diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/azure/azure_rm_webapp.py b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/azure/azure_rm_webapp.py
index 3831f52db0f..d4a6e5cc5a4 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/azure/azure_rm_webapp.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/azure/azure_rm_webapp.py
@@ -158,6 +158,16 @@ options:
             - Purge any existing application settings. Replace web app application settings with app_settings.
         type: bool
 
+    app_state:
+        description:
+            - Start/Stop/Restart the web app.
+        type: str
+        choices:
+            - started
+            - stopped
+            - restarted
+        default: started
+
     state:
       description:
         - Assert the state of the Web App.
@@ -410,6 +420,11 @@ class AzureRMWebApps(AzureRMModuleBase):
                 type='bool',
                 default=False
             ),
+            app_state=dict(
+                type='str',
+                choices=['started', 'stopped', 'restarted'],
+                default='started'
+            ),
             state=dict(
                 type='str',
                 default='present',
@@ -450,6 +465,7 @@ class AzureRMWebApps(AzureRMModuleBase):
         self.container_settings = None
 
         self.purge_app_settings = False
+        self.app_state = 'started'
 
         self.results = dict(
             changed=False,
@@ -595,6 +611,7 @@ class AzureRMWebApps(AzureRMModuleBase):
 
                 to_be_updated = True
                 self.to_do = Actions.CreateOrUpdate
+                self.site.tags = self.tags
 
                 # service plan is required for creation
                 if not self.plan:
@@ -631,7 +648,7 @@ class AzureRMWebApps(AzureRMModuleBase):
 
                 self.log('Result: {0}'.format(old_response))
 
-                update_tags, old_response['tags'] = self.update_tags(old_response.get('tags', dict()))
+                update_tags, self.site.tags = self.update_tags(old_response.get('tags', None))
 
                 if update_tags:
                     to_be_updated = True
@@ -693,8 +710,26 @@ class AzureRMWebApps(AzureRMModuleBase):
 
             if self.to_do == Actions.CreateOrUpdate:
                 response = self.create_update_webapp()
+
                 self.results['id'] = response['id']
 
+        webapp = None
+        if old_response:
+            webapp = old_response
+        if response:
+            webapp = response
+
+        if webapp:
+            if (webapp['state'] != 'Stopped' and self.app_state == 'stopped') or \
+               (webapp['state'] != 'Running' and self.app_state == 'started') or \
+               self.app_state == 'restarted':
+
+                self.results['changed'] = True
+                if self.check_mode:
+                    return self.results
+
+                self.set_webapp_state(self.app_state)
+
         return self.results
 
     # compare existing web app with input, determine weather it's update operation
@@ -943,6 +978,29 @@ class AzureRMWebApps(AzureRMModuleBase):
 
             return False
 
+    def set_webapp_state(self, appstate):
+        '''
+        Start/stop/restart web app
+        :return: deserialized updating response
+        '''
+        try:
+            if appstate == 'started':
+                response = self.web_client.web_apps.start(resource_group_name=self.resource_group, name=self.name)
+            elif appstate == 'stopped':
+                response = self.web_client.web_apps.stop(resource_group_name=self.resource_group, name=self.name)
+            elif appstate == 'restarted':
+                response = self.web_client.web_apps.restart(resource_group_name=self.resource_group, name=self.name)
+            else:
+                self.fail("Invalid web app state {0}".format(appstate))
+
+            self.log("Response : {0}".format(response))
+
+            return response
+        except CloudError as ex:
+            request_id = ex.request_id if ex.request_id else ''
+            self.log("Failed to {0} web app {1} in resource group {2}, request_id {3} - {4}".format(
+                appstate, self.name, self.resource_group, request_id, str(ex)))
+
 
 def main():
     """Main execution"""
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/azure_rm_webapp/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/targets/azure_rm_webapp/tasks/main.yml
index 8cb6cbf2063..bd92fea4e21 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/azure_rm_webapp/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/azure_rm_webapp/tasks/main.yml
@@ -22,6 +22,31 @@
     plan: "{{ win_plan_name }}"
   register: output
 
+- name: stop the web app
+  azure_rm_webapp:
+    resource_group: "{{ resource_group }}"
+    name: "{{ win_app_name }}2"
+    plan: "{{ win_plan_name }}"
+    app_state: stopped
+  register: output
+
+- name: assert output changed
+  assert:
+    that:
+      output.changed
+
+# enable after webapp_facts merged
+# - name: get the web app
+#   azure_rm_webapp_facts:
+#     resource_group: "{{ resource_group }}"
+#     name: "{{ win_app_name }}2"
+#   register: stopped
+
+# - name: assert web app is stopped
+#   assert:
+#     that:
+#       - stopped.properties.state == "Stopped"
+
 - name: Create a windows web app with existing app service plan, try to update some root level params
   azure_rm_webapp:
     resource_group: "{{ resource_group }}"
@@ -251,4 +276,4 @@
 
 - name: Assert the web app was created
   assert:
-    that: output.changed
\ No newline at end of file
+    that: output.changed