diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/strategies/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/strategies/__init__.py
index 39637fb7b67..3a7bb85dfb2 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/strategies/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/strategies/__init__.py
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ class StrategyBase:
         self._variable_manager  = tqm.get_variable_manager()
         self._loader            = tqm.get_loader()
         self._final_q           = tqm._final_q
+        self._step              = tqm._options.step
         self._display           = display
 
         # internal counters
@@ -443,3 +444,26 @@ class StrategyBase:
                     self._notified_handlers[handler_name] = []
             self._display.debug("done running handlers, result is: %s" % result)
         return result
+
+    def _take_step(self, task, host=None):
+
+        ret=False
+        if host:
+            msg = u'Perform task: %s on %s (y/n/c): ' % (task, host)
+        else:
+            msg = u'Perform task: %s (y/n/c): ' % task
+        resp = self._display.prompt(msg)
+
+        if resp.lower() in ['y','yes']:
+            self._display.debug("User ran task")
+            ret = True
+        elif resp.lower() in ['c', 'continue']:
+            self._display.debug("User ran task and cancled step mode")
+            self._step = False
+            ret = True
+        else:
+            self._display.debug("User skipped task")
+
+        self._display.banner(msg)
+
+        return ret
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/strategies/free.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/strategies/free.py
index 253937b0576..683a96ba7ee 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/strategies/free.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/strategies/free.py
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ class StrategyModule(StrategyBase):
         '''
 
         # the last host to be given a task
-        last_host = 0      
+        last_host = 0
 
         result = True
 
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ class StrategyModule(StrategyBase):
                     self._display.debug("this host has work to do")
 
                     # check to see if this host is blocked (still executing a previous task)
-                    if not host_name in self._blocked_hosts:
+                    if not host_name in self._blocked_hosts or not self._blocked_hosts[host_name]:
                         # pop the task, mark the host blocked, and queue it
                         self._blocked_hosts[host_name] = True
                         (state, task) = iterator.get_next_task_for_host(host)
@@ -122,8 +122,10 @@ class StrategyModule(StrategyBase):
 
                             self._blocked_hosts[host_name] = False
                         else:
-                            self._tqm.send_callback('v2_playbook_on_task_start', task, is_conditional=False)
-                            self._queue_task(host, task, task_vars, play_context)
+                            # handle step if needed, skip meta actions as they are used internally
+                            if not self._step or self._take_step(task, host_name):
+                                self._tqm.send_callback('v2_playbook_on_task_start', task, is_conditional=False)
+                                self._queue_task(host, task, task_vars, play_context)
 
                 # move on to the next host and make sure we
                 # haven't gone past the end of our hosts list
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/strategies/linear.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/strategies/linear.py
index a00a936cba5..6de217f3f1b 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/strategies/linear.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/strategies/linear.py
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ class StrategyModule(StrategyBase):
                     rvals.append((host, noop_task))
             return rvals
 
+
         # if any hosts are in ITERATING_SETUP, return the setup task
         # while all other hosts get a noop
         if num_setups:
@@ -142,6 +143,10 @@ class StrategyModule(StrategyBase):
                 host_results = []
                 host_tasks = self._get_next_task_lockstep(hosts_left, iterator)
 
+                # skip control
+                skip_rest   = False
+                choose_step = True
+
                 for (host, task) in host_tasks:
                     if not task:
                         continue
@@ -149,6 +154,7 @@ class StrategyModule(StrategyBase):
                     run_once = False
                     work_to_do = True
 
+
                     # test to see if the task across all hosts points to an action plugin which
                     # sets BYPASS_HOST_LOOP to true, or if it has run_once enabled. If so, we
                     # will only send this task to the first host in the list.
@@ -183,6 +189,14 @@ class StrategyModule(StrategyBase):
                         else:
                             raise AnsibleError("invalid meta action requested: %s" % meta_action, obj=task._ds)
                     else:
+                        # handle step if needed, skip meta actions as they are used internally
+                        if self._step and choose_step:
+                            if self._take_step(task):
+                                choose_step = False
+                            else:
+                                break
+                                skip_rest = True
+
                         self._display.debug("getting variables")
                         task_vars = self._variable_manager.get_vars(loader=self._loader, play=iterator._play, host=host, task=task)
                         task_vars = self.add_tqm_variables(task_vars, play=iterator._play)
@@ -210,6 +224,10 @@ class StrategyModule(StrategyBase):
                     if run_once:
                         break
 
+                # go to next host/task group
+                if skip_rest:
+                    continue
+
                 self._display.debug("done queuing things up, now waiting for results queue to drain")
                 results = self._wait_on_pending_results(iterator)
                 host_results.extend(results)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/utils/display.py b/lib/ansible/utils/display.py
index 40a3b2dbd20..224d1c3863c 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/utils/display.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/utils/display.py
@@ -201,3 +201,11 @@ class Display:
             self.display(new_msg, color='red', stderr=True)
             self._errors[new_msg] = 1
 
+    def prompt(self, msg):
+
+        if sys.stdout.encoding:
+            msg = to_bytes(msg, sys.stdout.encoding)
+        else:
+            msg = to_bytes(msg)
+
+        return raw_input(msg)