diff --git a/awx/main/tests/functional/api/test_application_name.py b/awx/main/tests/functional/api/test_application_name.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..da7cda210c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/awx/main/tests/functional/api/test_application_name.py
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+import pytest
+from awx.settings.application_name import get_service_name, set_application_name
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    'argv,result',
+    (
+        ([], None),
+        (['-m'], None),
+        (['-m', 'python'], None),
+        (['-m', 'python', 'manage'], None),
+        (['-m', 'python', 'manage', 'a'], 'a'),
+        (['-m', 'python', 'manage', 'b', 'a'], 'b'),
+        (['-m', 'python', 'manage', 'run_something', 'b', 'a'], 'something'),
+    ),
+)
+def test_get_service_name(argv, result):
+    assert get_service_name(argv) == result
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('DATABASES,CLUSTER_ID,function', (({}, 12, ''), ({'default': {'ENGINE': 'sqllite3'}}, 12, '')))
+def test_set_application_name(DATABASES, CLUSTER_ID, function):
+    set_application_name(DATABASES, CLUSTER_ID, function)
diff --git a/awx/settings/application_name.py b/awx/settings/application_name.py
index 25c68acfd3..ed76886c39 100644
--- a/awx/settings/application_name.py
+++ b/awx/settings/application_name.py
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@ def get_application_name(CLUSTER_HOST_ID, function=''):
 
 
 def set_application_name(DATABASES, CLUSTER_HOST_ID, function=''):
+    # If settings files were not properly passed DATABASES could be {} at which point we don't need to set the app name.
+    if not DATABASES or 'default' not in DATABASES:
+        return
+
     if 'sqlite3' in DATABASES['default']['ENGINE']:
         return
     options_dict = DATABASES['default'].setdefault('OPTIONS', dict())