diff --git a/awx/api/permissions.py b/awx/api/permissions.py
index df6c88618f..867388a08d 100644
--- a/awx/api/permissions.py
+++ b/awx/api/permissions.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ from awx.main.utils import get_object_or_400
 
 logger = logging.getLogger('awx.api.permissions')
 
-__all__ = ['ModelAccessPermission', 'JobTemplateCallbackPermission',
+__all__ = ['ModelAccessPermission', 'JobTemplateCallbackPermission', 'VariableDataPermission',
            'TaskPermission', 'ProjectUpdatePermission', 'InventoryInventorySourcesUpdatePermission',
            'UserPermission', 'IsSuperUser', 'InstanceGroupTowerPermission',]
 
@@ -74,12 +74,8 @@ class ModelAccessPermission(permissions.BasePermission):
             # FIXME: For some reason this needs to return True
             # because it is first called with obj=None?
             return True
-        if getattr(view, 'is_variable_data', False):
-            return check_user_access(request.user, view.model, 'change', obj,
-                                     dict(variables=request.data))
-        else:
-            return check_user_access(request.user, view.model, 'change', obj,
-                                     request.data)
+        return check_user_access(request.user, view.model, 'change', obj,
+                                 request.data)
 
     def check_patch_permissions(self, request, view, obj=None):
         return self.check_put_permissions(request, view, obj)
@@ -163,6 +159,15 @@ class JobTemplateCallbackPermission(ModelAccessPermission):
             return True
 
 
+class VariableDataPermission(ModelAccessPermission):
+
+    def check_put_permissions(self, request, view, obj=None):
+        if not obj:
+            return True
+        return check_user_access(request.user, view.model, 'change', obj,
+                                 dict(variables=request.data))
+
+
 class TaskPermission(ModelAccessPermission):
     '''
     Permission checks used for API callbacks from running a task.
diff --git a/awx/api/views/__init__.py b/awx/api/views/__init__.py
index f8f4e82521..eb02aec10f 100644
--- a/awx/api/views/__init__.py
+++ b/awx/api/views/__init__.py
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ from awx.main.redact import UriCleaner
 from awx.api.permissions import (
     JobTemplateCallbackPermission, TaskPermission, ProjectUpdatePermission,
     InventoryInventorySourcesUpdatePermission, UserPermission,
-    InstanceGroupTowerPermission,
+    InstanceGroupTowerPermission, VariableDataPermission
 )
 from awx.api import renderers
 from awx.api import serializers
@@ -1948,7 +1948,7 @@ class BaseVariableData(RetrieveUpdateAPIView):
 
     parser_classes = api_settings.DEFAULT_PARSER_CLASSES + [YAMLParser]
     renderer_classes = api_settings.DEFAULT_RENDERER_CLASSES + [YAMLRenderer]
-    is_variable_data = True # Special flag for permissions check.
+    permission_classes = (VariableDataPermission,)
 
 
 class InventoryVariableData(BaseVariableData):
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/functional/api/test_inventory.py b/awx/main/tests/functional/api/test_inventory.py
index d261f3e146..78827dbe34 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/functional/api/test_inventory.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/functional/api/test_inventory.py
@@ -425,6 +425,22 @@ def test_inventory_source_vars_prohibition(post, inventory, admin_user):
     assert 'FOOBAR' in r.data['source_vars'][0]
 
 
+@pytest.mark.django_db
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('role,expect', [
+    ('admin_role', 200),
+    ('use_role', 403),
+    ('adhoc_role', 403),
+    ('read_role', 403)
+])
+def test_action_view_permissions(patch, put, get, inventory, rando, role, expect):
+    getattr(inventory, role).members.add(rando)
+    url = reverse('api:inventory_variable_data', kwargs={'pk': inventory.pk})
+    # read_role and all other roles should be able to view
+    get(url=url, user=rando, expect=200)
+    patch(url=url, data={"host_filter": "bar"}, user=rando, expect=expect)
+    put(url=url, data={"fooooo": "bar"}, user=rando, expect=expect)
+
+
 @pytest.mark.django_db
 class TestInventorySourceCredential:
     def test_need_cloud_credential(self, inventory, admin_user, post):