diff --git a/awx/api/serializers.py b/awx/api/serializers.py
index 1a54312004..cb05e615dd 100644
--- a/awx/api/serializers.py
+++ b/awx/api/serializers.py
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ SUMMARIZABLE_FK_FIELDS = {
     'inventory_source': ('source', 'last_updated', 'status'),
     'custom_inventory_script': DEFAULT_SUMMARY_FIELDS,
     'source_script': ('name', 'description'),
-    'role': ('id', 'role_field'),
+    'role': ('id', 'role_field', 'content_type'),
     'notification_template': DEFAULT_SUMMARY_FIELDS,
     'instance_group': {'id', 'name', 'controller_id'},
     'insights_credential': DEFAULT_SUMMARY_FIELDS,
@@ -5106,6 +5106,8 @@ class ActivityStreamSerializer(BaseSerializer):
                         for field in related_fields:
                             fval = getattr(thisItem, field, None)
                             if fval is not None:
+                                if field == 'content_type':
+                                    fval = str(fval)
                                 thisItemDict[field] = fval
                         summary_fields[fk].append(thisItemDict)
             except ObjectDoesNotExist:
diff --git a/awx/ui/client/src/activity-stream/factories/build-description.factory.js b/awx/ui/client/src/activity-stream/factories/build-description.factory.js
index 20fcb4c7b3..93c1e41593 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/src/activity-stream/factories/build-description.factory.js
+++ b/awx/ui/client/src/activity-stream/factories/build-description.factory.js
@@ -17,6 +17,16 @@ export default function BuildDescription(BuildAnchor, $log, i18n) {
              switch(activity.object_association){
                  // explicit role dis+associations
                  case 'role':
+                     var object1 = activity.object1;
+                     var object2 = activity.object2;
+
+                     // if object1 winds up being the role's resource, we need to swap the objects
+                     // in order to make the sentence make sense.
+                     if (activity.summary_fields.role[0].content_type === object1) {
+                         object1 = activity.object2;
+                         object2 = activity.object1;
+                     }
+
                      // object1 field is resource targeted by the dis+association
                      // object2 field is the resource the role is inherited from
                      // summary_field.role[0] contains ref info about the role
@@ -24,23 +34,23 @@ export default function BuildDescription(BuildAnchor, $log, i18n) {
                          // expected outcome: "disassociated <object2> role_name from <object1>"
                          case 'disassociate':
                              if (isGroupRelationship(activity)){
-                                 activity.description += BuildAnchor(activity.summary_fields.group[1], activity.object2, activity) + activity.summary_fields.role[0].role_field +
-                                     ' from ' + BuildAnchor(activity.summary_fields.group[0], activity.object1, activity);
+                                 activity.description += BuildAnchor(activity.summary_fields.group[1], object2, activity) + activity.summary_fields.role[0].role_field +
+                                     ' from ' + BuildAnchor(activity.summary_fields.group[0], object1, activity);
                              }
                              else{
-                                 activity.description += BuildAnchor(activity.summary_fields[activity.object2][0], activity.object2, activity) + activity.summary_fields.role[0].role_field +
-                                 ' from ' + BuildAnchor(activity.summary_fields[activity.object1][0], activity.object1, activity);
+                                 activity.description += BuildAnchor(activity.summary_fields[object2][0], object2, activity) + activity.summary_fields.role[0].role_field +
+                                 ' from ' + BuildAnchor(activity.summary_fields[object1][0], object1, activity);
                              }
                              break;
                          // expected outcome: "associated <object2> role_name to <object1>"
                          case 'associate':
                              if (isGroupRelationship(activity)){
-                                 activity.description += BuildAnchor(activity.summary_fields.group[1], activity.object2, activity) + activity.summary_fields.role[0].role_field +
-                                     ' to ' + BuildAnchor(activity.summary_fields.group[0], activity.object1, activity);
+                                 activity.description += BuildAnchor(activity.summary_fields.group[1], object2, activity) + activity.summary_fields.role[0].role_field +
+                                     ' to ' + BuildAnchor(activity.summary_fields.group[0], object1, activity);
                              }
                              else{
-                                 activity.description += BuildAnchor(activity.summary_fields[activity.object2][0], activity.object2, activity) + activity.summary_fields.role[0].role_field +
-                                 ' to ' + BuildAnchor(activity.summary_fields[activity.object1][0], activity.object1, activity);
+                                 activity.description += BuildAnchor(activity.summary_fields[object2][0], object2, activity) + activity.summary_fields.role[0].role_field +
+                                 ' to ' + BuildAnchor(activity.summary_fields[object1][0], object1, activity);
                              }
                              break;
                      }