diff --git a/lib/ansible/utils/plugins.py b/lib/ansible/utils/plugins.py
index 09aaa5b3ba8..faf5b5f26fe 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/utils/plugins.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/utils/plugins.py
@@ -94,10 +94,8 @@ class PluginLoader(object):
             m = __import__(self.package)
             parts = self.package.split('.')[1:]
             self.package_path = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(m.__file__), *parts)
-            paths.extend(self._all_directories(self.package_path))
-            return paths
-        else:
-            return [ self.package_path ]
+        paths.extend(self._all_directories(self.package_path))
+        return paths
 
     def _get_paths(self):
         ''' Return a list of paths to search for plugins in '''
@@ -105,8 +103,7 @@ class PluginLoader(object):
         if self._paths is not None:
             return self._paths
 
-        ret = []
-        ret += self._extra_dirs
+        ret = self._extra_dirs[:]
         for basedir in _basedirs:
             fullpath = os.path.realpath(os.path.join(basedir, self.subdir))
             if os.path.isdir(fullpath):
@@ -139,11 +136,9 @@ class PluginLoader(object):
 
         # look for any plugins installed in the package subtree
         ret.extend(self._get_package_paths())
-        package_dirs = self._get_package_paths()
-
 
+        # cache and return the result
         self._paths = ret
-
         return ret
 
 
@@ -156,7 +151,9 @@ class PluginLoader(object):
             if with_subdir:
                 directory = os.path.join(directory, self.subdir)
             if directory not in self._extra_dirs:
+                # append the directory and invalidate the path cache
                 self._extra_dirs.append(directory)
+                self._paths = None
 
     def find_plugin(self, name, suffixes=None, transport=''):
         ''' Find a plugin named name '''
diff --git a/test/integration/non_destructive.yml b/test/integration/non_destructive.yml
index 619396acb25..b177763fbfc 100644
--- a/test/integration/non_destructive.yml
+++ b/test/integration/non_destructive.yml
@@ -38,3 +38,5 @@
     - { role: test_script, tags: test_script }
     - { role: test_authorized_key, tags: test_authorized_key }
     - { role: test_get_url, tags: test_get_url }
+    - { role: test_embedded_module, tags: test_embedded_module }
+
diff --git a/test/integration/roles/test_embedded_module/library/test_integration_module b/test/integration/roles/test_embedded_module/library/test_integration_module
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5af29b4c019
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/roles/test_embedded_module/library/test_integration_module
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+
+print '{"changed":false, "msg":"this is the embedded module"}'
diff --git a/test/integration/roles/test_embedded_module/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/roles/test_embedded_module/tasks/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6a6d6485fc3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/roles/test_embedded_module/tasks/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+- name: run the embedded dummy module
+  test_integration_module:
+  register: result
+
+- name: assert the embedded module ran
+  assert:
+    that:
+    - "'msg' in result"
+    - result.msg == "this is the embedded module"