diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/utilities/logic/async_status.py b/lib/ansible/modules/utilities/logic/async_status.py
index a35f3c0cc2e..7c3d458f1fe 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/utilities/logic/async_status.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/utilities/logic/async_status.py
@@ -76,11 +76,13 @@ def main():
     # no remote kill mode currently exists, but probably should
     # consider log_path + ".pid" file and also unlink that above
 
-    data = file(log_path).read()
+    data = None
     try:
+        data = file(log_path).read()
+        import q; q(data)
         data = json.loads(data)
     except Exception:
-        if data == '':
+        if not data:
             # file not written yet?  That means it is running
             module.exit_json(results_file=log_path, ansible_job_id=jid, started=1, finished=0)
         else:
@@ -90,6 +92,8 @@ def main():
     if not 'started' in data:
         data['finished'] = 1
         data['ansible_job_id'] = jid
+    elif 'finished' not in data:
+        data['finished'] = 0
 
     # Fix error: TypeError: exit_json() keywords must be strings
     data = dict([(str(k), v) for k, v in data.iteritems()])
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/utilities/logic/async_wrapper.py b/lib/ansible/modules/utilities/logic/async_wrapper.py
index a99c4f070a2..3a9b44d4cd0 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/utilities/logic/async_wrapper.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/utilities/logic/async_wrapper.py
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ def _run_module(wrapped_cmd, jid, job_path):
 
     tmp_job_path = job_path + ".tmp"
     jobfile = open(tmp_job_path, "w")
-    jobfile.write(json.dumps({ "started" : 1, "ansible_job_id" : jid }))
+    jobfile.write(json.dumps({ "started" : 1, "finished" : 0, "ansible_job_id" : jid }))
     jobfile.close()
     os.rename(tmp_job_path, job_path)
     jobfile = open(tmp_job_path, "w")
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
             # this probably could be done with some IPC later.  Modules should always read
             # the argsfile at the very first start of their execution anyway
             notice("Return async_wrapper task started.")
-            print(json.dumps({ "started" : 1, "ansible_job_id" : jid, "results_file" : job_path }))
+            print(json.dumps({ "started" : 1, "finished" : 0, "ansible_job_id" : jid, "results_file" : job_path }))
             sys.stdout.flush()
             time.sleep(1)
             sys.exit(0)