diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/network/eos/eos_config.py b/lib/ansible/modules/network/eos/eos_config.py
index 731b11efb90..50a2db33d2b 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/network/eos/eos_config.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/network/eos/eos_config.py
@@ -16,9 +16,11 @@
 # along with Ansible.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #
 
-ANSIBLE_METADATA = {'status': ['preview'],
-                    'supported_by': 'core',
-                    'version': '1.0'}
+ANSIBLE_METADATA = {
+    'status': ['preview'],
+    'supported_by': 'core',
+    'version': '1.0'
+}
 
 DOCUMENTATION = """
 ---
@@ -32,7 +34,7 @@ description:
     an implementation for working with eos configuration sections in
     a deterministic way.  This module works with either CLI or eAPI
     transports.
-extends_documentation_fragment: eos
+extends_documentation_fragment: eapi
 options:
   lines:
     description:
@@ -161,18 +163,8 @@ options:
 """
 
 EXAMPLES = """
-# Note: examples below use the following provider dict to handle
-#       transport and authentication to the node.
-vars:
-  cli:
-    host: "{{ inventory_hostname }}"
-    username: admin
-    password: admin
-    transport: cli
-
 - eos_config:
     lines: hostname {{ inventory_hostname }}
-    provider: "{{ cli }}"
 
 - eos_config:
     lines:
@@ -184,7 +176,6 @@ vars:
     parents: ip access-list test
     before: no ip access-list test
     match: exact
-    provider: "{{ cli }}"
 
 - eos_config:
     lines:
@@ -195,39 +186,74 @@ vars:
     parents: ip access-list test
     before: no ip access-list test
     replace: block
-    provider: "{{ cli }}"
 
 - name: load configuration from file
   eos_config:
     src: eos.cfg
-    provider: "{{ cli }}"
 """
 
 RETURN = """
-updates:
+commands:
   description: The set of commands that will be pushed to the remote device
   returned: Only when lines is specified.
   type: list
-  sample: ['...', '...']
+  sample: ['hostname switch01', 'interface Ethernet1', 'no shutdown']
 backup_path:
   description: The full path to the backup file
   returned: when backup is yes
   type: path
   sample: /playbooks/ansible/backup/eos_config.2016-07-16@22:28:34
+start:
+  description: The time the job started
+  returned: always
+  type: str
+  sample: "2016-11-16 10:38:15.126146"
+end:
+  description: The time the job ended
+  returned: always
+  type: str
+  sample: "2016-11-16 10:38:25.595612"
+delta:
+  description: The time elapsed to perform all operations
+  returned: always
+  type: str
+  sample: "0:00:10.469466"
 """
-import time
+from functools import partial
 
+from ansible.module_utils import eos
+from ansible.module_utils import eapi
+from ansible.module_utils.basic import AnsibleModule
+from ansible.module_utils.local import LocalAnsibleModule
 from ansible.module_utils.netcfg import NetworkConfig, dumps
-from ansible.module_utils.eos import NetworkModule, NetworkError
-from ansible.module_utils.basic import get_exception
+
+SHARED_LIB = 'eos'
+
+def get_ansible_module():
+    if SHARED_LIB == 'eos':
+        return LocalAnsibleModule
+    return AnsibleModule
+
+def invoke(name, *args, **kwargs):
+    obj = globals().get(SHARED_LIB)
+    func = getattr(obj, name)
+    return func(*args, **kwargs)
+
+run_commands = partial(invoke, 'run_commands')
+get_config = partial(invoke, 'get_config')
+load_config = partial(invoke, 'load_config')
+supports_sessions = partial(invoke, 'supports_sessions')
 
 def check_args(module, warnings):
+    if SHARED_LIB == 'eapi':
+        eapi.check_args(module)
+
     if module.params['force']:
         warnings.append('The force argument is deprecated, please use '
                         'match=none instead.  This argument will be '
                         'removed in the future')
 
-    if not module.connection.supports_sessions():
+    if not supports_sessions(module):
         warnings.append('The current version of EOS on the remote device does '
                         'not support configuration sessions.  The commit '
                         'argument will be ignored')
@@ -241,25 +267,6 @@ def get_candidate(module):
         candidate.add(module.params['lines'], parents=parents)
     return candidate
 
-def get_config(module, defaults=False):
-    contents = module.params['config']
-    if not contents:
-        defaults = module.params['defaults']
-        contents = module.config.get_config(include_defaults=defaults)
-    return NetworkConfig(indent=3, contents=contents)
-
-def load_config(module, commands, result):
-    replace = module.params['replace'] == 'config'
-    commit = not module.check_mode
-
-    diff = module.config.load_config(commands, replace=replace, commit=commit)
-
-    if diff and module.connection.supports_sessions():
-        result['diff'] = dict(prepared=diff)
-        result['changed'] = True
-    elif diff:
-        result['changed'] = True
-
 def run(module, result):
     match = module.params['match']
     replace = module.params['replace']
@@ -267,7 +274,8 @@ def run(module, result):
     candidate = get_candidate(module)
 
     if match != 'none' and replace != 'config':
-        config = get_config(module)
+        config_text = get_config(module)
+        config = NetworkConfig(indent=3, contents=config_text)
         configobjs = candidate.difference(config, match=match, replace=replace)
     else:
         configobjs = candidate.items
@@ -282,14 +290,17 @@ def run(module, result):
             if module.params['after']:
                 commands.extend(module.params['after'])
 
-            result['updates'] = commands
+        result['commands'] = commands
 
-        module.log('commands: %s' % commands)
-        load_config(module, commands, result)
+        replace = module.params['replace'] == 'config'
+        commit = not module.check_mode
+
+        response = load_config(module, commands, replace=replace, commit=commit)
+        if 'diff' in response:
+            result['diff'] = {'prepared': response['diff']}
+        if 'session' in response:
+            result['session'] = response['session']
 
-    if module.params['save']:
-        if not module.check_mode:
-            module.config.save_config()
         result['changed'] = True
 
 def main():
@@ -307,17 +318,20 @@ def main():
         match=dict(default='line', choices=['line', 'strict', 'exact', 'none']),
         replace=dict(default='line', choices=['line', 'block', 'config']),
 
-        # this argument is deprecated in favor of setting match: none
-        # it will be removed in a future version
-        force=dict(default=False, type='bool'),
-
-        config=dict(),
         defaults=dict(type='bool', default=False),
 
         backup=dict(type='bool', default=False),
         save=dict(default=False, type='bool'),
+
+        # deprecated arguments (Ansible 2.3)
+        config=dict(),
+        # this argument is deprecated in favor of setting match: none
+        # it will be removed in a future version
+        force=dict(default=False, type='bool'),
     )
 
+    argument_spec.update(eapi.eapi_argument_spec)
+
     mutually_exclusive = [('lines', 'src')]
 
     required_if = [('match', 'strict', ['lines']),
@@ -325,10 +339,12 @@ def main():
                    ('replace', 'block', ['lines']),
                    ('replace', 'config', ['src'])]
 
-    module = NetworkModule(argument_spec=argument_spec,
-                           mutually_exclusive=mutually_exclusive,
-                           required_if=required_if,
-                           supports_check_mode=True)
+    cls = get_ansible_module()
+
+    module = cls(argument_spec=argument_spec,
+                 mutually_exclusive=mutually_exclusive,
+                 required_if=required_if,
+                 supports_check_mode=True)
 
     if module.params['force'] is True:
         module.params['match'] = 'none'
@@ -336,19 +352,24 @@ def main():
     warnings = list()
     check_args(module, warnings)
 
-    result = dict(changed=False, warnings=warnings)
+    result = {'changed': False}
+    if warnings:
+        result['warnings'] = warnings
 
     if module.params['backup']:
-        result['__backup__'] = module.config.get_config()
+        result['__backup__'] = get_config(module)
 
-    try:
+    if any((module.params['src'], module.params['lines'])):
         run(module, result)
-    except NetworkError:
-        exc = get_exception()
-        module.fail_json(msg=str(exc), **exc.kwargs)
+
+    if module.params['save']:
+        if not module.check_mode:
+            run_commands(module, ['copy running-config startup-config'])
+        result['changed'] = True
 
     module.exit_json(**result)
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
+    SHARED_LIB = 'eapi'
     main()
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/eos_config.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/eos_config.py
index ffcb0f057f8..7cc09a67b99 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/eos_config.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/eos_config.py
@@ -19,10 +19,16 @@
 from __future__ import (absolute_import, division, print_function)
 __metaclass__ = type
 
-from ansible.plugins.action import ActionBase
-from ansible.plugins.action.net_config import ActionModule as NetActionModule
+from ansible.plugins.action.net_config import ActionModule as NetworkActionModule
 
-class ActionModule(NetActionModule, ActionBase):
-    pass
+try:
+    from __main__ import display
+except ImportError:
+    from ansible.utils.display import Display
+    display = Display()
 
+class ActionModule(NetworkActionModule):
 
+    def run(self, tmp=None, task_vars=None):
+        display.vvvvv('Using connection plugin %s' % self._play_context.connection)
+        return NetworkActionModule.run(self, tmp, task_vars)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/net_config.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/net_config.py
index 5436ae6e2d5..93b8f700a0d 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/net_config.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/net_config.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import glob
 from ansible.plugins.action.network import ActionModule as _ActionModule
 from ansible.module_utils._text import to_text
 from ansible.module_utils.six.moves.urllib.parse import urlsplit
+from ansible.utils.vars import merge_hash
 
 
 PRIVATE_KEYS_RE = re.compile('__.+__')
@@ -42,13 +43,17 @@ class ActionModule(_ActionModule):
             except ValueError as exc:
                 return dict(failed=True, msg=exc.message)
 
-        result = super(ActionModule, self).run(tmp, task_vars)
+        if self._play_context.connection == 'local':
+            result = self.normal(tmp, task_vars)
+        else:
+            result = super(ActionModule, self).run(tmp, task_vars)
 
         if self._task.args.get('backup') and result.get('__backup__'):
             # User requested backup and no error occurred in module.
             # NOTE: If there is a parameter error, _backup key may not be in results.
             filepath = self._write_backup(task_vars['inventory_hostname'],
                                           result['__backup__'])
+
             result['backup_path'] = filepath
 
         # strip out any keys that have two leading and two trailing
@@ -59,6 +64,22 @@ class ActionModule(_ActionModule):
 
         return result
 
+    def normal(self, tmp=None, task_vars=None):
+        if task_vars is None:
+            task_vars = dict()
+
+        #results = super(ActionModule, self).run(tmp, task_vars)
+        # remove as modules might hide due to nolog
+        #del results['invocation']['module_args']
+
+        results = {}
+        results = merge_hash(results, self._execute_module(tmp=tmp, task_vars=task_vars))
+
+        # hack to keep --verbose from showing all the setup module results
+        if self._task.action == 'setup':
+            results['_ansible_verbose_override'] = True
+
+        return results
     def _get_working_path(self):
         cwd = self._loader.get_basedir()
         if self._task._role is not None:
diff --git a/test/units/modules/network/eos/fixtures/eos_config_candidate.cfg b/test/units/modules/network/eos/fixtures/eos_config_candidate.cfg
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b11bc93e251
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/units/modules/network/eos/fixtures/eos_config_candidate.cfg
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+hostname switch01
+!
+interface Ethernet1
+   description test interface
+   no shutdown
+!
+ip routing
diff --git a/test/units/modules/network/eos/fixtures/eos_config_config.cfg b/test/units/modules/network/eos/fixtures/eos_config_config.cfg
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6a471371a53
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/units/modules/network/eos/fixtures/eos_config_config.cfg
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+!
+hostname localhost
+ip domain-name eng.ansible.com
+!
+vrf definition mgmt
+!
+vrf definition test
+!
+interface Management1
+   ip address 192.168.1.1/24
+!
+interface Ethernet1
+   shutdown
+!
+interface Ethernet2
+   shutdown
+!
+interface Ethernet3
+   shutdown
+!
+interface Ethernet4
+   shutdown
+!
+interface Ethernet5
+   shutdown
+!
diff --git a/test/units/modules/network/eos/test_eos_config.py b/test/units/modules/network/eos/test_eos_config.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..be00148ec98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/units/modules/network/eos/test_eos_config.py
@@ -0,0 +1,202 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+#
+# (c) 2016 Red Hat Inc.
+#
+# This file is part of Ansible
+#
+# Ansible is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# Ansible is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with Ansible.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+# Make coding more python3-ish
+from __future__ import (absolute_import, division, print_function)
+__metaclass__ = type
+
+import os
+import sys
+import json
+
+from ansible.compat.tests import unittest
+from ansible.compat.tests.mock import patch, MagicMock
+from ansible.errors import AnsibleModuleExit
+from ansible.modules.network.eos import eos_config
+from ansible.module_utils.netcfg import NetworkConfig
+from ansible.module_utils import basic
+from ansible.module_utils._text import to_bytes
+
+PROVIDER_ARGS = {
+    'host': 'localhost',
+    'username': 'username',
+    'password': 'password'
+}
+
+def set_module_args(args):
+    args = json.dumps({'ANSIBLE_MODULE_ARGS': args})
+    basic._ANSIBLE_ARGS = to_bytes(args)
+
+fixture_path = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'fixtures')
+fixture_data = {}
+
+def load_fixture(name):
+    path = os.path.join(fixture_path, name)
+
+    if path in fixture_data:
+        return fixture_data[path]
+
+    with open(path) as f:
+        data = f.read()
+
+    try:
+        data = json.loads(data)
+    except:
+        pass
+
+    fixture_data[path] = data
+    return data
+
+
+class TestEosConfigModule(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.mock_get_config = patch('ansible.modules.network.eos.eos_config.get_config')
+        self.get_config = self.mock_get_config.start()
+
+        self.mock_load_config = patch('ansible.modules.network.eos.eos_config.load_config')
+        self.load_config = self.mock_load_config.start()
+
+        self.mock_supports_sessions = patch('ansible.modules.network.eos.eos_config.supports_sessions')
+        self.supports_sessions = self.mock_supports_sessions.start()
+        self.supports_sessions.return_value = True
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        self.mock_get_config.stop()
+        self.mock_load_config.stop()
+
+    def execute_module(self, failed=False, changed=False):
+
+        self.get_config.return_value = load_fixture('eos_config_config.cfg')
+        self.load_config.return_value = dict(diff=None, session='session')
+
+        with self.assertRaises(AnsibleModuleExit) as exc:
+            eos_config.main()
+
+        result = exc.exception.result
+
+        if failed:
+            self.assertTrue(result.get('failed'))
+        else:
+            self.assertEqual(result.get('changed'), changed, result)
+
+        return result
+
+    def test_eos_config_no_change(self):
+        args = dict(lines=['hostname localhost'])
+        args.update(PROVIDER_ARGS)
+        set_module_args(args)
+        result = self.execute_module()
+
+    def test_eos_config_src(self):
+        args = dict(src=load_fixture('eos_config_candidate.cfg'))
+        args.update(PROVIDER_ARGS)
+        set_module_args(args)
+
+        result = self.execute_module(changed=True)
+        config = ['hostname switch01', 'interface Ethernet1',
+                  'description test interface', 'no shutdown', 'ip routing']
+
+        self.assertEqual(sorted(config), sorted(result['commands']), result['commands'])
+
+    def test_eos_config_lines(self):
+        args = dict(lines=['hostname switch01', 'ip domain-name eng.ansible.com'])
+        args.update(PROVIDER_ARGS)
+        set_module_args(args)
+
+        result = self.execute_module(changed=True)
+        config = ['hostname switch01']
+
+        self.assertEqual(sorted(config), sorted(result['commands']), result['commands'])
+
+    def test_eos_config_before(self):
+        args = dict(lines=['hostname switch01', 'ip domain-name eng.ansible.com'],
+                     before=['before command'])
+
+        args.update(PROVIDER_ARGS)
+        set_module_args(args)
+
+        result = self.execute_module(changed=True)
+        config = ['before command', 'hostname switch01']
+
+        self.assertEqual(sorted(config), sorted(result['commands']), result['commands'])
+        self.assertEqual('before command', result['commands'][0])
+
+    def test_eos_config_after(self):
+        args = dict(lines=['hostname switch01', 'ip domain-name eng.ansible.com'],
+                     after=['after command'])
+
+        args.update(PROVIDER_ARGS)
+        set_module_args(args)
+
+        result = self.execute_module(changed=True)
+        config = ['after command', 'hostname switch01']
+
+        self.assertEqual(sorted(config), sorted(result['commands']), result['commands'])
+        self.assertEqual('after command', result['commands'][-1])
+
+    def test_eos_config_parents(self):
+        args = dict(lines=['ip address 1.2.3.4/5', 'no shutdown'], parents=['interface Ethernet10'])
+        args.update(PROVIDER_ARGS)
+        set_module_args(args)
+
+        result = self.execute_module(changed=True)
+        config = ['interface Ethernet10', 'ip address 1.2.3.4/5', 'no shutdown']
+
+        self.assertEqual(config, result['commands'], result['commands'])
+
+    def test_eos_config_src_and_lines_fails(self):
+        args = dict(src='foo', lines='foo')
+        args.update(PROVIDER_ARGS)
+        set_module_args(args)
+        result = self.execute_module(failed=True)
+
+    def test_eos_config_match_exact_requires_lines(self):
+        args = dict(match='exact')
+        args.update(PROVIDER_ARGS)
+        set_module_args(args)
+        result = self.execute_module(failed=True)
+
+    def test_eos_config_match_strict_requires_lines(self):
+        args = dict(match='strict')
+        args.update(PROVIDER_ARGS)
+        set_module_args(args)
+        result = self.execute_module(failed=True)
+
+    def test_eos_config_replace_block_requires_lines(self):
+        args = dict(replace='block')
+        args.update(PROVIDER_ARGS)
+        set_module_args(args)
+        result = self.execute_module(failed=True)
+
+    def test_eos_config_replace_config_requires_src(self):
+        args = dict(replace='config')
+        args.update(PROVIDER_ARGS)
+        set_module_args(args)
+        result = self.execute_module(failed=True)
+
+    def test_eos_config_backup_returns__backup__(self):
+        args = dict(backup=True)
+        args.update(PROVIDER_ARGS)
+        set_module_args(args)
+        result = self.execute_module()
+        self.assertIn('__backup__', result)
+
+
+