diff --git a/awx/main/tasks.py b/awx/main/tasks.py
index 01c1c46e3b..cb6c3c76af 100644
--- a/awx/main/tasks.py
+++ b/awx/main/tasks.py
@@ -1024,7 +1024,7 @@ class BaseTask(Task):
                 if stdout_handle:
                     stdout_handle.flush()
                     stdout_handle.close()
-                    event_ct = getattr(stdout_handle, '_event_ct', 0)
+                    event_ct = getattr(stdout_handle, '_counter', 0)
                 logger.info('%s finished running, producing %s events.',
                             instance.log_format, event_ct)
             except Exception:
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/unit/test_tasks.py b/awx/main/tests/unit/test_tasks.py
index 828c612c49..c94c205b86 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/unit/test_tasks.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/unit/test_tasks.py
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ class TestGenericRun(TestJobExecution):
     def test_event_count(self):
         with mock.patch.object(self.task, 'get_stdout_handle') as mock_stdout:
             handle = OutputEventFilter(lambda event_data: None)
-            handle._event_ct = 334
+            handle._counter = 334
             mock_stdout.return_value = handle
             self.task.run(self.pk)
 
diff --git a/awx/main/utils/common.py b/awx/main/utils/common.py
index cf404a2625..af82236d07 100644
--- a/awx/main/utils/common.py
+++ b/awx/main/utils/common.py
@@ -945,8 +945,7 @@ class OutputEventFilter(object):
 
     def __init__(self, event_callback):
         self._event_callback = event_callback
-        self._event_ct = 0
-        self._counter = 1
+        self._counter = 0
         self._start_line = 0
         self._buffer = StringIO()
         self._last_chunk = ''
@@ -1005,8 +1004,8 @@ class OutputEventFilter(object):
             stdout_chunks = []
 
         for stdout_chunk in stdout_chunks:
-            event_data['counter'] = self._counter
             self._counter += 1
+            event_data['counter'] = self._counter
             event_data['stdout'] = stdout_chunk[:-2] if len(stdout_chunk) > 2 else ""
             n_lines = stdout_chunk.count('\n')
             event_data['start_line'] = self._start_line
@@ -1014,7 +1013,6 @@ class OutputEventFilter(object):
             self._start_line += n_lines
             if self._event_callback:
                 self._event_callback(event_data)
-                self._event_ct += 1
 
         if next_event_data.get('uuid', None):
             self._current_event_data = next_event_data