diff --git a/rst/modules/assemble.rst b/rst/modules/assemble.rst
index 5caeb37a0a3..5a77f3778e8 100644
--- a/rst/modules/assemble.rst
+++ b/rst/modules/assemble.rst
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ sorting order.  Puppet calls this idea "fragments".
 +--------------------+----------+---------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 | dest               | yes      |         | A file to create using the concatenation of all of the source files        |
 +--------------------+----------+---------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+| backup             | no       | no      | Create a backup file including the timestamp information so you can        |
+|                    |          |         | get the original file back if you somehow clobbered it incorrectly.        |
++--------------------+----------+---------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 | OTHERS             |          |         | All arguments that the file module takes may also be used                  |
 +--------------------+----------+---------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 
diff --git a/rst/modules/copy.rst b/rst/modules/copy.rst
index 41811997d0c..3b534d850ee 100644
--- a/rst/modules/copy.rst
+++ b/rst/modules/copy.rst
@@ -15,9 +15,16 @@ module.
 +--------------------+----------+---------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 | dest               | yes      |         | Remote absolute path where the file should end up                          |
 +--------------------+----------+---------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+| backup             | no       | no      | Create a backup file including the timestamp information so you can        |
+|                    |          |         | get the original file back if you somehow clobbered it incorrectly.        |
++--------------------+----------+---------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 | OTHERS             |          |         | All arguments the file module takes are also supported                     |
 +--------------------+----------+---------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 
 Example action from Ansible :doc:`playbooks`::
 
     copy src=/srv/myfiles/foo.conf dest=/etc/foo.conf owner=foo group=foo mode=0644
+
+Copy a new ntp.conf file into place, backing up the original if it differs from the copied version::
+
+    copy src=/srv/myfiles/ntp.conf dest=/etc/ntp.conf owner=root group=root mode=644 backup=yes
diff --git a/rst/modules/lineinfile.rst b/rst/modules/lineinfile.rst
index 156c7d5e6f8..ab28492843c 100644
--- a/rst/modules/lineinfile.rst
+++ b/rst/modules/lineinfile.rst
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ For other cases, see the copy or template modules.
 |                    |          |         | inserting the line at the beginning of the file, and EOF for inserting the |
 |                    |          |         | line at the end of the file.                                               |
 +--------------------+----------+---------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+| backup             | no       | no      | Create a backup file including the timestamp information so you can        |
+|                    |          |         | get the original file back if you somehow clobbered it incorrectly.        |
++--------------------+----------+---------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 
 Example action from Ansible :doc:`playbooks`::
 
diff --git a/rst/modules/template.rst b/rst/modules/template.rst
index f795d12a939..50002b2f2d5 100644
--- a/rst/modules/template.rst
+++ b/rst/modules/template.rst
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ documentation on the template formatting can be found in the
 +--------------------+----------+---------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 | dest               | yes      |         | Location to render the template on the remote server                       |
 +--------------------+----------+---------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+| backup             | no       | no      | Create a backup file including the timestamp information so you can        |
+|                    |          |         | get the original file back if you somehow clobbered it incorrectly.        |
++--------------------+----------+---------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 | OTHERS             |          |         | This module also supports all of the arguments to the file module          |
 +--------------------+----------+---------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+