diff --git a/awx/main/models/unified_jobs.py b/awx/main/models/unified_jobs.py
index ac65968d663c..de2c0b8b2fe0 100644
--- a/awx/main/models/unified_jobs.py
+++ b/awx/main/models/unified_jobs.py
@@ -1382,6 +1382,11 @@ def _build_job_explanation(self):
             return 'Previous Task Canceled: {"job_type": "%s", "job_name": "%s", "job_id": "%s"}' % (self.model_to_str(), self.name, self.id)
         return None
 
+    def fallback_cancel(self):
+        if not self.celery_task_id:
+            self.refresh_from_db(fields=['celery_task_id'])
+        self.cancel_dispatcher_process()
+
     def cancel_dispatcher_process(self):
         """Returns True if dispatcher running this job acknowledged request and sent SIGTERM"""
         if not self.celery_task_id:
@@ -1419,12 +1424,7 @@ def cancel(self, job_explanation=None, is_chain=False):
             else:
                 # Avoid race condition where we have stale model from pending state but job has already started,
                 # its checking signal but not cancel_flag, so re-send signal after this database commit
-                def try_to_cancel_one_last_time():
-                    if not self.celery_task_id:
-                        self.refresh_from_db(fields=['celery_task_id'])
-                    self.cancel_dispatcher_process()
-
-                connection.on_commit(try_to_cancel_one_last_time)
+                connection.on_commit(self.fallback_cancel)
 
             # If a SIGTERM signal was sent to the control process, and acked by the dispatcher
             # then we want to let its own cleanup change status, otherwise change status now
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/unit/models/test_unified_job_unit.py b/awx/main/tests/unit/models/test_unified_job_unit.py
index 72fcc0ef9b89..b0567500fc4e 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/unit/models/test_unified_job_unit.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/unit/models/test_unified_job_unit.py
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ def test_unified_job_workflow_attributes():
         assert job.workflow_job_id == 1
 
 
+def mock_on_commit(f):
+    f()
+
+
 @pytest.fixture
 def unified_job(mocker):
     mocker.patch.object(UnifiedJob, 'can_cancel', return_value=True)
@@ -30,12 +34,13 @@ def unified_job(mocker):
     j.cancel_flag = None
     j.save = mocker.MagicMock()
     j.websocket_emit_status = mocker.MagicMock()
+    j.fallback_cancel = mocker.MagicMock()
     return j
 
 
 def test_cancel(unified_job):
 
-    with mock.patch('awx.main.models.unified_jobs.connection.on_commit'):
+    with mock.patch('awx.main.models.unified_jobs.connection.on_commit', wraps=mock_on_commit):
         unified_job.cancel()
 
     assert unified_job.cancel_flag is True
@@ -55,7 +60,7 @@ def test_cancel_job_explanation(unified_job):
         unified_job.cancel(job_explanation=job_explanation)
 
     assert unified_job.job_explanation == job_explanation
-    unified_job.save.assert_called_with(update_fields=['cancel_flag', 'start_args', 'status', 'job_explanation'])
+    unified_job.save.assert_called_with(update_fields=['cancel_flag', 'start_args', 'job_explanation', 'status'])
 
 
 def test_organization_copy_to_jobs():