd = open(os.path.join(private_data_dir, 'env', 'extravars'))
-        extra_vars = yaml.load(fd, SafeLoader)
+        extra_vars = yaml.load(fd, Loader=SafeLoader)
         assert extra_vars['msg'] == {'a': {'b': [self.UNSAFE]}}
         assert not hasattr(extra_vars['msg']['a']['b'][0], '__UNSAFE__')
 
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ class TestExtraVarSanitation(TestJobExecution):
         task.build_extra_vars_file(job, private_data_dir, {})
 
         fd = open(os.path.join(private_data_dir, 'env', 'extravars'))
-        extra_vars = yaml.load(fd, SafeLoader)
+        extra_vars = yaml.load(fd, Loader=SafeLoader)
         assert extra_vars['msg'] == 'other-value'
         assert hasattr(extra_vars['msg'], '__UNSAFE__')
 
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ class TestExtraVarSanitation(TestJobExecution):
         task.build_extra_vars_file(job, private_data_dir, {})
 
         fd = open(os.path.join(private_data_dir, 'env', 'extravars'))
-        extra_vars = yaml.load(fd, SafeLoader)
+        extra_vars = yaml.load(fd, Loader=SafeLoader)
         assert extra_vars['msg'] == self.UNSAFE
         assert hasattr(extra_vars['msg'], '__UNSAFE__')
 
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/unit/utils/test_common.py b/awx/main/tests/unit/utils/test_common.py
index 6568b1b486..bfd10a795a 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/unit/utils/test_common.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/unit/utils/test_common.py
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ class TestParserExceptions:
     @staticmethod
     def yaml_error(data):
         try:
-            yaml.load(data)
+            yaml.safe_load(data)
             return None
         except Exception as e:
             return str(e)