diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/play_context_remove_redundant_pwd.yml b/changelogs/fragments/play_context_remove_redundant_pwd.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..126919cf5e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/play_context_remove_redundant_pwd.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - remove redundant remote_user setting in play_context for local as plugin already does it, also removes fork/thread issue from use of pwd library.
diff --git a/lib/ansible/playbook/play_context.py b/lib/ansible/playbook/play_context.py
index b7efe9206b7..d9bdc2fdcb7 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/playbook/play_context.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/playbook/play_context.py
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ from __future__ import (absolute_import, division, print_function)
 __metaclass__ = type
 
 import os
-import pwd
 import sys
 
 from ansible import constants as C
@@ -313,15 +312,11 @@ class PlayContext(Base):
                 elif getattr(new_info, 'connection', None) == 'local' and (not remote_addr_local or not inv_hostname_local):
                     setattr(new_info, 'connection', C.DEFAULT_TRANSPORT)
 
-        # if the final connection type is local, reset the remote_user value to that of the currently logged in user
-        # this ensures any become settings are obeyed correctly
         # we store original in 'connection_user' for use of network/other modules that fallback to it as login user
-        # connection_user to be deprecated once connection=local is removed for
-        # network modules
+        # connection_user to be deprecated once connection=local is removed for, as local resets remote_user
         if new_info.connection == 'local':
             if not new_info.connection_user:
                 new_info.connection_user = new_info.remote_user
-            new_info.remote_user = pwd.getpwuid(os.getuid()).pw_name
 
         # set no_log to default if it was not previously set
         if new_info.no_log is None:
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/local.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/local.py
index b328f48ac8c..c3e7683a66c 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/local.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/local.py
@@ -49,8 +49,7 @@ class Connection(ConnectionBase):
         ''' connect to the local host; nothing to do here '''
 
         # Because we haven't made any remote connection we're running as
-        # the local user, rather than as whatever is configured in
-        # remote_user.
+        # the local user, rather than as whatever is configured in remote_user.
         self._play_context.remote_user = getpass.getuser()
 
         if not self._connected: