diff --git a/bin/ansible-playbook b/bin/ansible-playbook
index af69ed93860..c3ceab9b27e 100755
--- a/bin/ansible-playbook
+++ b/bin/ansible-playbook
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ import ansible.utils.template
 from ansible import errors
 from ansible import callbacks
 from ansible import utils
+from ansible.utils import to_unicode
 from ansible.color import ANSIBLE_COLOR, stringc
 from ansible.callbacks import display
 
@@ -144,10 +145,11 @@ def main(args):
 
     extra_vars = {}
     for extra_vars_opt in options.extra_vars:
-        if extra_vars_opt.startswith("@"):
+        extra_vars_opt = to_unicode(extra_vars_opt)
+        if extra_vars_opt.startswith(u"@"):
             # Argument is a YAML file (JSON is a subset of YAML)
             extra_vars = utils.combine_vars(extra_vars, utils.parse_yaml_from_file(extra_vars_opt[1:], vault_password=vault_pass))
-        elif extra_vars_opt and extra_vars_opt[0] in '[{':
+        elif extra_vars_opt and extra_vars_opt[0] in u'[{':
             # Arguments as YAML
             extra_vars = utils.combine_vars(extra_vars, utils.parse_yaml(extra_vars_opt))
         else:
diff --git a/test/integration/Makefile b/test/integration/Makefile
index 7a00a5addee..a3c393b00d2 100644
--- a/test/integration/Makefile
+++ b/test/integration/Makefile
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ includes:
 	ansible-playbook test_includes.yml -i $(INVENTORY) -e @$(VARS_FILE) $(CREDENTIALS_ARG) $(TEST_FLAGS) 
 
 unicode:
-	ansible-playbook unicode.yml -i $(INVENTORY) -e @$(VARS_FILE) -v $(TEST_FLAGS)
+	ansible-playbook unicode.yml -i $(INVENTORY) -e @$(VARS_FILE) -v $(TEST_FLAGS) -e 'extra_var=café'
 	# Test the start-at-task flag #9571
 	ansible-playbook unicode.yml -i $(INVENTORY) -e @$(VARS_FILE) -v --start-at-task '*¶' -e 'start_at_task=True' $(TEST_FLAGS)
 
diff --git a/test/integration/unicode.yml b/test/integration/unicode.yml
index 60fb14214bc..4e7fe635f45 100644
--- a/test/integration/unicode.yml
+++ b/test/integration/unicode.yml
@@ -35,6 +35,10 @@
         host_id: '{{item}}'
       with_sequence: start=1 end={{num_hosts}} format=%d
 
+    - name: 'A task with unicode extra vars'
+      debug: var=extra_var
+
+
 - name: 'A play for hosts in group: ĪīĬĭ'
   hosts: 'ĪīĬĭ'
   gather_facts: true