diff --git a/awx/api/views.py b/awx/api/views.py
index 1bf21696ef..4531cbe5dc 100644
--- a/awx/api/views.py
+++ b/awx/api/views.py
@@ -1959,6 +1959,13 @@ class InventoryHostsList(SubListCreateAttachDetachAPIView):
     parent_key = 'inventory'
     capabilities_prefetch = ['inventory.admin']
 
+    def get_queryset(self):
+        inventory = self.get_parent_object()
+        if inventory.kind == 'smart':
+            filter_qs = SmartFilter.query_from_string(inventory.host_filter)
+            return filter_qs.distinct()
+        return super(InventoryHostsList, self).get_queryset()
+
 
 class HostGroupsList(ControlledByScmMixin, SubListCreateAttachDetachAPIView):
     ''' the list of groups a host is directly a member of '''
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/unit/api/test_views.py b/awx/main/tests/unit/api/test_views.py
index 8a0a22aa48..1d82e4a4ea 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/unit/api/test_views.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/unit/api/test_views.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ from awx.api.views import (
     JobTemplateLabelList,
     JobTemplateSurveySpec,
     InventoryInventorySourcesUpdate,
+    InventoryHostsList,
     HostInsights,
 )
 
@@ -204,3 +205,15 @@ class TestHostInsights():
 
         assert resp.data['error'] == 'The Insights Credential for "inventory_name_here" was not found.'
         assert resp.status_code == 404
+
+
+class TestInventoryHostsList(object):
+
+    def test_host_list_smart_inventory(self, mocker):
+        Inventory = namedtuple('Inventory', ['kind', 'host_filter'])
+        obj = Inventory(kind='smart', host_filter='localhost')
+        with mock.patch.object(InventoryHostsList, 'get_parent_object', return_value=obj):
+            with mock.patch('awx.api.views.SmartFilter.query_from_string') as mock_query:
+                view = InventoryHostsList()
+                view.get_queryset()
+                mock_query.assert_called_once_with('localhost')