diff --git a/lib/ansible/errors/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/errors/__init__.py
index 2186e6bc744..b2bf10dad28 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/errors/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/errors/__init__.py
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ from ansible.errors.yaml_strings import ( YAML_POSITION_DETAILS,
         YAML_COMMON_DICT_ERROR,
         YAML_COMMON_UNQUOTED_COLON_ERROR,
         YAML_COMMON_PARTIALLY_QUOTED_LINE_ERROR,
-        YAML_COMMON_UNBALANCED_QUOTES_ERROR )
+        YAML_COMMON_UNBALANCED_QUOTES_ERROR,
+        YAML_COMMON_LEADING_TAB_ERROR)
 from ansible.module_utils._text import to_native, to_text
 
 
@@ -111,6 +112,9 @@ class AnsibleError(Exception):
                     #header_line   = ("=" * 73)
                     error_message += "\nThe offending line appears to be:\n\n%s\n%s\n%s\n" % (prev_line.rstrip(), target_line.rstrip(), arrow_line)
 
+                    # TODO: There may be cases where there is a valid tab in a line that has other errors.
+                    if '\t' in target_line:
+                        error_message += YAML_COMMON_LEADING_TAB_ERROR
                     # common error/remediation checking here:
                     # check for unquoted vars starting lines
                     if ('{{' in target_line and '}}' in target_line) and ('"{{' not in target_line or "'{{" not in target_line):
diff --git a/lib/ansible/errors/yaml_strings.py b/lib/ansible/errors/yaml_strings.py
index dcd6ffd79fc..599729fda4f 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/errors/yaml_strings.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/errors/yaml_strings.py
@@ -116,3 +116,20 @@ Could be written as:
     foo: '"bad" "wolf"'
 """
 
+YAML_COMMON_LEADING_TAB_ERROR = """\
+There appears to be a tab character at the start of the line.
+
+YAML does not use tabs for formatting. Tabs should be replaced with spaces.
+
+For example:
+    - name: update tooling
+      vars:
+        version: 1.2.3
+#    ^--- there is a tab there.
+
+Should be written as:
+    - name: update tooling
+      vars:
+        version: 1.2.3
+# ^--- all spaces here.
+"""
diff --git a/test/units/parsing/test_data_loader.py b/test/units/parsing/test_data_loader.py
index b6ec8247e5b..6b2fe23c454 100644
--- a/test/units/parsing/test_data_loader.py
+++ b/test/units/parsing/test_data_loader.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ from six import PY3
 from ansible.compat.tests import unittest
 from ansible.compat.tests.mock import patch, mock_open
 from ansible.errors import AnsibleParserError
+from ansible.errors import yaml_strings
 
 from ansible.parsing.dataloader import DataLoader
 
@@ -60,6 +61,17 @@ class TestDataLoader(unittest.TestCase):
         """, True)
         self.assertRaises(AnsibleParserError, self._loader.load_from_file, 'dummy_yaml_bad.txt')
 
+    @patch('ansible.errors.AnsibleError._get_error_lines_from_file')
+    @patch.object(DataLoader, '_get_file_contents')
+    def test_tab_error(self, mock_def, mock_get_error_lines):
+        mock_def.return_value = (u"""---\nhosts: localhost\nvars:\n  foo: bar\n\tblip: baz""", True)
+        mock_get_error_lines.return_value = ('''\tblip: baz''', '''..foo: bar''')
+        with self.assertRaises(AnsibleParserError) as cm:
+            self._loader.load_from_file('dummy_yaml_text.txt')
+        self.assertIn(yaml_strings.YAML_COMMON_LEADING_TAB_ERROR, str(cm.exception))
+        self.assertIn('foo: bar', str(cm.exception))
+
+
 class TestDataLoaderWithVault(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def setUp(self):
diff --git a/test/units/parsing/yaml/test_loader.py b/test/units/parsing/yaml/test_loader.py
index 2b166f2bd4c..7c09437b728 100644
--- a/test/units/parsing/yaml/test_loader.py
+++ b/test/units/parsing/yaml/test_loader.py
@@ -37,8 +37,10 @@ from units.mock.yaml_helper import YamlTestUtils
 
 try:
     from _yaml import ParserError
+    from _yaml import ScannerError
 except ImportError:
     from yaml.parser import ParserError
+    from yaml.scanner import ScannerError
 
 
 class NameStringIO(StringIO):
@@ -145,6 +147,11 @@ class TestAnsibleLoaderBasic(unittest.TestCase):
         loader = AnsibleLoader(stream, 'myfile.yml')
         self.assertRaises(ParserError, loader.get_single_data)
 
+    def test_tab_error(self):
+        stream = StringIO(u"""---\nhosts: localhost\nvars:\n  foo: bar\n\tblip: baz""")
+        loader = AnsibleLoader(stream, 'myfile.yml')
+        self.assertRaises(ScannerError, loader.get_single_data)
+
     def test_front_matter(self):
         stream = StringIO(u"""---\nfoo: bar""")
         loader = AnsibleLoader(stream, 'myfile.yml')