diff --git a/awx/main/expect/run.py b/awx/main/expect/run.py
index 679cf709f3..601790757c 100755
--- a/awx/main/expect/run.py
+++ b/awx/main/expect/run.py
@@ -208,6 +208,12 @@ def run_isolated_job(private_data_dir, secrets, logfile=sys.stdout):
     env['AWX_ISOLATED_DATA_DIR'] = private_data_dir
     env['PYTHONPATH'] = env.get('PYTHONPATH', '') + callback_dir + ':'
 
+    venv_path = env.get('VIRTUAL_ENV')
+    if venv_path and not os.path.exists(venv_path):
+        raise RuntimeError(
+            'a valid Python virtualenv does not exist at {}'.format(venv_path)
+        )
+
     return run_pexpect(args, cwd, env, logfile,
                        expect_passwords=expect_passwords,
                        idle_timeout=idle_timeout,
diff --git a/awx/main/tasks.py b/awx/main/tasks.py
index 6dd14cce49..a355a28e41 100644
--- a/awx/main/tasks.py
+++ b/awx/main/tasks.py
@@ -761,12 +761,12 @@ class BaseTask(Task):
         os.chmod(path, stat.S_IRUSR)
         return path
 
-    def add_ansible_venv(self, venv_path, env, add_awx_lib=True):
+    def add_ansible_venv(self, venv_path, env, add_awx_lib=True, **kwargs):
         env['VIRTUAL_ENV'] = venv_path
         env['PATH'] = os.path.join(venv_path, "bin") + ":" + env['PATH']
         venv_libdir = os.path.join(venv_path, "lib")
 
-        if not os.path.exists(venv_libdir):
+        if not kwargs.get('isolated', False) and not os.path.exists(venv_libdir):
             raise RuntimeError(
                 'a valid Python virtualenv does not exist at {}'.format(venv_path)
             )
@@ -1179,7 +1179,7 @@ class RunJob(BaseTask):
             plugin_dirs.extend(settings.AWX_ANSIBLE_CALLBACK_PLUGINS)
         plugin_path = ':'.join(plugin_dirs)
         env = super(RunJob, self).build_env(job, **kwargs)
-        env = self.add_ansible_venv(job.ansible_virtualenv_path, env, add_awx_lib=kwargs.get('isolated', False))
+        env = self.add_ansible_venv(job.ansible_virtualenv_path, env, add_awx_lib=kwargs.get('isolated', False), **kwargs)
         # Set environment variables needed for inventory and job event
         # callbacks to work.
         env['JOB_ID'] = str(job.pk)