diff --git a/awx/ui/client/src/job-submission/job-submission-factories/getsurveyquestions.factory.js b/awx/ui/client/src/job-submission/job-submission-factories/getsurveyquestions.factory.js
index 28aa13d6db..4b633d3eaa 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/src/job-submission/job-submission-factories/getsurveyquestions.factory.js
+++ b/awx/ui/client/src/job-submission/job-submission-factories/getsurveyquestions.factory.js
@@ -42,6 +42,13 @@ export default
                             else if(question.type === "multiplechoice") {
                                 question.model = question.default ? angular.copy(question.default) : "";
                                 question.choices = question.choices.split(/\n/);
+
+                                // Add a default empty string option to the choices array.  If this choice is
+                                // selected then the extra var will not be sent when we POST to the launch
+                                // endpoint
+                                if(!question.required) {
+                                    question.choices.unshift('');
+                                }
                             }
                             else if(question.type === "float"){
                                 question.model = (!Empty(question.default)) ? angular.copy(question.default) : (!Empty(question.default_float)) ? angular.copy(question.default_float) : "";
diff --git a/awx/ui/client/src/job-submission/job-submission-factories/launchjob.factory.js b/awx/ui/client/src/job-submission/job-submission-factories/launchjob.factory.js
index 3cfb80e7a3..9361803735 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/src/job-submission/job-submission-factories/launchjob.factory.js
+++ b/awx/ui/client/src/job-submission/job-submission-factories/launchjob.factory.js
@@ -90,9 +90,9 @@ export default
                                     // for optional select lists, if they are left blank make sure we submit
                                     // a value that the API will consider "empty"
                                     //
-                                    case "multiplechoice":
-                                        job_launch_data.extra_vars[fld] = "";
-                                        break;
+                                    // ISSUE: I don't think this logic ever actually fires
+                                    // When I tested this, we don't pass this extra var back
+                                    // through the api when the mutliselect is optional and empty
                                     case "multiselect":
                                         job_launch_data.extra_vars[fld] = [];
                                         break;