diff --git a/bin/ansible-playbook b/bin/ansible-playbook
index 3d05d8e29c8..3a5e399b23b 100755
--- a/bin/ansible-playbook
+++ b/bin/ansible-playbook
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@ def main(args):
         help="start the playbook at the task matching this name")
     parser.add_option('--force-handlers', dest='force_handlers', action='store_true',
         help="run handlers even if a task fails")
+    parser.add_option('--flush-cache', dest='flush_cache', action='store_true',
+        help="flush to fact cache")
 
     options, args = parser.parse_args(args)
 
@@ -191,6 +193,10 @@ def main(args):
             force_handlers=options.force_handlers
         )
 
+        if options.flush_cache:
+            display(callbacks.banner("FLUSHING FACT CACHE"))
+            pb.SETUP_CACHE.flush()
+
         if options.listhosts or options.listtasks or options.syntax:
             print ''
             print 'playbook: %s' % playbook
@@ -313,4 +319,3 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     except KeyboardInterrupt, ke:
         display("ERROR: interrupted", color='red', stderr=True)
         sys.exit(1)
-
diff --git a/lib/ansible/cache/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/cache/__init__.py
index d4b9fece49a..4100861c149 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/cache/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/cache/__init__.py
@@ -50,10 +50,12 @@ class FactCache(MutableMapping):
         return len(self._plugin.keys())
 
     def copy(self):
-        """
-        Return a primitive copy of the keys and values from the cache.
-        """
+        """ Return a primitive copy of the keys and values from the cache. """
         return dict([(k, v) for (k, v) in self.iteritems()])
 
     def keys(self):
         return self._plugin.keys()
+
+    def flush(self):
+        """ Flush the fact cache of all keys. """
+        self._plugin.flush()
diff --git a/lib/ansible/cache/base.py b/lib/ansible/cache/base.py
index cce4d4de707..694ac47a7b2 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/cache/base.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/cache/base.py
@@ -13,3 +13,6 @@ class BaseCacheModule(object):
 
     def delete(self, key):
         raise NotImplementedError("Subclasses of {} must implement the '{}' method".format(self.__class__.__name__, self.__name__))
+
+    def flush(self):
+        raise NotImplementedError("Subclasses of {} must implement the '{}' method".format(self.__class__.__name__, self.__name__))
diff --git a/lib/ansible/cache/file.py b/lib/ansible/cache/file.py
index 96c0d1f9acb..3171ee76f5e 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/cache/file.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/cache/file.py
@@ -47,13 +47,13 @@ class CacheModule(MemoryCacheModule):
 
     def set(self, *args, **kwargs):
         super(CacheModule, self).set(*args, **kwargs)
-        self.flush()
+        self.fsync()
 
     def delete(self, *args, **kwargs):
         super(CacheModule, self).delete(*args, **kwargs)
-        self.flush()
+        self.fsync()
 
-    def flush(self):
+    def fsync(self):
         temp = tempfile.TemporaryFile('r+b')
 
         try:
@@ -63,3 +63,7 @@ class CacheModule(MemoryCacheModule):
                 shutil.copyfileobj(temp, f)
         finally:
             temp.close()
+
+    def flush(self):
+        super(CacheModule, self).flush()
+        self.fsync()
diff --git a/lib/ansible/cache/memcached.py b/lib/ansible/cache/memcached.py
index 59b3820f5df..213e3a24832 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/cache/memcached.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/cache/memcached.py
@@ -110,3 +110,7 @@ class CacheModule(BaseCacheModule):
     def delete(self, key):
         self._cache.delete(self._make_key(key))
         self._keys.discard(key)
+
+    def flush(self):
+        for key in self.keys():
+            self.delete(key)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/cache/memory.py b/lib/ansible/cache/memory.py
index f4bf149a2fb..f948de1b7eb 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/cache/memory.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/cache/memory.py
@@ -35,3 +35,6 @@ class CacheModule(object):
 
     def delete(self, key):
         del self._cache[key]
+
+    def flush(self):
+        self._cache = {}
diff --git a/lib/ansible/cache/redis.py b/lib/ansible/cache/redis.py
index 3891bce6169..0641fb337be 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/cache/redis.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/cache/redis.py
@@ -106,3 +106,7 @@ class CacheModule(BaseCacheModule):
     def delete(self, key):
         self._cache.delete(self._make_key(key))
         self._cache.zrem(self._keys_set, key)
+
+    def flush(self):
+        for key in self.keys():
+            self.delete(key)