diff --git a/awx/main/utils/formatters.py b/awx/main/utils/formatters.py
index 5ee26062f7..a046f02b37 100644
--- a/awx/main/utils/formatters.py
+++ b/awx/main/utils/formatters.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ class LogstashFormatter(LogstashFormatterVersion1):
             self.host_id = settings_module.CLUSTER_HOST_ID
             if hasattr(settings_module, 'LOG_AGGREGATOR_TOWER_UUID'):
                 self.tower_uuid = settings_module.LOG_AGGREGATOR_TOWER_UUID
-            self.message_type = settings_module.LOG_AGGREGATOR_TYPE
+            self.message_type = getattr(settings_module, 'LOG_AGGREGATOR_TYPE', 'other')
         return ret
 
     def reformat_data_for_log(self, raw_data, kind=None):