diff --git a/awx/main/tests/live/tests/conftest.py b/awx/main/tests/live/tests/conftest.py
index ece57246ec..41ec1d11aa 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/live/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/live/tests/conftest.py
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ from awx.main.models import Project, JobTemplate, Organization, Inventory
 
 PROJ_DATA = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(data.__file__), 'projects')
 
+del load_all_credentials
+
 
 def _copy_folders(source_path, dest_path, clear=False):
     "folder-by-folder, copy dirs in the source root dir to the destination root dir"
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/live/tests/test_host_update_contention.py b/awx/main/tests/live/tests/test_host_update_contention.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f7d9dbbfd1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/awx/main/tests/live/tests/test_host_update_contention.py
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+import multiprocessing
+import random
+
+from django.db import connection
+from django.utils.timezone import now
+
+from awx.main.models import Inventory, Host
+
+
+def worker_delete_target(ready_event, continue_event, field_name):
+    """Runs the bulk update, will be called in duplicate, in parallel"""
+    inv = Inventory.objects.get(organization__name='Default', name='test_host_update_contention')
+    host_list = list(inv.hosts.all())
+    random.shuffle(host_list)
+    for i, host in enumerate(host_list):
+        setattr(host, field_name, f'my_var: {i}')
+
+    # ready to do the bulk_update
+    print('worker has loaded all the hosts needed')
+    ready_event.set()
+    # wait for the coordination message
+    continue_event.wait()
+
+    # presumed fix
+    host_list = sorted(host_list, key=lambda host: host.id)
+
+    # NOTE: did not reproduce the bug without batch_size
+    Host.objects.bulk_update(host_list, [field_name], batch_size=100)
+    print('finished doing the bulk update in worker')
+
+
+def test_host_update_contention(default_org):
+    inv_kwargs = dict(organization=default_org, name='test_host_update_contention')
+
+    if Inventory.objects.filter(**inv_kwargs).exists():
+        inv = Inventory.objects.get(**inv_kwargs).delete()
+
+    inv = Inventory.objects.create(**inv_kwargs)
+    right_now = now()
+    hosts = [Host(inventory=inv, name=f'host-{i}', created=right_now, modified=right_now) for i in range(1000)]
+    print('bulk creating hosts')
+    Host.objects.bulk_create(hosts)
+
+    # sanity check
+    for host in hosts:
+        assert not host.variables
+
+    # Force our worker pool to make their own connection
+    connection.close()
+
+    ready_events = [multiprocessing.Event() for _ in range(2)]
+    continue_event = multiprocessing.Event()
+
+    print('spawning processes for concurrent bulk updates')
+    processes = []
+    fields = ['variables', 'ansible_facts']
+    for i in range(2):
+        p = multiprocessing.Process(target=worker_delete_target, args=(ready_events[i], continue_event, fields[i]))
+        processes.append(p)
+        p.start()
+
+    # Assure both processes are connected and have loaded their host list
+    for e in ready_events:
+        print('waiting on subprocess ready event')
+        e.wait()
+
+    # Begin the bulk_update queries
+    print('setting the continue event for the workers')
+    continue_event.set()
+
+    # if a Deadloack happens it will probably be surfaced by result here
+    print('waiting on the workers to finish the bulk_update')
+    for p in processes:
+        p.join()
+
+    print('checking workers have variables set')
+    for host in inv.hosts.all():
+        assert host.variables.startswith('my_var:')
+        assert host.ansible_facts.startswith('my_var:')