diff --git a/awx/main/models/projects.py b/awx/main/models/projects.py
index d2b62eac7e..1c34871205 100644
--- a/awx/main/models/projects.py
+++ b/awx/main/models/projects.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ from awx.main.models.jobs import Job
 from awx.main.models.mixins import ResourceMixin, TaskManagerProjectUpdateMixin, CustomVirtualEnvMixin, RelatedJobsMixin
 from awx.main.utils import update_scm_url, polymorphic
 from awx.main.utils.ansible import skip_directory, could_be_inventory, could_be_playbook
-from awx.main.utils.execution_environments import get_default_execution_environment
+from awx.main.utils.execution_environments import get_control_plane_execution_environment
 from awx.main.fields import ImplicitRoleField
 from awx.main.models.rbac import (
     ROLE_SINGLETON_SYSTEM_ADMINISTRATOR,
@@ -185,11 +185,11 @@ class ProjectOptions(models.Model):
 
     def resolve_execution_environment(self):
         """
-        Project updates, themselves, will use the default execution environment.
+        Project updates, themselves, will use the control plane execution environment.
         Jobs using the project can use the default_environment, but the project updates
         are not flexible enough to allow customizing the image they use.
         """
-        return get_default_execution_environment()
+        return get_control_plane_execution_environment()
 
     def get_project_path(self, check_if_exists=True):
         local_path = os.path.basename(self.local_path)
diff --git a/awx/main/utils/execution_environments.py b/awx/main/utils/execution_environments.py
index 67fee9566d..8598b7024f 100644
--- a/awx/main/utils/execution_environments.py
+++ b/awx/main/utils/execution_environments.py
@@ -6,10 +6,14 @@ from django.conf import settings
 from awx.main.models.execution_environments import ExecutionEnvironment
 
 
+def get_control_plane_execution_environment():
+    return ExecutionEnvironment.objects.filter(organization=None, managed_by_tower=True).first()
+
+
 def get_default_execution_environment():
     if settings.DEFAULT_EXECUTION_ENVIRONMENT is not None:
         return settings.DEFAULT_EXECUTION_ENVIRONMENT
-    return ExecutionEnvironment.objects.filter(organization=None, managed_by_tower=True).first()
+    return ExecutionEnvironment.objects.filter(organization=None, managed_by_tower=False).first()
 
 
 def get_default_pod_spec():