diff --git a/awx/ui/static/js/system-tracking/compare-facts/nested-helpers.js b/awx/ui/static/js/system-tracking/compare-facts/nested-helpers.js
index b55962639f..3a8fea8926 100644
--- a/awx/ui/static/js/system-tracking/compare-facts/nested-helpers.js
+++ b/awx/ui/static/js/system-tracking/compare-facts/nested-helpers.js
@@ -130,12 +130,33 @@ export function findFacts(factData) {
     var leftData = factData[0].facts;
     var rightData = factData[1].facts;
 
+    // For value types (boolean, number) or complex objects use the value
+    // as is. For collection types, return 'absent' if it's empty
+    // otherwise, use the value as is.
+    //
+    function factValueOrAbsent(value) {
+
+        if (_.isBoolean(value) ||
+                _.isNumber(value)) {
+            return value;
+        }
+
+        if (_.isNull(value) || _.isEmpty(value)) {
+            return 'absent';
+        }
+
+        return value;
+    }
+
     function factObject(keyPath, key, leftValue, rightValue) {
         var obj =
             {   keyPath: keyPath,
                 keyName: key
             };
 
+        leftValue = factValueOrAbsent(leftValue);
+        rightValue = factValueOrAbsent(rightValue);
+
         if (factData[0].position === 'left') {
                 obj.value1 = leftValue;
                 obj.value2 = rightValue;
@@ -155,10 +176,10 @@ export function findFacts(factData) {
             }, []);
         } else {
 
+            // default value in _.get ('absent') only hits if it's undefined, so we need to handle other falsey cases with ||
             var rightValue =
                 _.get(rightData,
-                      parentKeys,
-                      'absent');
+                      parentKeys);
 
             return factObject(
                 // TODO: Currently parentKeys is getting passed with the final key
diff --git a/awx/ui/static/js/system-tracking/compare-facts/nested.js b/awx/ui/static/js/system-tracking/compare-facts/nested.js
index a3943cad7c..31e98526a7 100644
--- a/awx/ui/static/js/system-tracking/compare-facts/nested.js
+++ b/awx/ui/static/js/system-tracking/compare-facts/nested.js
@@ -8,6 +8,12 @@ import {formatFacts, findFacts} from './nested-helpers';
 
 export default function nestedCompare(basisFacts, comparatorFacts) {
 
+    if (_.isEmpty(basisFacts.facts)) {
+        var tmp = _.merge({}, basisFacts);
+        basisFacts = _.merge({}, comparatorFacts);
+        comparatorFacts = tmp;
+    }
+
     var factsList = [basisFacts, comparatorFacts];
     factsList = findFacts(factsList);
     factsList = compareFacts(factsList);
diff --git a/awx/ui/tests/unit/system-tracking/compare-facts/nested-test.js b/awx/ui/tests/unit/system-tracking/compare-facts/nested-test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4014650901
--- /dev/null
+++ b/awx/ui/tests/unit/system-tracking/compare-facts/nested-test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,179 @@
+import compareFacts from 'tower/system-tracking/compare-facts/nested';
+
+/* jshint node: true */
+/* globals -expect, -_ */
+
+var _, expect;
+
+// This makes this test runnable in node OR karma. The sheer
+// number of times I had to run this test made the karma
+// workflow just too dang slow for me. Maybe this can
+// be a pattern going forward? Not sure...
+//
+(function(global) {
+    var chai = global.chai || require('chai');
+
+    if (typeof window === 'undefined') {
+        var chaiThings = global.chaiThings || require('chai-things');
+        chai.use(chaiThings);
+    }
+
+    _ = global._ || require('lodash');
+    expect = global.expect || chai.expect;
+
+    global.expect = expect;
+
+
+
+    global._ = _;
+
+})(typeof window === 'undefined' ? global : window);
+
+
+describe('CompareFacts.Nested', function() {
+
+    it('returns empty array with no fact data', function() {
+        var result = compareFacts({ facts: [] }, { facts: [] });
+
+        expect(result).to.deep.equal([]);
+    });
+
+    it('returns empty array when no differences', function() {
+        var result = compareFacts(
+                        {   facts:
+                            {  'testing_facts':
+                                    {   'foo': 'bar'
+                                    }
+                            }
+                        },
+                        {   facts:
+                            {   'testing_facts':
+                                    {   'foo': 'bar'
+                                    }
+                            }
+                        });
+
+        expect(result).to.deep.equal([]);
+    });
+
+    context('when only left set has data', function() {
+
+        it('returns values with data for value1 and "absent" for value2', function() {
+
+            var result = compareFacts(
+                            {   position: 'left',
+                                facts:
+                                {  'testing_facts':
+                                        {   'foo': 'bar'
+                                        }
+                                }
+                            },
+                            {   position: 'right',
+                                facts:
+                                {}
+                            });
+
+            expect(result[0].facts).to.contain
+                .an.item
+                .with.property('value1', 'bar');
+
+            expect(result[0].facts).to.contain
+                .an.item
+                .with.property('value2', 'absent');
+
+        });
+
+    });
+
+    context('when only right set has data', function() {
+
+        it('returns values with data for value2 and "absent" for value1', function() {
+
+            var result = compareFacts(
+                            {   position: 'left',
+                                facts:
+                                {}
+                            },
+                            {   position: 'right',
+                                facts:
+                                {  'testing_facts':
+                                        {   'foo': 'bar'
+                                        }
+                                }
+                            });
+
+            expect(result).not.to.be.empty;
+
+            expect(result[0].facts).to.contain
+                .an.item
+                .with.property('value1', 'absent');
+
+            expect(result[0].facts).to.contain
+                .an.item
+                .with.property('value2', 'bar');
+
+        });
+
+    });
+
+    context('when both sets have fact data and differences exist', function() {
+
+        it('does not consider false values "absent"', function() {
+            var result = compareFacts(
+                            {   position: 'left',
+                                facts:
+                                {   'testing_facts':
+                                        {   'foo': false
+                                        }
+                                }
+                            },
+                            {   position: 'right',
+                                facts:
+                                {  'testing_facts':
+                                        {   'foo': true
+                                        }
+                                }
+                            });
+
+            expect(result[0].facts).to.contain
+                .an.item
+                .with.property('value1', false);
+
+            expect(result[0].facts).to.contain
+                .an.item
+                .with.property('value2', true);
+        });
+
+        it('uses "absent" for both values when neither has data', function() {
+            var result = compareFacts(
+                            {   position: 'left',
+                                facts:
+                                {   'testing_facts':
+                                        {   'foo': 'baz',
+                                            'blah': null
+                                        }
+                                }
+                            },
+                            {   position: 'right',
+                                facts:
+                                {  'testing_facts':
+                                        {   'foo': 'bar',
+                                            'blah': null
+                                        }
+                                }
+                            });
+
+            expect(result[0].facts).to.contain
+                .an.item
+                .with.property('value1', 'absent');
+
+            expect(result[0].facts).to.contain
+                .an.item
+                .with.property('value2', 'absent');
+
+
+
+        });
+    });
+
+});