diff --git a/awx/api/views.py b/awx/api/views.py
index 074896002f..117cc80346 100644
--- a/awx/api/views.py
+++ b/awx/api/views.py
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ import ansiconv
 from social.backends.utils import load_backends
 
 # AWX
-from awx.main.tasks import send_notifications, update_host_smart_inventory_memberships
+from awx.main.tasks import send_notifications
 from awx.main.access import get_user_queryset
 from awx.main.ha import is_ha_environment
 from awx.api.authentication import TaskAuthentication, TokenGetAuthentication
@@ -2005,14 +2005,6 @@ class HostSmartInventoriesList(SubListAPIView):
     relationship = 'smart_inventories'
     new_in_320 = True
 
-    def list(self, *args, **kwargs):
-        try:
-            if settings.AWX_REBUILD_SMART_MEMBERSHIP:
-                update_host_smart_inventory_memberships.delay()
-            return super(HostSmartInventoriesList, self).list(*args, **kwargs)
-        except Exception as e:
-            return Response(dict(error=_(unicode(e))), status=status.HTTP_400_BAD_REQUEST)
-
 
 class HostActivityStreamList(ActivityStreamEnforcementMixin, SubListAPIView):
 
diff --git a/awx/main/models/inventory.py b/awx/main/models/inventory.py
index c482e9b848..cb18d4844c 100644
--- a/awx/main/models/inventory.py
+++ b/awx/main/models/inventory.py
@@ -384,6 +384,21 @@ class Inventory(CommonModelNameNotUnique, ResourceMixin):
         self.websocket_emit_status('pending_deletion')
         delete_inventory.delay(self.pk)
 
+    def _update_host_smart_inventory_memeberships(self):
+        if self.kind == 'smart' and settings.AWX_REBUILD_SMART_MEMBERSHIP:
+            def on_commit():
+                from awx.main.tasks import update_host_smart_inventory_memberships
+                update_host_smart_inventory_memberships.delay()
+            connection.on_commit(on_commit)
+
+    def save(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        self._update_host_smart_inventory_memeberships()
+        super(Inventory, self).save(*args, **kwargs)
+
+    def delete(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        self._update_host_smart_inventory_memeberships()
+        super(Inventory, self).delete(*args, **kwargs)
+
 
 class SmartInventoryMembership(BaseModel):
     '''
@@ -568,6 +583,21 @@ class Host(CommonModelNameNotUnique):
             host_name = self.variables_dict['ansible_host']
         return host_name
 
+    def _update_host_smart_inventory_memeberships(self):
+        if settings.AWX_REBUILD_SMART_MEMBERSHIP:
+            def on_commit():
+                from awx.main.tasks import update_host_smart_inventory_memberships
+                update_host_smart_inventory_memberships.delay()
+            connection.on_commit(on_commit)
+
+    def save(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        self._update_host_smart_inventory_memeberships()
+        super(Host, self).save(*args, **kwargs)
+
+    def delete(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        self._update_host_smart_inventory_memeberships()
+        super(Host, self).delete(*args, **kwargs)
+
 
 class Group(CommonModelNameNotUnique):
     '''
diff --git a/awx/main/tasks.py b/awx/main/tasks.py
index 54401af49f..fbab5c7707 100644
--- a/awx/main/tasks.py
+++ b/awx/main/tasks.py
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ def update_inventory_computed_fields(inventory_id, should_update_hosts=True):
 def update_host_smart_inventory_memberships():
     try:
         with transaction.atomic():
-            smart_inventories = Inventory.objects.filter(kind='smart', host_filter__isnull=False)
+            smart_inventories = Inventory.objects.filter(kind='smart', host_filter__isnull=False, pending_deletion=False)
             SmartInventoryMembership.objects.all().delete()
             memberships = []
             for smart_inventory in smart_inventories: