diff --git a/lib/ansible/executor/task_executor.py b/lib/ansible/executor/task_executor.py
index 297d8b2526f..489bd68a7cf 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/executor/task_executor.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/executor/task_executor.py
@@ -153,7 +153,8 @@ class TaskExecutor:
         items = None
         if self._task.loop:
             if self._task.loop in self._shared_loader_obj.lookup_loader:
-                loop_terms = listify_lookup_plugin_terms(terms=self._task.loop_args, templar=templar, loader=self._loader, fail_on_undefined=True)
+                #TODO: remove convert_bare true and deprecate this in with_ 
+                loop_terms = listify_lookup_plugin_terms(terms=self._task.loop_args, templar=templar, loader=self._loader, fail_on_undefined=True, convert_bare=True)
                 items = self._shared_loader_obj.lookup_loader.get(self._task.loop, loader=self._loader, templar=templar).run(terms=loop_terms, variables=vars_copy)
             else:
                 raise AnsibleError("Unexpected failure in finding the lookup named '%s' in the available lookup plugins" % self._task.loop)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/template/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/template/__init__.py
index b645a30c979..62f1c462d2d 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/template/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/template/__init__.py
@@ -251,11 +251,10 @@ class Templar:
         instance = self._lookup_loader.get(name.lower(), loader=self._loader, templar=self)
 
         if instance is not None:
-            from ansible.utils.listify import listify_lookup_plugin_terms
-            loop_terms = listify_lookup_plugin_terms(terms=args, templar=self, loader=self._loader, fail_on_undefined=True)
+            loop_terms = listify_lookup_plugin_terms(terms=args, templar=self, loader=self._loader, fail_on_undefined=True, convert_bare=False)
             # safely catch run failures per #5059
             try:
-                ran = instance.run(*args, variables=self._available_variables, **kwargs)
+                ran = instance.run(*loop_terms, variables=self._available_variables, **kwargs)
             except (AnsibleUndefinedVariable, UndefinedError):
                 raise
             except Exception, e:
diff --git a/lib/ansible/utils/listify.py b/lib/ansible/utils/listify.py
index 237e131613f..e23c4005062 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/utils/listify.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/utils/listify.py
@@ -26,14 +26,12 @@ from ansible.template.safe_eval import safe_eval
 __all__ = ['listify_lookup_plugin_terms']
 
 #FIXME: probably just move this into lookup plugin base class
-def listify_lookup_plugin_terms(terms, templar, loader, fail_on_undefined=False):
+def listify_lookup_plugin_terms(terms, templar, loader, fail_on_undefined=False, convert_bare=False):
 
     if isinstance(terms, basestring):
         stripped = terms.strip()
         #FIXME: warn/deprecation on bare vars in with_ so we can eventually remove fail on undefined override
-        terms = templar.template(terms, convert_bare=True, fail_on_undefined=fail_on_undefined)
-        #TODO: check if this is needed as template should also return correct type already
-        #terms = safe_eval(terms)
+        terms = templar.template(terms, convert_bare=convert_bare, fail_on_undefined=fail_on_undefined)
     else:
         terms = templar.template(terms, fail_on_undefined=fail_on_undefined)