diff --git a/tower_cli/cli/types.py b/tower_cli/cli/types.py
index 945641a2..f74bd9bf 100644
--- a/tower_cli/cli/types.py
+++ b/tower_cli/cli/types.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 import os
 import re
 import six
+import json
 
 import click
 
@@ -72,14 +73,26 @@ class StructuredInput(Variables):
     name = 'structured_input'
     __name__ = 'structured_input'
 
+    def __init__(self, allow_kv=False, as_string=False):
+        self.allow_kv = allow_kv
+        # The API is inconsistent about which format it requires
+        # some fields must string-ify variables, and others can
+        # pass variables as a dictionary
+        self.as_string = as_string
+        super(StructuredInput, self).__init__()
+
     def convert(self, value, param, ctx):
         s = super(StructuredInput, self).convert(value, param, ctx)
         try:
-            return string_to_dict(s, allow_kv=False)
-        except Exception:
+            data = string_to_dict(s, allow_kv=self.allow_kv)
+            if self.as_string:
+                return json.dumps(data)
+            return data
+        except Exception as e:
             raise exc.UsageError(
                 'Error loading structured input given by %s parameter. Please '
-                'check the validity of your JSON/YAML format.' % param.name
+                'check the validity of your JSON/YAML format. '
+                'Parse error: %s' % (param.name, e)
             )
 
 
diff --git a/tower_cli/resources/group.py b/tower_cli/resources/group.py
index dc3625b1..732002bf 100644
--- a/tower_cli/resources/group.py
+++ b/tower_cli/resources/group.py
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@ class Resource(models.Resource):
     name = models.Field(unique=True)
     description = models.Field(required=False, display=False)
     inventory = models.Field(type=types.Related('inventory'))
-    variables = models.Field(type=types.Variables(), required=False, display=False,
+    variables = models.Field(type=types.StructuredInput(allow_kv=True, as_string=True),
+                             required=False, display=False,
                              help_text='Group variables, use "@" to get from file.')
 
     def lookup_with_inventory(self, group, inventory=None):
diff --git a/tower_cli/resources/host.py b/tower_cli/resources/host.py
index 7533c59f..73fca7a2 100644
--- a/tower_cli/resources/host.py
+++ b/tower_cli/resources/host.py
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ class Resource(models.Resource):
     description = models.Field(required=False, display=False)
     inventory = models.Field(type=types.Related('inventory'))
     enabled = models.Field(type=bool, required=False)
-    variables = models.Field(type=types.Variables(), required=False, display=False,
+    variables = models.Field(type=types.StructuredInput(allow_kv=True, as_string=True),
+                             required=False, display=False,
                              help_text='Host variables, use "@" to get from file.')
     insights_system_id = models.Field(required=False, display=False)
 
diff --git a/tower_cli/resources/inventory.py b/tower_cli/resources/inventory.py
index 685aefc0..9fa120ab 100644
--- a/tower_cli/resources/inventory.py
+++ b/tower_cli/resources/inventory.py
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ class Resource(models.Resource):
     name = models.Field(unique=True)
     description = models.Field(required=False, display=False)
     organization = models.Field(type=types.Related('organization'))
-    variables = models.Field(type=types.Variables(), required=False, display=False,
+    variables = models.Field(type=types.StructuredInput(allow_kv=True, as_string=True),
+                             required=False, display=False,
                              help_text='Inventory variables, use "@" to get from file.')
     kind = models.Field(type=click.Choice(['', 'smart']), required=False, display=False,
                         help_text='The kind field. Cannot be modified after created.')
diff --git a/tower_cli/utils/parser.py b/tower_cli/utils/parser.py
index a837959a..ff7ae6e4 100644
--- a/tower_cli/utils/parser.py
+++ b/tower_cli/utils/parser.py
@@ -84,26 +84,23 @@ def string_to_dict(var_string, allow_kv=True, require_dict=True):
     Attempts processing string by 3 different methods in order:
         1. as JSON      2. as YAML      3. as custom key=value syntax
     Throws an error if all of these fail in the standard ways."""
-    # try:
-    #     # Accept all valid "key":value types of json
-    #     return_dict = json.loads(var_string)
-    #     assert type(return_dict) is dict
-    # except (TypeError, AttributeError, ValueError, AssertionError):
     try:
         # Accept all JSON and YAML
         return_dict = yaml.load(var_string)
         if require_dict:
             assert type(return_dict) is dict
-    except (AttributeError, yaml.YAMLError, AssertionError):
+    except (AttributeError, yaml.YAMLError, AssertionError) as yaml_e:
         # if these fail, parse by key=value syntax
-        try:
-            assert allow_kv
-            return_dict = parse_kv(var_string)
-        except Exception:
-            raise exc.TowerCLIError(
-                'failed to parse some of the extra '
-                'variables.\nvariables: \n%s' % var_string
-            )
+        msg = six.text_type(
+            'failed to parse some of the '
+            'variables.\nvariables: \n{0}\nYAML error: \n{1}'
+        ).format(var_string, yaml_e)
+        if allow_kv:
+            try:
+                return parse_kv(var_string)
+            except Exception as kv_e:
+                msg += six.text_type('\nkey=value error: {0}').format(kv_e)
+                raise exc.TowerCLIError(msg)
     return return_dict