diff --git a/awx/api/views.py b/awx/api/views.py
index d575df910c..683b7f9f93 100644
--- a/awx/api/views.py
+++ b/awx/api/views.py
@@ -1755,7 +1755,14 @@ class SystemJobTemplateLaunch(GenericAPIView):
         if not request.user.can_access(self.model, 'start', obj):
             raise PermissionDenied()
         new_job = obj.create_unified_job()
-        result = new_job.signal_start()
+        if 'extra_vars' in request.DATA:
+            try:
+                extra_vars = json.loads(request.DATA['extra_vars'])
+            except Exception:
+                extra_vars = {}
+        else:
+            extra_vars = {}
+        result = new_job.signal_start(**extra_vars)
         data = dict(system_job=new_job.id)
         return Response(data, status=status.HTTP_202_ACCEPTED)
 
diff --git a/awx/main/tasks.py b/awx/main/tasks.py
index f9b09ea8e6..fff1209593 100644
--- a/awx/main/tasks.py
+++ b/awx/main/tasks.py
@@ -1168,7 +1168,7 @@ class RunSystemJob(BaseTask):
                 if 'inventory_updates' in json_vars and json_vars['inventory_updates']:
                     args.extend(['--inventory-updates'])
         except Exception, e:
-            pass
+            logger.error("Failed to parse system job: " + str(e))
         return args
 
     def build_cwd(self, instance, **kwargs):