diff --git a/awx/ui/client/lib/components/syntax-highlight/syntax-highlight.directive.js b/awx/ui/client/lib/components/syntax-highlight/syntax-highlight.directive.js
index fdfa1f7205..23c78fb5cf 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/lib/components/syntax-highlight/syntax-highlight.directive.js
+++ b/awx/ui/client/lib/components/syntax-highlight/syntax-highlight.directive.js
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ function atSyntaxHighlightController ($scope, AngularCodeMirror) {
                 scrollbarStyle: null,
             }
         });
+        if (document.querySelector(`.ng-hide #${$scope.name}_codemirror`)) {
+            return;
+        }
         codeMirror.showTextArea({
             scope: $scope,
             model: varName,