diff --git a/awx/main/tasks.py b/awx/main/tasks.py
index 5c98913a93..3e6c407824 100644
--- a/awx/main/tasks.py
+++ b/awx/main/tasks.py
@@ -1850,6 +1850,7 @@ class RunInventoryUpdate(BaseTask):
 
             group_patterns = '[]'
             group_prefix = 'foreman_'
+            want_hostcollections = 'False'
             foreman_opts = dict(inventory_update.source_vars_dict.items())
             foreman_opts.setdefault('ssl_verify', 'False')
             for k, v in foreman_opts.items():
@@ -1857,6 +1858,8 @@ class RunInventoryUpdate(BaseTask):
                     group_patterns = v
                 elif k == 'satellite6_group_prefix' and isinstance(v, basestring):
                     group_prefix = v
+                elif k == 'satellite6_want_hostcollections' and isinstance(v, bool):
+                    want_hostcollections = v
                 else:
                     cp.set(section, k, six.text_type(v))
 
@@ -1869,6 +1872,7 @@ class RunInventoryUpdate(BaseTask):
             cp.add_section(section)
             cp.set(section, 'group_patterns', group_patterns)
             cp.set(section, 'want_facts', True)
+            cp.set(section, 'want_hostcollections', want_hostcollections)
             cp.set(section, 'group_prefix', group_prefix)
 
             section = 'cache'
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/unit/test_tasks.py b/awx/main/tests/unit/test_tasks.py
index fc3e758062..9ab613ae1a 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/unit/test_tasks.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/unit/test_tasks.py
@@ -2055,7 +2055,7 @@ class TestInventoryUpdateCredentials(TestJobExecution):
             return cred
         self.instance.get_cloud_credential = get_cred
 
-        self.instance.source_vars = '{"satellite6_group_patterns": "[a,b,c]", "satellite6_group_prefix": "hey_"}'
+        self.instance.source_vars = '{"satellite6_group_patterns": "[a,b,c]", "satellite6_group_prefix": "hey_", "satellite6_want_hostcollections": True}'
 
         def run_pexpect_side_effect(*args, **kwargs):
             args, cwd, env, stdout = args
@@ -2066,6 +2066,7 @@ class TestInventoryUpdateCredentials(TestJobExecution):
             assert config.get('foreman', 'password') == 'secret'
             assert config.get('ansible', 'group_patterns') == '[a,b,c]'
             assert config.get('ansible', 'group_prefix') == 'hey_'
+            assert config.get('ansible', 'want_hostcollections') == 'True'
             return ['successful', 0]
 
         self.run_pexpect.side_effect = run_pexpect_side_effect