diff --git a/awx/main/models/events.py b/awx/main/models/events.py
index 4361f01853..5eb0390e18 100644
--- a/awx/main/models/events.py
+++ b/awx/main/models/events.py
@@ -35,9 +35,9 @@ def sanitize_event_keys(kwargs, valid_keys):
     for key in [
         'play', 'role', 'task', 'playbook'
     ]:
-        if isinstance(kwargs.get(key), six.string_types):
-            if len(kwargs[key]) > 1024:
-                kwargs[key] = Truncator(kwargs[key]).chars(1024)
+        if isinstance(kwargs.get('event_data', {}).get(key), six.string_types):
+            if len(kwargs['event_data'][key]) > 1024:
+                kwargs['event_data'][key] = Truncator(kwargs['event_data'][key]).chars(1024)
 
 
 def create_host_status_counts(event_data):
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/unit/models/test_events.py b/awx/main/tests/unit/models/test_events.py
index 47a7f30c55..3176e1945c 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/unit/models/test_events.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/unit/models/test_events.py
@@ -53,9 +53,9 @@ def test_really_long_event_fields(field):
     with mock.patch.object(JobEvent, 'objects') as manager:
         JobEvent.create_from_data(**{
             'job_id': 123,
-            field: 'X' * 4096
+            'event_data': {field: 'X' * 4096}
         })
         manager.create.assert_called_with(**{
             'job_id': 123,
-            field: 'X' * 1021 + '...'
+            'event_data': {field: 'X' * 1021 + '...'}
         })