diff --git a/bin/ansible b/bin/ansible
index c281212333b..b069103d556 100755
--- a/bin/ansible
+++ b/bin/ansible
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ class Cli(object):
             help="module arguments", default=C.DEFAULT_MODULE_ARGS)
         parser.add_option('-B', '--background', dest='seconds', type='int', default=0,
             help='run asynchronously, failing after X seconds')
+        parser.add_option('-D','--debug', default=False, action="store_true",
+            help='enable standard error debugging of modules.')
         parser.add_option('-f','--forks', dest='forks', default=C.DEFAULT_FORKS, type='int',
             help='number of parallel processes to use')
         parser.add_option('-i', '--inventory-file', dest='inventory',
@@ -109,6 +111,7 @@ class Cli(object):
             remote_port=options.remote_port, forks=options.forks, 
             background=options.seconds, pattern=pattern, 
             callbacks=self.callbacks, sudo=options.sudo, verbose=True,
+            debug=options.debug
         )
         return (runner, runner.run())
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/callbacks.py b/lib/ansible/callbacks.py
index 7cc4200811d..fe2c8f4b1bd 100755
--- a/lib/ansible/callbacks.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/callbacks.py
@@ -86,6 +86,9 @@ class DefaultRunnerCallbacks(object):
     def on_ok(self, host, res):
         pass
 
+    def on_error(self, host, msg):
+        pass
+
     def on_skipped(self, host):
         pass
 
@@ -115,6 +118,9 @@ class CliRunnerCallbacks(DefaultRunnerCallbacks):
     def on_skipped(self, host):
         pass
 
+    def on_error(self, host, err):
+        print >>sys.stderr, "stderr: [%s] => %s\n" % (host, err)
+
     def _on_any(self, host, result):
         print utils.host_report_msg(host, self.options.module_name, result, self.options.one_line)
         if self.options.tree:
diff --git a/library/failtest b/library/failtest
index d6cb40ec116..10b1e63d031 100755
--- a/library/failtest
+++ b/library/failtest
@@ -17,12 +17,18 @@
 # You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 # along with Ansible.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
+import sys
+
 try:
     import json
 except ImportError:
     import simplejson as json
 
+print >>sys.stderr, "THIS IS A TEST FAILURE"
+
 print json.dumps({ 
     "failed" : True, 
     "msg"    : "this module always fails" 
 })
+
+
diff --git a/test/TestPlayBook.py b/test/TestPlayBook.py
index 9fec3ef2257..c0a3f28af01 100644
--- a/test/TestPlayBook.py
+++ b/test/TestPlayBook.py
@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@ class TestCallbacks(object):
     def on_import_for_host(self, host, filename):
         EVENTS.append([ 'import', [ host, filename ]])
 
+    def on_error(self, host, msg):
+        EVENTS.append([ 'stderr', [ host, msg ])
+
     def on_not_import_for_host(self, host, missing_filename):
         pass