diff --git a/lib/ansible/executor/task_executor.py b/lib/ansible/executor/task_executor.py
index ff6b747cb2a..cc8276ec0d3 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/executor/task_executor.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/executor/task_executor.py
@@ -570,10 +570,13 @@ class TaskExecutor:
                     vars_copy.update(result['ansible_facts'])
                 vars_copy.update({'ansible_facts': result['ansible_facts']})
 
-            # set the failed property if the result has a non-zero rc. This will be
-            # overridden below if the failed_when property is set
-            if result.get('rc', 0) != 0:
-                result['failed'] = True
+            # set the failed property if it was missing.
+            if 'failed' not in result:
+                result['failed'] = False
+
+            # set the changed property if it was missing.
+            if 'changed' not in result:
+                result['changed'] = False
 
             # if we didn't skip this task, use the helpers to evaluate the changed/
             # failed_when properties
diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_utils/basic.py b/lib/ansible/module_utils/basic.py
index ac10d61294e..973b5c6edf6 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_utils/basic.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_utils/basic.py
@@ -2023,6 +2023,9 @@ class AnsibleModule(object):
         assert 'msg' in kwargs, "implementation error -- msg to explain the error is required"
         kwargs['failed'] = True
 
+        if not 'changed' in kwargs:
+            kwargs['changed'] = False
+
         self.do_cleanup_files()
         self._return_formatted(kwargs)
         sys.exit(1)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_utils/powershell.ps1 b/lib/ansible/module_utils/powershell.ps1
index bdcded39747..0823e98573e 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_utils/powershell.ps1
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_utils/powershell.ps1
@@ -62,6 +62,10 @@ Function Exit-Json($obj)
         $obj = @{ }
     }
 
+    if (-not $obj.ContainsKey('changed')) {
+        Set-Attr $obj "changed" $false
+    }
+
     echo $obj | ConvertTo-Json -Compress -Depth 99
     Exit
 }
@@ -88,6 +92,10 @@ Function Fail-Json($obj, $message = $null)
     Set-Attr $obj "msg" $message
     Set-Attr $obj "failed" $true
 
+    if (-not $obj.ContainsKey('changed')) {
+        Set-Attr $obj "changed" $false
+    }
+
     echo $obj | ConvertTo-Json -Compress -Depth 99
     Exit 1
 }
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/commands/command.py b/lib/ansible/modules/commands/command.py
index 0f5037e1d24..01a83982bf5 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/commands/command.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/commands/command.py
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ def main():
     if err is None:
         err = b('')
 
-    module.exit_json(
+    result = dict(
         cmd      = args,
         stdout   = out.rstrip(b("\r\n")),
         stderr   = err.rstrip(b("\r\n")),
@@ -216,5 +216,11 @@ def main():
         warnings = warnings
     )
 
+    if rc != 0:
+        module.fail_json(msg='non-zero return code', **result)
+
+    module.exit_json(**result)
+
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     main()
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/commands/expect.py b/lib/ansible/modules/commands/expect.py
index 2101e0562c8..b7d3e08b06d 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/commands/expect.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/commands/expect.py
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ def main():
     if out is None:
         out = ''
 
-    ret = dict(
+    result = dict(
         cmd=args,
         stdout=out.rstrip('\r\n'),
         rc=rc,
@@ -231,11 +231,12 @@ def main():
         changed=True,
     )
 
-    if rc is not None:
-        module.exit_json(**ret)
-    else:
-        ret['msg'] = 'command exceeded timeout'
-        module.fail_json(**ret)
+    if rc is None:
+        module.fail_json(msg='command exceeded timeout', **result)
+    elif rc != 0:
+        module.fail_json(msg='non-zero return code', **result)
+
+    module.exit_json(**result)
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/raw.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/raw.py
index 34677457e70..cf43ee69947 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/raw.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/raw.py
@@ -42,4 +42,8 @@ class ActionModule(ActionBase):
 
         result['changed'] = True
 
+        if 'rc' in result and result['rc'] != 0:
+            result['failed'] = True
+            result['msg'] = 'non-zero return code'
+
         return result
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/script.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/script.py
index 2111246acaf..9327ab204af 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/script.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/script.py
@@ -93,4 +93,8 @@ class ActionModule(ActionBase):
 
         result['changed'] = True
 
+        if 'rc' in result and result['rc'] != 0:
+            result['failed'] = True
+            result['msg'] = 'non-zero return code'
+
         return result
diff --git a/test/integration/roles/test_ec2_eip/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/roles/test_ec2_eip/tasks/main.yml
index 9f17f557e37..cb92902133d 100644
--- a/test/integration/roles/test_ec2_eip/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/roles/test_ec2_eip/tasks/main.yml
@@ -111,7 +111,6 @@
 - name: assert new EIP was assigned
   assert:
     that:
-      - '"failed" not in result'
       - '"public_ip" in result'
 
 
@@ -128,10 +127,6 @@
     instance_id={{ instance_id }}
   register: result
 
-- name: assert success disassociate EIP associated with instance
-  assert:
-    that:
-      - '"failed" not in result'
 
 # eip allocated:1 assigned:0
 
@@ -152,7 +147,6 @@
 - name: assert new EIP was assigned
   assert:
     that:
-      - '"failed" not in result'
       - '"public_ip" in result'
 
 
@@ -176,11 +170,6 @@
     ec2_secret_key={{ ec2_secret_key }}
   register: result
 
-- name: assert EIP deactivated
-  assert:
-    that:
-      - '"failed" not in result'
-
 
 # eip allocated:0 assigned:0
 
@@ -205,7 +194,6 @@
 - name: assert provision EIP with instance_id
   assert:
     that:
-      - '"failed" not in result'
       - '"public_ip" in result'
 
 
@@ -245,7 +233,6 @@
 - name: assert VPC EIP creation
   assert:
     that:
-      - '"failed" not in result'
       - '"public_ip" in result'
 
 
@@ -268,7 +255,6 @@
 #- name: assert new VPC EIP was assigned
 #  assert:
 #    that:
-#      - '"failed" not in result'
 #      - '"public_ip" in result'
 #
 #
@@ -307,7 +293,6 @@
 - name: assert environment variable EC2_REGION
   assert:
     that:
-      - '"failed" not in result'
       - '"public_ip" in result'
 
 
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/ec2_elb_lb/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/targets/ec2_elb_lb/tasks/main.yml
index 1e933c2fe56..728fef7b51f 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/ec2_elb_lb/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/ec2_elb_lb/tasks/main.yml
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@
     - assert:
         that:
           - 'info.changed'
-          - '"failed" not in info'
           - 'info.elb.status == "created"'
           - '"us-east-1c" in info.elb.zones'
           - '"us-east-1d" in info.elb.zones'
@@ -124,7 +123,6 @@
 
     - assert:
         that:
-          - '"failed" not in info'
           - 'info.elb.status == "ok"'
           - 'info.changed'
           - 'info.elb.zones[0] == "us-east-1b"'
@@ -154,7 +152,6 @@
 
     - assert:
         that:
-          - '"failed" not in info'
           - 'info.changed'
           - 'info.elb.status == "ok"'
           - '"us-east-1b" in info.elb.zones'
@@ -187,7 +184,6 @@
 
     - assert:
         that:
-          - '"failed" not in info'
           - 'info.elb.status == "ok"'
           - 'info.changed'
           - '[80, 81, "HTTP", "HTTP"] in info.elb.listeners'
@@ -220,7 +216,6 @@
 
     - assert:
         that:
-          - '"failed" not in info'
           - 'info.elb.status == "ok"'
           - 'info.changed'
           - '[80, 81, "HTTP", "HTTP"] in info.elb.listeners'
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/ec2_group/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/targets/ec2_group/tasks/main.yml
index 4e5ae3f9912..b4ff567d941 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/ec2_group/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/ec2_group/tasks/main.yml
@@ -188,11 +188,6 @@
         state=absent
       register: result
 
-    - name: assert state=absent
-      assert:
-        that:
-           - '"failed" not in result'
-
     # ============================================================
     - name: test state=present (expected changed=true)
       ec2_group:
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/ec2_key/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/targets/ec2_key/tasks/main.yml
index 637d67ab0ef..1881b5cfa6e 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/ec2_key/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/ec2_key/tasks/main.yml
@@ -157,11 +157,6 @@
         state=absent
       register: result
 
-    - name: assert state=absent with key_material
-      assert:
-        that:
-           - '"failed" not in result'
-
     # ============================================================
     - name: test state=present without key_material
       ec2_key:
@@ -177,7 +172,6 @@
       assert:
         that:
            - 'result.changed'
-           - '"failed" not in result'
            - '"key" in result'
            - '"name" in result.key'
            - '"fingerprint" in result.key'
@@ -200,7 +194,6 @@
       assert:
         that:
            - 'result.changed'
-           - '"failed" not in result'
            - '"key" in result'
            - 'result.key == None'
 
@@ -220,7 +213,6 @@
     - name: assert state=present with key_material
       assert:
         that:
-           - '"failed" not in result'
            - 'result.changed == True'
            - '"key" in result'
            - '"name" in result.key'
@@ -246,7 +238,6 @@
       assert:
         that:
            - 'result.changed'
-           - '"failed" not in result'
            - '"key" in result'
            - 'result.key == None'
 
@@ -324,7 +315,6 @@
       assert:
         that:
            - 'result.changed'
-           - '"failed" not in result'
            - '"key" in result'
            - 'result.key == None'
 
@@ -345,6 +335,5 @@
       assert:
         that:
            - 'not result.changed'
-           - '"failed" not in result'
            - '"key" in result'
            - 'result.key == None'
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/failed_when/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/targets/failed_when/tasks/main.yml
index a4a73665b4e..3f8ae545f2e 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/failed_when/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/failed_when/tasks/main.yml
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 
 - assert:
     that:
-      - "'failed' not in result"
+      - "'failed' in result and not result.failed"
 
 - name: command rc 0 failed_when_result False
   shell: exit 0
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/fetch/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/targets/fetch/tasks/main.yml
index 7fb34b385e5..03339dee814 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/fetch/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/fetch/tasks/main.yml
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@
 - name: check fetch directory result
   assert:
     that:
-      - "failed_fetch_dir['failed']"
+      - "failed_fetch_dir|failed"
       - "fetch_dir.msg"
 
 - name: create symlink to a file that we can fetch
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/get_url/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/targets/get_url/tasks/main.yml
index 5b87dffa13b..f7a9fa505fa 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/get_url/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/get_url/tasks/main.yml
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@
 - name: Assert that the file was not downloaded
   assert:
     that:
-      - "result.failed == true"
+      - "result|failed"
       - "'Failed to validate the SSL certificate' in result.msg"
       - "stat_result.stat.exists == false"
 
@@ -150,14 +150,13 @@
   assert:
     that:
       - 'data_result.rc == 0'
-      - '"failed" not in get_url_result'
   when: "{{ python_has_ssl_context }}"
 
 # If the client doesn't support SNI then get_url should have failed with a certificate mismatch
 - name: Assert that hostname verification failed because SNI is not supported on this version of python
   assert:
     that:
-      - 'get_url_result["failed"]'
+      - 'get_url_result|failed'
   when: "{{ not python_has_ssl_context }}"
 
 # These tests are just side effects of how the site is hosted.  It's not
@@ -178,14 +177,14 @@
   assert:
     that:
       - 'data_result.rc == 0'
-      - '"failed" not in get_url_result'
+      - 'not get_url_result|failed'
   when: "{{ python_has_ssl_context }}"
 
 # If the client doesn't support SNI then get_url should have failed with a certificate mismatch
 - name: Assert that hostname verification failed because SNI is not supported on this version of python
   assert:
     that:
-      - 'get_url_result["failed"]'
+      - 'get_url_result|failed'
   when: "{{ not python_has_ssl_context }}"
 # End hacky SNI test section
 
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/win_find/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/targets/win_find/tasks/main.yml
index 524cfd890a2..9d85310bc52 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/win_find/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/win_find/tasks/main.yml
@@ -155,6 +155,7 @@
     expected:
       changed: False
       examined: 5
+      failed: False
       files:
       - { isarchive: True,
           attributes: Archive,
@@ -237,6 +238,7 @@
     expected:
       changed: False
       examined: 11
+      failed: False
       files:
       - { isarchive: True,
           attributes: "Hidden, Archive",
@@ -278,6 +280,7 @@
     expected:
       changed: False
       examined: 5
+      failed: False
       files:
       - { isarchive: True,
           attributes: Archive,
@@ -315,6 +318,7 @@
     expected:
       changed: False
       examined: 8
+      failed: False
       files:
       - { isarchive: True,
           attributes: Archive,
@@ -383,6 +387,7 @@
     expected:
       changed: False
       examined: 10
+      failed: False
       files:
       - { isarchive: True,
           attributes: Archive,
@@ -465,6 +470,7 @@
     expected:
       changed: False
       examined: 2
+      failed: False
       files:
       - { isarchive: False,
           attributes: Directory,
@@ -529,6 +535,7 @@
     expected:
       changed: False
       examined: 5
+      failed: False
       files:
       - { isarchive: True,
           attributes: Archive,
@@ -571,6 +578,7 @@
     expected:
       changed: False
       examined: 5
+      failed: False
       files:
       - { isarchive: True,
           attributes: Archive,
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/win_reg_stat/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/targets/win_reg_stat/tasks/main.yml
index eb4486011d9..6793e75976f 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/win_reg_stat/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/win_reg_stat/tasks/main.yml
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
     expected:
       changed: false
       exists: true
+      failed: false
       properties:
         binary: { raw_value: ["0x01", "0x16"], type: 'REG_BINARY', value: [1, 22] }
         dword: { raw_value: 1, type: 'REG_DWORD', value: 1 }
@@ -79,6 +80,7 @@
     expected:
       changed: false
       exists: true
+      failed: false
       properties:
         none: { raw_value: [], type: 'REG_NONE', value: [] }
         none1: { raw_value: ["0x00"], type: 'REG_NONE', value: [0] }
@@ -101,6 +103,7 @@
     expected:
       changed: false
       exists: true
+      failed: false
       properties: {}
       sub_keys: []
   register: expected
@@ -120,6 +123,7 @@
     expected:
       changed: false
       exists: false
+      failed: false
 
 - name: validate test
   assert:
@@ -137,6 +141,7 @@
     expected:
       changed: false
       exists: true
+      failed: false
       raw_value: 'test'
       type: 'REG_SZ'
       value: 'test'
@@ -157,6 +162,7 @@
     expected:
       changed: false
       exists: true
+      failed: false
       raw_value: '%windir%\dir'
       type: 'REG_EXPAND_SZ'
       value: "{{win_dir_value.stdout_lines[0]}}\\dir"
@@ -177,6 +183,7 @@
     expected:
       changed: false
       exists: true
+      failed: false
       raw_value: ['a, b', 'c']
       type: 'REG_MULTI_SZ'
       value: ['a, b', 'c']
@@ -197,6 +204,7 @@
     expected:
       changed: false
       exists: true
+      failed: false
       raw_value: ["0x01", "0x16"]
       type: 'REG_BINARY'
       value: [1, 22]
@@ -217,6 +225,7 @@
     expected:
       changed: false
       exists: true
+      failed: false
       raw_value: 1
       type: 'REG_DWORD'
       value: 1
@@ -237,6 +246,7 @@
     expected:
       changed: false
       exists: true
+      failed: false
       raw_value: 1
       type: 'REG_QWORD'
       value: 1
@@ -257,6 +267,7 @@
     expected:
       changed: false
       exists: true
+      failed: false
       raw_value: []
       type: 'REG_NONE'
       value: []
@@ -277,6 +288,7 @@
     expected:
       changed: false
       exists: true
+      failed: false
       raw_value: ["0x00"]
       type: 'REG_NONE'
       value: [0]
@@ -297,6 +309,7 @@
     expected:
       changed: false
       exists: false
+      failed: false
 
 - name: validate test
   assert:
diff --git a/test/units/module_utils/basic/test_exit_json.py b/test/units/module_utils/basic/test_exit_json.py
index 6f52100a869..5e4d626c3ab 100644
--- a/test/units/module_utils/basic/test_exit_json.py
+++ b/test/units/module_utils/basic/test_exit_json.py
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ class TestAnsibleModuleExitJson(unittest.TestCase):
         else:
             self.assertEquals(ctx.exception.code, 1)
         return_val = json.loads(self.fake_stream.getvalue())
-        self.assertEquals(return_val, dict(msg="message", failed=True, invocation=empty_invocation))
+        self.assertEquals(return_val, dict(msg="message", changed=False, failed=True, invocation=empty_invocation))
 
     def test_exit_json_proper_changed(self):
         with self.assertRaises(SystemExit) as ctx:
@@ -143,7 +143,6 @@ class TestAnsibleModuleExitValuesRemoved(unittest.TestCase):
         self.maxDiff = None
         for args, return_val, expected in self.dataset:
             expected = copy.deepcopy(expected)
-            del expected['changed']
             expected['failed'] = True
             params = dict(ANSIBLE_MODULE_ARGS=args)
             params = json.dumps(params)