diff --git a/awx/api/views.py b/awx/api/views.py
index 10746c8c37..753a10b004 100644
--- a/awx/api/views.py
+++ b/awx/api/views.py
@@ -1732,19 +1732,9 @@ class SystemJobTemplateLaunch(GenericAPIView):
         obj = self.get_object()
         if not request.user.can_access(self.model, 'start', obj):
             raise PermissionDenied()
-        new_job = obj.create_unified_job()
-        if 'extra_vars' in request.DATA:
-            try:
-                if type(request.DATA['extra_vars']) == dict:
-                    extra_vars = request.DATA['extra_vars']
-                else:
-                    extra_vars = json.loads(request.DATA['extra_vars'])
-            except Exception, e:
-                extra_vars = {}
-        else:
-            extra_vars = {}
-        ev = {'extra_vars': extra_vars}
-        result = new_job.signal_start(**ev)
+            
+        new_job = obj.create_unified_job(**request.DATA)
+        result = new_job.signal_start(**request.DATA)
         data = dict(system_job=new_job.id)
         return Response(data, status=status.HTTP_202_ACCEPTED)
 
diff --git a/awx/main/models/jobs.py b/awx/main/models/jobs.py
index 4524b75cb1..ea3797d773 100644
--- a/awx/main/models/jobs.py
+++ b/awx/main/models/jobs.py
@@ -994,25 +994,6 @@ class SystemJob(UnifiedJob, SystemJobOptions):
         from awx.main.tasks import RunSystemJob
         return RunSystemJob
 
-    def handle_extra_data(self, extra_data):
-        if extra_data == "" or extra_data is None:
-            return
-        try:
-            evars = json.loads(self.extra_vars)
-        except Exception, e:
-            evars = {}
-        if type(extra_data) == str:
-            try:
-                extra_data = json.loads(extra_data)
-            except Exception, e:
-                extra_data = {}
-        if evars is None:
-            evars = extra_data
-        else:
-            evars.update(extra_data)
-        self.update_fields(extra_vars=json.dumps(evars))
-
-
     def socketio_emit_data(self):
         return {}