diff --git a/awx/main/managers.py b/awx/main/managers.py
index b91bda42bd..7b9164ef32 100644
--- a/awx/main/managers.py
+++ b/awx/main/managers.py
@@ -12,9 +12,10 @@ from awx.main.utils.pglock import advisory_lock
 from awx.main.utils.common import get_capacity_type
 from awx.main.constants import RECEPTOR_PENDING
 
-___all__ = ['HostManager', 'InstanceManager', 'InstanceGroupManager', 'DeferJobCreatedManager']
+___all__ = ['HostManager', 'InstanceManager', 'InstanceGroupManager', 'DeferJobCreatedManager', 'UUID_DEFAULT']
 
 logger = logging.getLogger('awx.main.managers')
+UUID_DEFAULT = '00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000'
 
 
 class DeferJobCreatedManager(models.Manager):
@@ -105,7 +106,7 @@ class InstanceManager(models.Manager):
         """Return the currently active instance."""
         # If we are running unit tests, return a stub record.
         if settings.IS_TESTING(sys.argv) or hasattr(sys, '_called_from_test'):
-            return self.model(id=1, hostname=settings.CLUSTER_HOST_ID, uuid='00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000')
+            return self.model(id=1, hostname=settings.CLUSTER_HOST_ID, uuid=UUID_DEFAULT)
 
         node = self.filter(hostname=settings.CLUSTER_HOST_ID)
         if node.exists():
@@ -115,6 +116,7 @@ class InstanceManager(models.Manager):
     def register(self, uuid=None, hostname=None, ip_address=None, node_type='hybrid', defaults=None):
         if not hostname:
             hostname = settings.CLUSTER_HOST_ID
+
         with advisory_lock('instance_registration_%s' % hostname):
             if settings.AWX_AUTO_DEPROVISION_INSTANCES:
                 # detect any instances with the same IP address.
@@ -127,14 +129,25 @@ class InstanceManager(models.Manager):
                         other_inst.save(update_fields=['ip_address'])
                         logger.warning("IP address {0} conflict detected, ip address unset for host {1}.".format(ip_address, other_hostname))
 
-            # Return existing instance that matches hostname
-            instance = self.filter(hostname=hostname)
+            # Return existing instance that matches hostname or UUID (default to UUID)
+            if uuid is not None and uuid != UUID_DEFAULT and self.filter(uuid=uuid).exists():
+                instance = self.filter(uuid=uuid)
+            else:
+                # if instance was not retrieved by uuid and hostname was, use the hostname
+                instance = self.filter(hostname=hostname)
+
+            # Return existing instance
             if instance.exists():
-                instance = instance.get()
+                instance = instance.first()  # in the unusual occasion that there is more than one, only get one
                 update_fields = []
+                # if instance was retrieved by uuid and hostname has changed, update hostname
+                if instance.hostname != hostname:
+                    logger.warning("passed in hostname {0} is different from the original hostname {1}, updating to {0}".format(hostname, instance.hostname))
+                    instance.hostname = hostname
+                    update_fields.append('hostname')
+                # if any other fields are to be updated
                 if instance.ip_address != ip_address:
                     instance.ip_address = ip_address
-                    update_fields.append('ip_address')
                 if instance.node_type != node_type:
                     instance.node_type = node_type
                     update_fields.append('node_type')
diff --git a/awx/main/models/ha.py b/awx/main/models/ha.py
index 0b75e4a964..d2686708e5 100644
--- a/awx/main/models/ha.py
+++ b/awx/main/models/ha.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ from solo.models import SingletonModel
 
 from awx import __version__ as awx_application_version
 from awx.api.versioning import reverse
-from awx.main.managers import InstanceManager, InstanceGroupManager
+from awx.main.managers import InstanceManager, InstanceGroupManager, UUID_DEFAULT
 from awx.main.fields import JSONField
 from awx.main.models.base import BaseModel, HasEditsMixin, prevent_search
 from awx.main.models.unified_jobs import UnifiedJob
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ class Instance(HasPolicyEditsMixin, BaseModel):
     objects = InstanceManager()
 
     # Fields set in instance registration
-    uuid = models.CharField(max_length=40, default='00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000')
+    uuid = models.CharField(max_length=40, default=UUID_DEFAULT)
     hostname = models.CharField(max_length=250, unique=True)
     ip_address = models.CharField(
         blank=True,