diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/ssh.py b/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/ssh.py
index ece1021f855..2958bdadab3 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/ssh.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/ssh.py
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ class Connection(object):
         self.user = user
         self.password = password
         self.private_key_file = private_key_file
+        self.cp_dir = utils.prepare_writeable_dir('$HOME/.ansible/cp',mode=0700)
         self.HASHED_KEY_MAGIC = "|1|"
 
     def connect(self):
@@ -57,7 +58,18 @@ class Connection(object):
         else:
             self.common_args += ["-o", "ControlMaster=auto",
                                  "-o", "ControlPersist=60s",
-                                 "-o", "ControlPath=/tmp/ansible-ssh-%h-%p-%r"]
+                                 "-o", "ControlPath=%s/ansible-ssh-%%h-%%p-%%r" % self.cp_dir]
+
+        cp_in_use = False
+        cp_path_set = False
+        for arg in self.common_args:
+            if arg.find("ControlPersist") != -1:
+                cp_in_use = True
+            if arg.find("ControlPath") != -1:
+                cp_path_set = True
+
+        if cp_in_use and not cp_path_set:
+            self.common_args += ["-o", "ControlPath=%s/ansible-ssh-%%h-%%p-%%r" % self.cp_dir]
 
         if not C.HOST_KEY_CHECKING:
             self.common_args += ["-o", "StrictHostKeyChecking=no"]
diff --git a/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py
index 751052004e8..0d3ad7d952d 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py
@@ -193,18 +193,34 @@ def is_executable(path):
             or stat.S_IXGRP & os.stat(path)[stat.ST_MODE]
             or stat.S_IXOTH & os.stat(path)[stat.ST_MODE])
 
-def prepare_writeable_dir(tree):
+def unfrackpath(path):
+    ''' 
+    returns a path that is free of symlinks, environment
+    variables, relative path traversals and symbols (~)
+    example:
+    '$HOME/../../var/mail' becomes '/var/spool/mail'
+    '''
+    return os.path.normpath(os.path.realpath(os.path.expandvars(os.path.expanduser(path))))
+
+def prepare_writeable_dir(tree,mode=0777):
     ''' make sure a directory exists and is writeable '''
 
-    if tree != '/':
-        tree = os.path.realpath(os.path.expanduser(tree))
+    # modify the mode to ensure the owner at least
+    # has read/write access to this directory
+    mode |= 0700
+
+    # make sure the tree path is always expanded
+    # and normalized and free of symlinks
+    tree = unfrackpath(tree)
+
     if not os.path.exists(tree):
         try:
-            os.makedirs(tree)
+            os.makedirs(tree, mode)
         except (IOError, OSError), e:
             exit("Could not make dir %s: %s" % (tree, e))
     if not os.access(tree, os.W_OK):
         exit("Cannot write to path %s" % tree)
+    return tree
 
 def path_dwim(basedir, given):
     '''