diff --git a/lib/ansible/constants.py b/lib/ansible/constants.py
index a4a1bfdc9c6..e47d9043d6e 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/constants.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/constants.py
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ DEFAULTS='defaults'
 # configurable things
 DEFAULT_HOST_LIST         = shell_expand_path(get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'hostfile', 'ANSIBLE_HOSTS', '/etc/ansible/hosts'))
 DEFAULT_MODULE_PATH       = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'library',          'ANSIBLE_LIBRARY',          DIST_MODULE_PATH)
-DEFAULT_ROLES_PATH        = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'roles_path',       'ANSIBLE_ROLES_PATH',       '/etc/ansible/roles')
+DEFAULT_ROLES_PATH        = shell_expand_path(get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'roles_path',       'ANSIBLE_ROLES_PATH',       '/etc/ansible/roles'))
 DEFAULT_REMOTE_TMP        = shell_expand_path(get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'remote_tmp',       'ANSIBLE_REMOTE_TEMP',      '$HOME/.ansible/tmp'))
 DEFAULT_MODULE_NAME       = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'module_name',      None,                       'command')
 DEFAULT_PATTERN           = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'pattern',          None,                       '*')