diff --git a/awx/ui_next/src/components/LaunchPrompt/mergeExtraVars.js b/awx/ui_next/src/components/LaunchPrompt/mergeExtraVars.js
index 261c02a875..5cb60ac2ac 100644
--- a/awx/ui_next/src/components/LaunchPrompt/mergeExtraVars.js
+++ b/awx/ui_next/src/components/LaunchPrompt/mergeExtraVars.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import yaml from 'js-yaml';
 
-export default function mergeExtraVars(extraVars, survey = {}) {
+export default function mergeExtraVars(extraVars = '', survey = {}) {
   const vars = yaml.safeLoad(extraVars) || {};
   return {
     ...vars,
diff --git a/awx/ui_next/src/components/LaunchPrompt/mergeExtraVars.test.js b/awx/ui_next/src/components/LaunchPrompt/mergeExtraVars.test.js
index bd696ab9e5..bd3d04cae9 100644
--- a/awx/ui_next/src/components/LaunchPrompt/mergeExtraVars.test.js
+++ b/awx/ui_next/src/components/LaunchPrompt/mergeExtraVars.test.js
@@ -32,6 +32,10 @@ describe('mergeExtraVars', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  test('should handle undefined', () => {
+    expect(mergeExtraVars(undefined, undefined)).toEqual({});
+  });
+
   describe('maskPasswords', () => {
     test('should mask password fields', () => {
       const vars = {
diff --git a/awx/ui_next/src/components/LaunchPrompt/steps/PreviewStep.test.jsx b/awx/ui_next/src/components/LaunchPrompt/steps/PreviewStep.test.jsx
index 47aba96bb1..71a33b2fec 100644
--- a/awx/ui_next/src/components/LaunchPrompt/steps/PreviewStep.test.jsx
+++ b/awx/ui_next/src/components/LaunchPrompt/steps/PreviewStep.test.jsx
@@ -71,8 +71,30 @@ describe('PreviewStep', () => {
     expect(detail).toHaveLength(1);
     expect(detail.prop('resource')).toEqual(resource);
     expect(detail.prop('overrides')).toEqual({
-      extra_vars: '---',
       limit: '4',
     });
   });
+
+  test('should handle extra vars without survey', async () => {
+    let wrapper;
+    await act(async () => {
+      wrapper = mountWithContexts(
+        <Formik initialValues={{ extra_vars: 'one: 1' }}>
+          <PreviewStep
+            resource={resource}
+            config={{
+              ask_variables_on_launch: true,
+            }}
+          />
+        </Formik>
+      );
+    });
+
+    const detail = wrapper.find('PromptDetail');
+    expect(detail).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(detail.prop('resource')).toEqual(resource);
+    expect(detail.prop('overrides')).toEqual({
+      extra_vars: 'one: 1',
+    });
+  });
 });