diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_utils/ec2.py b/lib/ansible/module_utils/ec2.py
index 4e8fa11f0f0..bbcd30be213 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_utils/ec2.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_utils/ec2.py
@@ -8,6 +8,15 @@ AWS_REGIONS = ['ap-northeast-1',
                'us-west-2']
 
 
+def ec2_argument_spec():
+    return dict(
+        region=dict(aliases=['aws_region', 'ec2_region'], choices=AWS_REGIONS),
+        ec2_url=dict(),
+        ec2_secret_key=dict(aliases=['aws_secret_key', 'secret_key'], no_log=True),
+        ec2_access_key=dict(aliases=['aws_access_key', 'access_key']),
+    )
+
+
 def get_ec2_creds(module):
 
     # Check module args for credentials, then check environment vars
diff --git a/library/cloud/ec2 b/library/cloud/ec2
index ecf913ec1ab..c28c4b51576 100644
--- a/library/cloud/ec2
+++ b/library/cloud/ec2
@@ -808,13 +808,12 @@ def startstop_instances(module, ec2, instance_ids):
 
 
 def main():
-    module = AnsibleModule(
-        argument_spec = dict(
+    argument_spec = ec2_argument_spec()
+    argument_spec.update(dict(
             key_name = dict(aliases = ['keypair']),
             id = dict(),
             group = dict(type='list'),
             group_id = dict(type='list'),
-            region = dict(aliases=['aws_region', 'ec2_region'], choices=AWS_REGIONS),
             zone = dict(aliases=['aws_zone', 'ec2_zone']),
             instance_type = dict(aliases=['type']),
             image = dict(),
@@ -824,9 +823,6 @@ def main():
             ramdisk = dict(),
             wait = dict(type='bool', default=False),
             wait_timeout = dict(default=300),
-            ec2_url = dict(),
-            ec2_secret_key = dict(aliases=['aws_secret_key', 'secret_key'], no_log=True),
-            ec2_access_key = dict(aliases=['aws_access_key', 'access_key']),
             placement_group = dict(),
             user_data = dict(),
             instance_tags = dict(type='dict'),
@@ -839,6 +835,7 @@ def main():
             volumes = dict(type='list'),
         )
     )
+    module = AnsibleModule(argument_spec=argument_spec)
 
     ec2 = ec2_connect(module)
 
diff --git a/library/cloud/ec2_ami b/library/cloud/ec2_ami
index 6be7ed4b974..a6e449cbce9 100644
--- a/library/cloud/ec2_ami
+++ b/library/cloud/ec2_ami
@@ -252,11 +252,8 @@ def deregister_image(module, ec2):
     sys.exit(0)
 
 def main():
-    module = AnsibleModule(
-        argument_spec = dict(
-            ec2_url = dict(),
-            ec2_secret_key = dict(aliases=['aws_secret_key', 'secret_key'], no_log=True),
-            ec2_access_key = dict(aliases=['aws_access_key', 'access_key']),
+    argument_spec = ec2_argument_spec()
+    argument_spec.update(dict(
             instance_id = dict(),
             image_id = dict(),
             delete_snapshot = dict(),
@@ -266,9 +263,9 @@ def main():
             description = dict(default=""),
             no_reboot = dict(default=False, type="bool"),
             state = dict(default='present'),
-            region = dict(aliases=['aws_region', 'ec2_region'], choices=AWS_REGIONS)
         )
     )
+    module = AnsibleModule(argument_spec=argument_spec)
 
     ec2 = ec2_connect(module)
 
diff --git a/library/cloud/ec2_eip b/library/cloud/ec2_eip
index 4399c6bdf6a..ab6056ae4ad 100644
--- a/library/cloud/ec2_eip
+++ b/library/cloud/ec2_eip
@@ -209,18 +209,18 @@ def find_instance(ec2, instance_id, module):
     
 
 def main():
-    module = AnsibleModule(
-        argument_spec = dict(
+    argument_spec = ec2_argument_spec()
+    argument_spec.update(dict(
             instance_id = dict(required=False),
             public_ip = dict(required=False, aliases= ['ip']),
             state = dict(required=False, default='present',
                          choices=['present', 'absent']),
-            ec2_url = dict(required=False, aliases=['EC2_URL']),
-            ec2_secret_key = dict(aliases=['aws_secret_key', 'secret_key'], no_log=True),
-            ec2_access_key = dict(aliases=['aws_access_key', 'access_key']),
-            region = dict(required=False, aliases=['ec2_region']),
             in_vpc = dict(required=False, choices=BOOLEANS, default=False),
-        ),
+        )
+    )
+
+    module = AnsibleModule(
+        argument_spec=argument_spec,
         supports_check_mode=True
     )
 
diff --git a/library/cloud/ec2_group b/library/cloud/ec2_group
index baa576ace09..552f6a503e0 100644
--- a/library/cloud/ec2_group
+++ b/library/cloud/ec2_group
@@ -107,18 +107,17 @@ def addRulesToLookup(rules, prefix, dict):
                                         grant.group_id, grant.cidr_ip)] = rule
 
 def main():
-    module = AnsibleModule(
-        argument_spec=dict(
+    argument_spec = ec2_argument_spec()
+    argument_spec.update(dict(
             name=dict(required=True),
             description=dict(required=True),
             vpc_id=dict(),
             rules=dict(),
-            ec2_url=dict(aliases=['EC2_URL']),
-            ec2_secret_key=dict(aliases=['EC2_SECRET_KEY', 'aws_secret_key'], no_log=True),
-            ec2_access_key=dict(aliases=['EC2_ACCESS_KEY', 'aws_access_key']),
-            region=dict(choices=AWS_REGIONS),
             state = dict(default='present', choices=['present', 'absent']),
-        ),
+        )
+    )
+    module = AnsibleModule(
+        argument_spec=argument_spec,
         supports_check_mode=True,
     )
 
diff --git a/library/cloud/ec2_key b/library/cloud/ec2_key
index e6aaaebb239..e3bcbec50c7 100644
--- a/library/cloud/ec2_key
+++ b/library/cloud/ec2_key
@@ -97,16 +97,15 @@ except ImportError:
     sys.exit(1)
 
 def main():
-    module = AnsibleModule(
-        argument_spec=dict(
+    argument_spec = ec2_argument_spec()
+    argument_spec.update(dict(
             name=dict(required=True),
             key_material=dict(required=False),
-            ec2_url=dict(aliases=['EC2_URL']),
-            ec2_secret_key=dict(aliases=['aws_secret_key', 'secret_key'], no_log=True),
-            ec2_access_key=dict(aliases=['aws_access_key', 'access_key']),
-            region=dict(aliases=['aws_region', 'ec2_region'], choices=AWS_REGIONS),
             state = dict(default='present', choices=['present', 'absent']),
-        ),
+        )
+    )
+    module = AnsibleModule(
+        argument_spec=argument_spec,
         supports_check_mode=True,
     )
 
diff --git a/library/cloud/ec2_tag b/library/cloud/ec2_tag
index 7c7d8171e3d..1bdcd404f57 100644
--- a/library/cloud/ec2_tag
+++ b/library/cloud/ec2_tag
@@ -103,17 +103,14 @@ except ImportError:
     sys.exit(1)
 
 def main():
-    module = AnsibleModule(
-        argument_spec = dict(
+    argument_spec = ec2_argument_spec()
+    argument_spec.update(dict(
             resource = dict(required=True),
             tags = dict(required=True),
-            region = dict(aliases=['aws_region', 'ec2_region'], choices=AWS_REGIONS),
             state = dict(default='present', choices=['present', 'absent']),
-            ec2_url = dict(aliases=['EC2_URL']),
-            ec2_secret_key = dict(aliases=['aws_secret_key', 'secret_key'], no_log=True),
-            ec2_access_key = dict(aliases=['aws_access_key', 'access_key']),
         )
     )
+    module = AnsibleModule(argument_spec=argument_spec)
 
     resource = module.params.get('resource')
     tags = module.params['tags']
diff --git a/library/cloud/ec2_vol b/library/cloud/ec2_vol
index 71a60ac603c..815460f5e65 100644
--- a/library/cloud/ec2_vol
+++ b/library/cloud/ec2_vol
@@ -139,20 +139,17 @@ except ImportError:
     sys.exit(1)
 
 def main():
-    module = AnsibleModule(
-        argument_spec = dict(
+    argument_spec = ec2_argument_spec()
+    argument_spec.update(dict(
             instance = dict(),
             volume_size = dict(required=True),
             iops = dict(),
             device_name = dict(),
-            region = dict(aliases=['aws_region', 'ec2_region'], choices=AWS_REGIONS),
             zone = dict(aliases=['availability_zone', 'aws_zone', 'ec2_zone']),
-            ec2_url = dict(),
-            ec2_secret_key = dict(aliases=['aws_secret_key', 'secret_key'], no_log=True),
-            ec2_access_key = dict(aliases=['aws_access_key', 'access_key']),
             snapshot = dict(),
         )
     )
+    module = AnsibleModule(argument_spec=argument_spec)
 
     instance = module.params.get('instance')
     volume_size = module.params.get('volume_size')