diff --git a/awx/ui/client/src/notifications/add/add.controller.js b/awx/ui/client/src/notifications/add/add.controller.js
index b7fc7b6d0e..58dacc5405 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/src/notifications/add/add.controller.js
+++ b/awx/ui/client/src/notifications/add/add.controller.js
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ export default ['Rest', 'Wait', 'NotificationsFormObject',
                         $state.go("^");
                         Alert('Permission Error', 'You do not have permission to add a notification template.', 'alert-info');
                     }
-                    defaultMessages = data.actions.POST.messages.default;
+                    defaultMessages = data.actions.GET.messages;
                     MessageUtils.setMessagesOnScope($scope, null, defaultMessages);
                 });
             // apply form definition's default field values
@@ -168,8 +168,13 @@ export default ['Rest', 'Wait', 'NotificationsFormObject',
         $scope.toggleForm = function(key) {
             $scope[key] = !$scope[key];
         };
-        $scope.$watch('notification_type', (value) => {
-            if (value) {
+        $scope.$watch('notification_type', (newValue, oldValue = {}) => {
+            if (newValue) {
+                MessageUtils.updateDefaultsOnScope(
+                  $scope,
+                  defaultMessages[oldValue.value],
+                  defaultMessages[newValue.value]
+                );
                 $scope.$broadcast('reset-code-mirror', {
                     customize_messages: $scope.customize_messages,
                 });
diff --git a/awx/ui/client/src/notifications/edit/edit.controller.js b/awx/ui/client/src/notifications/edit/edit.controller.js
index 2f5796c98a..8128cff488 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/src/notifications/edit/edit.controller.js
+++ b/awx/ui/client/src/notifications/edit/edit.controller.js
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ export default ['Rest', 'Wait',
             Rest.setUrl(GetBasePath('notification_templates'));
             Rest.options()
                 .then(({data}) => {
-                    defaultMessages = data.actions.GET.messages.default;
+                    defaultMessages = data.actions.GET.messages;
                 });
 
             GetChoices({
@@ -257,8 +257,13 @@ export default ['Rest', 'Wait',
         $scope.toggleForm = function(key) {
             $scope[key] = !$scope[key];
         };
-        $scope.$watch('notification_type', (value) => {
-            if (value) {
+        $scope.$watch('notification_type', (newValue, oldValue = {}) => {
+            if (newValue) {
+                MessageUtils.updateDefaultsOnScope(
+                  $scope,
+                  defaultMessages[oldValue.value],
+                  defaultMessages[newValue.value]
+                );
                 $scope.$broadcast('reset-code-mirror', {
                     customize_messages: $scope.customize_messages,
                 });
diff --git a/awx/ui/client/src/notifications/shared/message-utils.service.js b/awx/ui/client/src/notifications/shared/message-utils.service.js
index 52076626a1..fff8de847b 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/src/notifications/shared/message-utils.service.js
+++ b/awx/ui/client/src/notifications/shared/message-utils.service.js
@@ -1,66 +1,111 @@
-export default [function () {
+
+const emptyDefaults = {
+    started: {
+        message: '',
+        body: '',
+    },
+    success: {
+        message: '',
+        body: '',
+    },
+    error: {
+        message: '',
+        body: '',
+    },
+}
+
+export default [function() {
     return {
         getMessagesObj: function ($scope, defaultMessages) {
             if (!$scope.customize_messages) {
               return null;
             }
+            const defaults = defaultMessages[$scope.notification_type.value] || {};
             return {
                 started: {
-                    message: $scope.started_message === defaultMessages.started.message ?
+                    message: $scope.started_message === defaults.started.message ?
                         null : $scope.started_message,
-                    body: $scope.started_body === defaultMessages.started.body ?
+                    body: $scope.started_body === defaults.started.body ?
                         null : $scope.started_body,
                 },
                 success: {
-                    message: $scope.success_message === defaultMessages.success.message ?
+                    message: $scope.success_message === defaults.success.message ?
                         null : $scope.success_message,
-                    body: $scope.success_body === defaultMessages.success.body ?
+                    body: $scope.success_body === defaults.success.body ?
                         null : $scope.success_body,
                 },
                 error: {
-                    message: $scope.error_message === defaultMessages.error.message ?
+                    message: $scope.error_message === defaults.error.message ?
                         null : $scope.error_message,
-                    body: $scope.error_body === defaultMessages.error.body ?
+                    body: $scope.error_body === defaults.error.body ?
                         null : $scope.error_body,
                 }
             };
         },
+
         setMessagesOnScope: function ($scope, messages, defaultMessages) {
-          $scope.started_message = defaultMessages.started.message;
-          $scope.started_body = defaultMessages.started.body;
-          $scope.success_message = defaultMessages.success.message;
-          $scope.success_body = defaultMessages.success.body;
-          $scope.error_message = defaultMessages.error.message;
-          $scope.error_body = defaultMessages.error.body;
-          if (!messages) {
-            return;
-          }
-          let isCustomized = false;
-          if (messages.started.message) {
-            isCustomized = true;
-            $scope.started_message = messages.started.message;
-          }
-          if (messages.started.body) {
-            isCustomized = true;
-            $scope.started_body = messages.started.body;
-          }
-          if (messages.success.message) {
-            isCustomized = true;
-            $scope.success_message = messages.success.message;
-          }
-          if (messages.success.body) {
-            isCustomized = true;
-            $scope.success_body = messages.success.body;
-          }
-          if (messages.error.message) {
-            isCustomized = true;
-            $scope.error_message = messages.error.message;
-          }
-          if (messages.error.body) {
-            isCustomized = true;
-            $scope.error_body = messages.error.body;
-          }
-          $scope.customize_messages = isCustomized;
+            let defaults;
+            if ($scope.notification_type) {
+                defaults = defaultMessages[$scope.notification_type.value] || emptyDefaults;
+            } else {
+                defaults = emptyDefaults;
+            }
+            $scope.started_message = defaults.started.message;
+            $scope.started_body = defaults.started.body;
+            $scope.success_message = defaults.success.message;
+            $scope.success_body = defaults.success.body;
+            $scope.error_message = defaults.error.message;
+            $scope.error_body = defaults.error.body;
+            if (!messages) {
+                return;
+            }
+            let isCustomized = false;
+            if (messages.started.message) {
+                isCustomized = true;
+                $scope.started_message = messages.started.message;
+            }
+            if (messages.started.body) {
+                isCustomized = true;
+                $scope.started_body = messages.started.body;
+            }
+            if (messages.success.message) {
+                isCustomized = true;
+                $scope.success_message = messages.success.message;
+            }
+            if (messages.success.body) {
+                isCustomized = true;
+                $scope.success_body = messages.success.body;
+            }
+            if (messages.error.message) {
+                isCustomized = true;
+                $scope.error_message = messages.error.message;
+            }
+            if (messages.error.body) {
+                isCustomized = true;
+                $scope.error_body = messages.error.body;
+            }
+            $scope.customize_messages = isCustomized;
+        },
+
+        updateDefaultsOnScope: function($scope, oldDefaults = emptyDefaults, newDefaults) {
+            if ($scope.started_message === oldDefaults.started.message) {
+                $scope.started_message = newDefaults.started.message;
+            }
+            if ($scope.started_body === oldDefaults.started.body) {
+                $scope.started_body = newDefaults.started.body;
+            }
+            if ($scope.success_message === oldDefaults.success.message) {
+                $scope.success_message = newDefaults.success.message;
+            }
+            if ($scope.success_body === oldDefaults.success.body) {
+                $scope.success_body = newDefaults.success.body;
+            }
+            if ($scope.error_message === oldDefaults.error.message) {
+                $scope.error_message = newDefaults.error.message;
+            }
+            if ($scope.error_body === oldDefaults.error.body) {
+                $scope.error_body = newDefaults.error.body;
+            }
         }
     };
 }];