diff --git a/awx/main/tests/unit/utils/test_safe_yaml.py b/awx/main/tests/unit/utils/test_safe_yaml.py
index 7f528ea595..8e8dd933aa 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/unit/utils/test_safe_yaml.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/unit/utils/test_safe_yaml.py
@@ -20,6 +20,18 @@ def test_raw_string():
     assert safe_dump('foo') == "!unsafe 'foo'\n"
 
 
+def test_kv_null():
+    assert safe_dump({'a': None}) == "!unsafe 'a': null\n"
+
+
+def test_kv_null_safe():
+    assert safe_dump({'a': None}, {'a': None}) == "a: null\n"
+
+
+def test_kv_null_unsafe():
+    assert safe_dump({'a': ''}, {'a': None}) == "!unsafe 'a': !unsafe ''\n"
+
+
 def test_kv_int():
     assert safe_dump({'a': 1}) == "!unsafe 'a': 1\n"
 
diff --git a/awx/main/utils/safe_yaml.py b/awx/main/utils/safe_yaml.py
index 1b958b69d0..28c4dc4694 100644
--- a/awx/main/utils/safe_yaml.py
+++ b/awx/main/utils/safe_yaml.py
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ def safe_dump(x, safe_dict=None):
         # equality matches (and consider those branches safe)
         for k, v in x.items():
             dumper = yaml.SafeDumper
-            if safe_dict.get(k) != v:
+            if k not in safe_dict or safe_dict.get(k) != v:
                 dumper = SafeStringDumper
             yamls.append(yaml.dump_all(
                 [{k: v}],