diff --git a/awx/main/tests/functional/models/test_activity_stream.py b/awx/main/tests/functional/models/test_activity_stream.py
index a8e0d4ef87..bdee4b80c1 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/functional/models/test_activity_stream.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/functional/models/test_activity_stream.py
@@ -8,9 +8,18 @@ from awx.main.models import (
     Organization,
     JobTemplate,
     Credential,
-    CredentialType
+    CredentialType,
+    InventorySource
 )
 
+# other AWX
+from awx.main.utils import model_to_dict
+from awx.api.serializers import InventorySourceSerializer
+
+
+model_serializer_mapping = {
+    InventorySource: InventorySourceSerializer
+}
 
 
 class TestImplicitRolesOmitted:
@@ -140,3 +149,11 @@ class TestUserModels:
         entry = ActivityStream.objects.filter(user=alice)[0]
         assert entry.operation == 'create'
         assert json.loads(entry.changes)['password'] == 'hidden'
+
+
+@pytest.mark.django_db
+def test_missing_related_on_delete(inventory_source):
+    old_is = InventorySource.objects.get(name=inventory_source.name)
+    inventory_source.inventory.delete()
+    d = model_to_dict(old_is, serializer_mapping=model_serializer_mapping)
+    assert d['inventory'] == '<missing inventory source>-{}'.format(old_is.inventory_id)
diff --git a/awx/main/utils/common.py b/awx/main/utils/common.py
index 473683a668..5aedf8b216 100644
--- a/awx/main/utils/common.py
+++ b/awx/main/utils/common.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import tempfile
 from decorator import decorator
 
 # Django
+from django.core.exceptions import ObjectDoesNotExist
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext_lazy as _
 from django.db.models.fields.related import ForeignObjectRel, ManyToManyField
 
@@ -288,7 +289,10 @@ def get_allowed_fields(obj, serializer_mapping):
 def _convert_model_field_for_display(obj, field_name, password_fields=None):
     # NOTE: Careful modifying the value of field_val, as it could modify
     # underlying model object field value also.
-    field_val = getattr(obj, field_name, None)
+    try:
+        field_val = getattr(obj, field_name, None)
+    except ObjectDoesNotExist:
+        return '<missing {}>-{}'.format(obj._meta.verbose_name, getattr(obj, '{}_id'.format(field_name)))
     if password_fields is None:
         password_fields = set(getattr(type(obj), 'PASSWORD_FIELDS', [])) | set(['password'])
     if field_name in password_fields: