diff --git a/awx/main/management/commands/provision_instance.py b/awx/main/management/commands/provision_instance.py
index c3c8f188ab..c5c5ba3e1d 100644
--- a/awx/main/management/commands/provision_instance.py
+++ b/awx/main/management/commands/provision_instance.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Copyright (c) 2015 Ansible, Inc.
 # All Rights Reserved
 
-from django.core.management.base import BaseCommand, CommandError
+from django.core.management.base import BaseCommand
 from django.db import transaction
 
 from awx.main.models import Instance
@@ -22,8 +22,9 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
 
     def _register_hostname(self, hostname, node_type, uuid):
         if not hostname:
-            return
-        (changed, instance) = Instance.objects.register(hostname=hostname, node_type=node_type, uuid=uuid)
+            (changed, instance) = Instance.objects.get_or_register()
+        else:
+            (changed, instance) = Instance.objects.register(hostname=hostname, node_type=node_type, uuid=uuid)
         if changed:
             print("Successfully registered instance {}".format(hostname))
         else:
@@ -32,8 +33,6 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
 
     @transaction.atomic
     def handle(self, **options):
-        if not options.get('hostname'):
-            raise CommandError("Specify `--hostname` to use this command.")
         self.changed = False
         self._register_hostname(options.get('hostname'), options.get('node_type'), options.get('uuid'))
         if self.changed:
diff --git a/awx/main/tasks/system.py b/awx/main/tasks/system.py
index 008c3bcb2f..3f713dde3c 100644
--- a/awx/main/tasks/system.py
+++ b/awx/main/tasks/system.py
@@ -612,10 +612,6 @@ def cluster_node_heartbeat():
         if inst.hostname == settings.CLUSTER_HOST_ID:
             this_inst = inst
             break
-    else:
-        (changed, this_inst) = Instance.objects.get_or_register()
-        if changed:
-            logger.info("Registered tower control node '{}'".format(this_inst.hostname))
 
     inspect_execution_nodes(instance_list)
 
diff --git a/tools/ansible/roles/dockerfile/files/launch_awx_task.sh b/tools/ansible/roles/dockerfile/files/launch_awx_task.sh
index ae1a87a6b0..f0af27cda7 100755
--- a/tools/ansible/roles/dockerfile/files/launch_awx_task.sh
+++ b/tools/ansible/roles/dockerfile/files/launch_awx_task.sh
@@ -17,4 +17,6 @@ set -e
 
 wait-for-migrations
 
+awx-manage provision_instance
+
 supervisord -c /etc/supervisord_task.conf