diff --git a/awx/api/serializers.py b/awx/api/serializers.py
index cc23e13a8e..ff4d241f04 100644
--- a/awx/api/serializers.py
+++ b/awx/api/serializers.py
@@ -1422,11 +1422,15 @@ class JobSerializer(UnifiedJobSerializer, JobOptionsSerializer):
             ret['job_template'] = None
 
         if obj.job_template and obj.job_template.survey_enabled:
-            extra_vars = json.loads(ret['extra_vars'])
-            for key in obj.job_template.survey_password_variables():
-                if key in extra_vars:
-                    extra_vars[key] = REPLACE_STR
-            ret['extra_vars'] = json.dumps(extra_vars)
+            if ret['extra_vars']:
+                try:
+                    extra_vars = json.loads(ret['extra_vars'])
+                    for key in obj.job_template.survey_password_variables():
+                        if key in extra_vars:
+                            extra_vars[key] = REPLACE_STR
+                    ret['extra_vars'] = json.dumps(extra_vars)
+                except ValueError:
+                    pass
         return ret
 
 
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/jobs/survey_password.py b/awx/main/tests/jobs/survey_password.py
index 74b7d67ae5..c5243712b5 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/jobs/survey_password.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/jobs/survey_password.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse
 
 # AWX
 from awx.main.models import * # noqa
-from awx.main.tests.base import BaseTest
+from awx.main.tests.base import BaseTest, QueueStartStopTestMixin
 
 __all__ = ['SurveyPasswordRedactedTest']
 
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ TESTS = {
     }
 }
 
-class SurveyPasswordBaseTest(BaseTest):
+class SurveyPasswordBaseTest(BaseTest, QueueStartStopTestMixin):
     def setUp(self):
         super(SurveyPasswordBaseTest, self).setUp()
         self.setup_instances()