diff --git a/awx/main/tasks/callback.py b/awx/main/tasks/callback.py
index f92a6028d22e..3c5d4b23b970 100644
--- a/awx/main/tasks/callback.py
+++ b/awx/main/tasks/callback.py
@@ -203,12 +203,12 @@ def status_handler(self, status_data, runner_config):
                 if os.path.exists(key_data_file) and stat.S_ISFIFO(os.stat(key_data_file).st_mode):
                     os.remove(key_data_file)
         elif status_data['status'] == 'error':
-            result_traceback = status_data.get('result_traceback', None)
-            if result_traceback:
-                from awx.main.signals import disable_activity_stream  # Circular import
-
-                with disable_activity_stream():
-                    self.instance = self.update_model(self.instance.pk, result_traceback=result_traceback)
+            updates = {}
+            for potential_field in ('result_traceback', 'job_explanation'):
+                if status_data.get(potential_field, None):
+                    updates[potential_field] = status_data[potential_field]
+            if updates:
+                self.instance = self.update_model(self.instance.pk, **updates)
 
 
 class RunnerCallbackForProjectUpdate(RunnerCallback):
diff --git a/awx/main/tasks/jobs.py b/awx/main/tasks/jobs.py
index f09fc7e7398d..9e9692ff10fc 100644
--- a/awx/main/tasks/jobs.py
+++ b/awx/main/tasks/jobs.py
@@ -546,6 +546,11 @@ def run(self, pk, **kwargs):
             status = res.status
             rc = res.rc
 
+            # We call this to get the current values from the database, in case update_model was called
+            # within the threadpools inside of AWXReceptorJob. We use update_model instead of
+            # refresh_from_db here because it contains retry logic that is resilient to database failures.
+            self.instance = self.update_model(self.instance.pk)
+
             if status in ('timeout', 'error'):
                 job_explanation = f"Job terminated due to {status}"
                 self.instance.job_explanation = self.instance.job_explanation or job_explanation
@@ -580,7 +585,6 @@ def run(self, pk, **kwargs):
         if 'got an unexpected keyword argument' in extra_update_fields.get('result_traceback', ''):
             extra_update_fields['result_traceback'] = "{}\n\n{}".format(extra_update_fields['result_traceback'], ANSIBLE_RUNNER_NEEDS_UPDATE_MESSAGE)
 
-        self.instance = self.update_model(pk)
         self.instance = self.update_model(pk, status=status, emitted_events=self.runner_callback.event_ct, **extra_update_fields)
 
         try: