diff --git a/awx/__init__.py b/awx/__init__.py
index 08284f7697..1579af07de 100644
--- a/awx/__init__.py
+++ b/awx/__init__.py
@@ -58,11 +58,12 @@ def prepare_env():
         sys.modules['django.utils.six'] = sys.modules['six']
         django.utils.six = sys.modules['django.utils.six']
         from django.utils import six
-    # Use the AWX_TEST_DATABASE_NAME environment variable to specify the test
-    # database name to use when management command is run as an external
+    # Use the AWX_TEST_DATABASE_* environment variables to specify the test
+    # database settings to use when management command is run as an external
     # program via unit tests.
-    if os.environ.get('AWX_TEST_DATABASE_NAME', None):
-        settings.DATABASES['default']['NAME'] = os.environ['AWX_TEST_DATABASE_NAME']
+    for opt in ('ENGINE', 'NAME', 'USER', 'PASSWORD', 'HOST', 'PORT'):
+        if os.environ.get('AWX_TEST_DATABASE_%s' % opt, None):
+            settings.DATABASES['default'][opt] = os.environ['AWX_TEST_DATABASE_%s' % opt]
 
 def manage():
     # Prepare the AWX environment.
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/base.py b/awx/main/tests/base.py
index 05894664f4..a2abb1dc2c 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/base.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/base.py
@@ -42,6 +42,10 @@ class BaseTestMixin(object):
             if name == 'SERVER_URI':
                 value = ''
             setattr(settings, 'AUTH_LDAP_%s' % name, value)
+        # Pass test database settings in environment for use by any management
+        # commands that run from tests.
+        for opt in ('ENGINE', 'NAME', 'USER', 'PASSWORD', 'HOST', 'PORT'):
+            os.environ['AWX_TEST_DATABASE_%s' % opt] = settings.DATABASES['default'][opt]
 
     def tearDown(self):
         super(BaseTestMixin, self).tearDown()
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/inventory.py b/awx/main/tests/inventory.py
index 8fa30b7413..fffdbc9bb3 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/inventory.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/inventory.py
@@ -954,9 +954,6 @@ class InventoryUpdatesTest(BaseTransactionTest):
         self.organization.users.add(self.normal_django_user)
         self.inventory = self.organization.inventories.create(name='Cloud Inventory')
         self.group = self.inventory.groups.create(name='Cloud Group')
-        # Pass test database name in environment for use by the inventory_import
-        # management command.
-        os.environ['AWX_TEST_DATABASE_NAME'] = settings.DATABASES['default']['NAME']
 
     def update_inventory_source(self, group, **kwargs):
         inventory_source = group.inventory_source