diff --git a/awx/main/models/inventory.py b/awx/main/models/inventory.py
index 387277c5e9..81ba4fd50b 100644
--- a/awx/main/models/inventory.py
+++ b/awx/main/models/inventory.py
@@ -1277,10 +1277,20 @@ class InventoryUpdate(UnifiedJob, InventorySourceOptions, JobNotificationMixin):
     def get_notification_friendly_name(self):
         return "Inventory Update"
 
-    def cancel(self):
-        res = super(InventoryUpdate, self).cancel()
+    def _build_job_explanation(self):
+        if not self.job_explanation:
+            return 'Previous Task Canceled: {"job_type": "%s", "job_name": "%s", "job_id": "%s"}' % \
+                   (self.model_to_str(), self.name, self.id)
+        return None
+
+    def get_dependent_jobs(self):
+        return Job.objects.filter(dependent_jobs__in=[self.id])
+
+    def cancel(self, job_explanation=None):
+
+        res = super(InventoryUpdate, self).cancel(job_explanation=job_explanation)
         if res:
-            map(lambda x: x.cancel(), Job.objects.filter(dependent_jobs__in=[self.id]))
+            map(lambda x: x.cancel(job_explanation=self._build_job_explanation()), self.get_dependent_jobs())
         return res
 
 
diff --git a/awx/main/models/jobs.py b/awx/main/models/jobs.py
index 00a68c69ca..26969ffc32 100644
--- a/awx/main/models/jobs.py
+++ b/awx/main/models/jobs.py
@@ -633,10 +633,10 @@ class Job(UnifiedJob, JobOptions, SurveyJobMixin, JobNotificationMixin):
     Canceling a job also cancels the implicit project update with launch_type
     run.
     '''
-    def cancel(self):
-        res = super(Job, self).cancel()
+    def cancel(self, job_explanation=None):
+        res = super(Job, self).cancel(job_explanation=job_explanation)
         if self.project_update:
-            self.project_update.cancel()
+            self.project_update.cancel(job_explanation=job_explanation)
         return res
 
 
diff --git a/awx/main/models/unified_jobs.py b/awx/main/models/unified_jobs.py
index 2ccae7fdaf..880789aafe 100644
--- a/awx/main/models/unified_jobs.py
+++ b/awx/main/models/unified_jobs.py
@@ -1025,7 +1025,7 @@ class UnifiedJob(PolymorphicModel, PasswordFieldsModel, CommonModelNameNotUnique
             if settings.DEBUG:
                 raise
 
-    def cancel(self):
+    def cancel(self, job_explanation=None):
         if self.can_cancel:
             if not self.cancel_flag:
                 self.cancel_flag = True
@@ -1033,6 +1033,9 @@ class UnifiedJob(PolymorphicModel, PasswordFieldsModel, CommonModelNameNotUnique
                 if self.status in ('pending', 'waiting', 'new'):
                     self.status = 'canceled'
                     cancel_fields.append('status')
+                if job_explanation is not None:
+                    self.job_explanation = job_explanation
+                    cancel_fields.append('job_explanation')
                 self.save(update_fields=cancel_fields)
                 self.websocket_emit_status("canceled")
             if settings.BROKER_URL.startswith('amqp://'):
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/unit/models/__init__.py b/awx/main/tests/unit/models/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e69de29bb2
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/unit/models/test_inventory.py b/awx/main/tests/unit/models/test_inventory.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..900881aa4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/awx/main/tests/unit/models/test_inventory.py
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+import pytest
+import mock
+from awx.main.models import (
+    UnifiedJob,
+    InventoryUpdate,
+    Job,
+)
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def dependent_job(mocker):
+    j = Job(id=3, name='I_am_a_job')
+    j.cancel = mocker.MagicMock(return_value=True)
+    return [j]
+
+
+def test_cancel(mocker, dependent_job):
+    with mock.patch.object(UnifiedJob, 'cancel', return_value=True) as parent_cancel:
+        iu = InventoryUpdate()
+
+        iu.get_dependent_jobs = mocker.MagicMock(return_value=dependent_job)
+        iu.save = mocker.MagicMock()
+        build_job_explanation_mock = mocker.MagicMock()
+        iu._build_job_explanation = mocker.MagicMock(return_value=build_job_explanation_mock)
+
+        iu.cancel()
+
+        parent_cancel.assert_called_with(job_explanation=None)
+        dependent_job[0].cancel.assert_called_with(job_explanation=build_job_explanation_mock)
+        
+
+def test__build_job_explanation():
+    iu = InventoryUpdate(id=3, name='I_am_an_Inventory_Update')
+
+    job_explanation = iu._build_job_explanation()
+
+    assert job_explanation == 'Previous Task Canceled: {"job_type": "%s", "job_name": "%s", "job_id": "%s"}' % \
+                              ('inventory_update', 'I_am_an_Inventory_Update', 3)
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/unit/models/test_unified_job_unit.py b/awx/main/tests/unit/models/test_unified_job_unit.py
index af8833482a..256d6d0b03 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/unit/models/test_unified_job_unit.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/unit/models/test_unified_job_unit.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import pytest
 import mock
 
 from awx.main.models import (
@@ -14,3 +15,38 @@ def test_unified_job_workflow_attributes():
 
         assert job.spawned_by_workflow is True
         assert job.workflow_job_id == 1
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def unified_job(mocker):
+    mocker.patch.object(UnifiedJob, 'can_cancel', return_value=True)
+    j = UnifiedJob()
+    j.status = 'pending'
+    j.cancel_flag = None
+    j.save = mocker.MagicMock()
+    j.websocket_emit_status = mocker.MagicMock()
+    return j
+
+
+def test_cancel(unified_job):
+
+    unified_job.cancel()
+
+    assert unified_job.cancel_flag is True
+    assert unified_job.status == 'canceled'
+    assert unified_job.job_explanation == ''
+    # Note: the websocket emit status check is just reflecting the state of the current code.
+    # Some more thought may want to go into only emitting canceled if/when the job record
+    # status is changed to canceled. Unlike, currently, where it's emitted unconditionally.
+    unified_job.websocket_emit_status.assert_called_with("canceled")
+    unified_job.save.assert_called_with(update_fields=['cancel_flag', 'status'])
+
+
+def test_cancel_job_explanation(unified_job):
+    job_explanation = 'giggity giggity'
+
+    unified_job.cancel(job_explanation=job_explanation)
+
+    assert unified_job.job_explanation == job_explanation
+    unified_job.save.assert_called_with(update_fields=['cancel_flag', 'status', 'job_explanation'])
+