diff --git a/awx/ui/client/src/configuration/forms/settings-form.controller.js b/awx/ui/client/src/configuration/forms/settings-form.controller.js
index 7fe61999ba..907f978a93 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/src/configuration/forms/settings-form.controller.js
+++ b/awx/ui/client/src/configuration/forms/settings-form.controller.js
@@ -304,6 +304,10 @@ export default [
                     $scope[fld + '_api_error'] = '';
                     $('[name="' + fld + '"]').removeClass('ng-invalid');
                 }
+                if (currentForm.fields[fld].codeMirror) {
+                    $('label[for="' + fld + '"] span').removeClass('error-color');
+                    $(`#cm-${fld}-container .CodeMirror`).removeClass('error-border');
+                }
             }
             if (!$scope.$$phase) {
                 $scope.$digest();
@@ -316,6 +320,8 @@ export default [
         var getFormPayload = function() {
             var keys = _.keys(formDefs[formTracker.getCurrent()].fields);
             var payload = {};
+            const errors = {};
+
             _.each(keys, function(key) {
                 if (key === 'ACCESS_TOKEN_EXPIRE_SECONDS'  || key === 'REFRESH_TOKEN_EXPIRE_SECONDS' || key === 'AUTHORIZATION_CODE_EXPIRE_SECONDS') {
                     // These two values need to be POSTed nested under the OAUTH2_PROVIDER key
@@ -350,7 +356,12 @@ export default [
                     }
                 } else if($scope.configDataResolve[key].type === 'list' && $scope[key] !== null) {
                     // Parse lists
-                    payload[key] = SettingsUtils.listToArray($scope[key], key);
+                    try {
+                        payload[key] = SettingsUtils.listToArray($scope[key], key); 
+                    } catch (error) {
+                        errors[key] = error;
+                        payload[key] = [];
+                    }
                 }
                 else if($scope.configDataResolve[key].type === 'nested object') {
                     if(!$scope[key]) {
@@ -371,15 +382,22 @@ export default [
                     }
                 }
             });
-            return payload;
+            return [payload, errors];
         };
 
         vm.formSave = function() {
             var saveDeferred = $q.defer();
             clearApiErrors();
             Wait('start');
-            const payload = getFormPayload();
-            SettingsService.patchConfiguration(getFormPayload())
+
+            const [payload, errors] = getFormPayload();
+            if (!SettingsUtils.isEmpty(errors)) {
+                ProcessErrors($scope, errors, null, formDefs[formTracker.getCurrent()], {});
+                return;
+            }
+
+            const [payloadCopy] = getFormPayload();
+            SettingsService.patchConfiguration(payloadCopy)
                 .then(function(data) {
                     loginUpdate();
 
diff --git a/awx/ui/client/src/configuration/settingsUtils.service.js b/awx/ui/client/src/configuration/settingsUtils.service.js
index e9d448aff5..bf6b354177 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/src/configuration/settingsUtils.service.js
+++ b/awx/ui/client/src/configuration/settingsUtils.service.js
@@ -12,13 +12,9 @@ export default ['$q',
                 var payload;
 
                 if (input.indexOf('[') !== -1) {
-                    try {
-                        payload = JSON.parse(input);
+                    payload = JSON.parse(input);
 
-                        if (!Array.isArray(payload)) {
-                            payload = [];
-                        }
-                    } catch(err) {
+                    if (!Array.isArray(payload)) {
                         payload = [];
                     }
                 } else if (input.indexOf('\n') !== -1) {
diff --git a/awx/ui/client/src/shared/Utilities.js b/awx/ui/client/src/shared/Utilities.js
index aa019bcbc3..39ee42cda5 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/src/shared/Utilities.js
+++ b/awx/ui/client/src/shared/Utilities.js
@@ -212,7 +212,11 @@ angular.module('Utilities', ['RestServices', 'Utilities'])
                         }
                     } else {
                         if (data[fld]) {
-                            scope[fld + '_api_error'] = data[fld][0];
+                            if (data[fld].message) {
+                                scope[fld + '_api_error'] = data[fld].message;
+                            } else {
+                                scope[fld + '_api_error'] = data[fld][0];
+                            }
                             $('[name="' + fld + '"]').addClass('ng-invalid');
                             $('label[for="' + fld + '"] span').addClass('error-color');
                             $('html, body').animate({scrollTop: $('[name="' + fld + '"]').offset().top}, 0);