diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_utils/iosxr.py b/lib/ansible/module_utils/iosxr.py
index e2c7c983916..be313cf1081 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_utils/iosxr.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_utils/iosxr.py
@@ -27,6 +27,21 @@ NET_COMMON_ARGS = dict(
     provider=dict()
 )
 
+CLI_PROMPTS_RE = [
+    re.compile(r"[\r\n]?[\w+\-\.:\/\[\]]+(?:\([^\)]+\)){,3}(?:>|#) ?$"),
+    re.compile(r"\[\w+\@[\w\-\.]+(?: [^\]])\] ?[>#\$] ?$")
+]
+
+CLI_ERRORS_RE = [
+    re.compile(r"% ?Error"),
+    re.compile(r"% ?Bad secret"),
+    re.compile(r"invalid input", re.I),
+    re.compile(r"(?:incomplete|ambiguous) command", re.I),
+    re.compile(r"connection timed out", re.I),
+    re.compile(r"[^\r\n]+ not found", re.I),
+    re.compile(r"'[^']' +returned error code: ?\d+"),
+]
+
 def to_list(val):
     if isinstance(val, (list, tuple)):
         return list(val)
@@ -48,9 +63,9 @@ class Cli(object):
         username = self.module.params['username']
         password = self.module.params['password']
 
-        self.shell = Shell()
-
         try:
+            self.shell = Shell(kickstart=False, prompts_re=CLI_PROMPTS_RE,
+                    errors_re=CLI_ERRORS_RE)
             self.shell.open(host, port=port, username=username, password=password)
         except Exception, exc:
             msg = 'failed to connecto to %s:%s - %s' % (host, port, str(exc))
@@ -98,7 +113,10 @@ class NetworkModule(AnsibleModule):
         return responses
 
     def execute(self, commands, **kwargs):
-        return self.connection.send(commands)
+        try:
+            return self.connection.send(commands)
+        except ShellError, exc:
+            self.fail_json(msg=exc.message, command=exc.command)
 
     def disconnect(self):
         self.connection.close()