diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/68515_include_role_vars_from.yml b/changelogs/fragments/68515_include_role_vars_from.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..111ba2be5fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/68515_include_role_vars_from.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+- Strictly check string datatype for 'tasks_from', 'vars_from', 'defaults_from', and 'handlers_from' in include_role (https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/68515).
diff --git a/lib/ansible/playbook/role_include.py b/lib/ansible/playbook/role_include.py
index d1da3c94879..4e7530d7b4c 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/playbook/role_include.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/playbook/role_include.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ from ansible.playbook.task_include import TaskInclude
 from ansible.playbook.role import Role
 from ansible.playbook.role.include import RoleInclude
 from ansible.utils.display import Display
+from ansible.module_utils.six import string_types
 
 __all__ = ['IncludeRole']
 
@@ -137,7 +138,10 @@ class IncludeRole(TaskInclude):
         # build options for role includes
         for key in my_arg_names.intersection(IncludeRole.FROM_ARGS):
             from_key = key.replace('_from', '')
-            ir._from_files[from_key] = basename(ir.args.get(key))
+            args_value = ir.args.get(key)
+            if not isinstance(args_value, string_types):
+                raise AnsibleParserError('Expected a string for %s but got %s instead' % (key, type(args_value)))
+            ir._from_files[from_key] = basename(args_value)
 
         apply_attrs = ir.args.get('apply', {})
         if apply_attrs and ir.action != 'include_role':
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/include_import/role/test_include_role.yml b/test/integration/targets/include_import/role/test_include_role.yml
index f3e695c1fba..e120bd8cbfc 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/include_import/role/test_include_role.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/include_import/role/test_include_role.yml
@@ -153,13 +153,13 @@
       include_role:
         name: "{{ host_var_role_name }}"
 
-    - name: assert that host varible for role name calls 2 diff roles
+    - name: assert that host variable for role name calls 2 diff roles
       assert:
         that:
           - _role2_result is not none
       when: inventory_hostname == 'testhost2'
 
-    - name: assert that host varible for role name calls 2 diff roles
+    - name: assert that host variable for role name calls 2 diff roles
       assert:
         that:
           - _role3_result is not none
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/include_import/role/test_include_role_vars_from.yml b/test/integration/targets/include_import/role/test_include_role_vars_from.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f7bb4d76ef7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/targets/include_import/role/test_include_role_vars_from.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+- name: Test include_role vars_from
+  hosts: testhost
+  vars:
+    role_name: role1
+  tasks:
+    - name: Test vars_from
+      include_role:
+        name: role1
+        vars_from:
+        - vars_1.yml
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/include_import/runme.sh b/test/integration/targets/include_import/runme.sh
index f72a6ebaddc..0a052a18228 100755
--- a/test/integration/targets/include_import/runme.sh
+++ b/test/integration/targets/include_import/runme.sh
@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@ ANSIBLE_STRATEGY='free' ansible-playbook tasks/test_include_tasks_tags.yml -i in
 ANSIBLE_STRATEGY='linear' ansible-playbook role/test_include_role.yml -i inventory "$@"
 ANSIBLE_STRATEGY='free' ansible-playbook role/test_include_role.yml -i inventory "$@"
 
+# https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/68515
+ansible-playbook -v role/test_include_role_vars_from.yml 2>&1 | tee test_include_role_vars_from.out
+test "$(grep -E -c 'Expected a string for vars_from but got' test_include_role_vars_from.out)" = 1
 
 ## Max Recursion Depth
 # https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/23609