diff --git a/awx/ui/client/src/job-results/job-results-stdout/job-results-stdout.partial.html b/awx/ui/client/src/job-results/job-results-stdout/job-results-stdout.partial.html
index c283d578f7..88ee156a4e 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/src/job-results/job-results-stdout/job-results-stdout.partial.html
+++ b/awx/ui/client/src/job-results/job-results-stdout/job-results-stdout.partial.html
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
         <div class="JobResultsStdOut-numberColumnPreload"></div>
         <div id='lineAnchor' class="JobResultsStdOut-lineAnchor"></div>
         <div class="JobResultsStdOut-aLineOfStdOut"
-            ng-show="tooManyEvents || tooManyPastEvents">
+            ng-show="tooManyEvents || tooManyPastEvents || showLegacyJobErrorMessage">
             <div class="JobResultsStdOut-lineNumberColumn">
                 <span class="JobResultsStdOut-lineExpander">  </span>
             </div>
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@
                 ng-show="tooManyEvents">The standard output is too large to display.  Please specify additional filters to narrow the standard out.</div>
             <div class="JobResultsStdOut-stdoutColumn JobResultsStdOut-stdoutColumn--tooMany"
                 ng-show="tooManyPastEvents">Too much previous output to display.  Showing running standard output.</div>
+            <div class="JobResultsStdOut-stdoutColumn JobResultsStdOut-stdoutColumn--tooMany"
+                ng-show="showLegacyJobErrorMessage">Job details are not available for this job.  Please download to view standard out.</div>
         </div>
         <!-- next is 1 is a hack to get the first line to be put in the pane in the
         right place -->
diff --git a/awx/ui/client/src/job-results/job-results.controller.js b/awx/ui/client/src/job-results/job-results.controller.js
index 7cef7c342f..582c4f3988 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/src/job-results/job-results.controller.js
+++ b/awx/ui/client/src/job-results/job-results.controller.js
@@ -437,6 +437,18 @@ function(jobData, jobDataOptions, jobLabels, jobFinished, count, $scope, ParseTy
     $scope.playCount = 0;
     $scope.taskCount = 0;
 
+
+    // used to show a message to just download for old jobs
+    // remove in 3.2.0
+    $scope.isOld = 0;
+    $scope.showLegacyJobErrorMessage = false;
+
+    toDestroy.push($scope.$watch('isOld', function (val) {
+        if (val >= 2) {
+            $scope.showLegacyJobErrorMessage = true;
+        }
+    }));
+
     // get header and recap lines
     var skeletonPlayCount = 0;
     var skeletonTaskCount = 0;
@@ -444,6 +456,9 @@ function(jobData, jobDataOptions, jobLabels, jobFinished, count, $scope, ParseTy
         jobResultsService.getEvents(url)
             .then(events => {
                 events.results.forEach(event => {
+                    if (event.start_line === 0 && event.end_line === 0) {
+                        $scope.isOld++;
+                    }
                     // get the name in the same format as the data
                     // coming over the websocket
                     event.event_name = event.event;