diff --git a/awx/main/analytics/core.py b/awx/main/analytics/core.py
index 27d7b5312c..2bb7b5e98e 100644
--- a/awx/main/analytics/core.py
+++ b/awx/main/analytics/core.py
@@ -151,27 +151,45 @@ def gather(dest=None, module=None, subset=None, since=None, until=None, collecti
         _now = now()
 
         # Make sure that the endpoints are not in the future.
-        until = None if until is None else min(until, _now)
-        since = None if since is None else min(since, _now)
+        if until is not None and until > _now:
+            until = _now
+            logger.warning(f"End of the collection interval is in the future, setting to {_now}.")
+        if since is not None and since > _now:
+            since = _now
+            logger.warning(f"Start of the collection interval is in the future, setting to {_now}.")
 
-        if since and not until:
-            # If `since` is explicit but not `until`, `since` should be used to calculate the 4-week limit
-            until = min(since + timedelta(weeks=4), _now)
-        else:
-            until = _now if until is None else until
-
-        horizon = until - timedelta(weeks=4)
+        # The value of `until` needs to be concrete, so resolve it.  If it wasn't passed in,
+        # set it to `now`, but only if that isn't more than 4 weeks ahead of a passed-in
+        # `since` parameter.
         if since is not None:
-            # Make sure the start isn't more than 4 weeks prior to `until`.
-            since = max(since, horizon)
+            if until is not None:
+                if until > since + timedelta(weeks=4):
+                    until = since + timedelta(weeks=4)
+                    logger.warning(f"End of the collection interval is greater than 4 weeks from start, setting end to {until}.")
+            else:  # until is None
+                until = min(since + timedelta(weeks=4), _now)
+        elif until is None:
+            until = _now
 
         if since and since >= until:
             logger.warning("Start of the collection interval is later than the end, ignoring request.")
             return None
 
+        # The ultimate beginning of the interval needs to be compared to 4 weeks prior to
+        # `until`, but we want to keep `since` empty if it wasn't passed in because we use that
+        # case to know whether to use the bookkeeping settings variables to decide the start of
+        # the interval.
+        horizon = until - timedelta(weeks=4)
+        if since is not None and since < horizon:
+            since = horizon
+            logger.warning(f"Start of the collection interval is more than 4 weeks prior to {until}, setting to {horizon}.")
+
         logger.debug("Last analytics run was: {}".format(settings.AUTOMATION_ANALYTICS_LAST_GATHER))
-        # LAST_GATHER time should always get truncated to less than 4 weeks back.
-        last_gather = max(settings.AUTOMATION_ANALYTICS_LAST_GATHER or horizon, horizon)
+
+        last_gather = settings.AUTOMATION_ANALYTICS_LAST_GATHER or horizon
+        if last_gather < horizon:
+            last_gather = horizon
+            logger.warning(f"Last analytics run was more than 4 weeks prior to {until}, using {horizon} instead.")
 
         last_entries = Setting.objects.filter(key='AUTOMATION_ANALYTICS_LAST_ENTRIES').first()
         last_entries = json.loads((last_entries.value if last_entries is not None else '') or '{}', object_hook=datetime_hook)