diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_utils/nxos.py b/lib/ansible/module_utils/nxos.py
index 41e4269ade3..d8eb0f97de4 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_utils/nxos.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_utils/nxos.py
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ NET_COMMON_ARGS = dict(
     username=dict(required=True),
     password=dict(no_log=True),
     transport=dict(choices=['cli', 'nxapi']),
-    use_ssl=dict(default=False, type='bool')
+    use_ssl=dict(default=False, type='bool'),
+    provider=dict()
 )
 
 NXAPI_COMMAND_TYPES = ['cli_show', 'cli_show_ascii', 'cli_conf', 'bash']
@@ -131,10 +132,10 @@ class Cli(object):
     def send(self, commands, encoding='text'):
         return self.shell.send(commands)
 
-class NxosModule(AnsibleModule):
+class NetworkModule(AnsibleModule):
 
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
-        super(NxosModule, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
+        super(NetworkModule, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
         self.connection = None
         self._config = None
 
@@ -144,6 +145,14 @@ class NxosModule(AnsibleModule):
             self._config = self.get_config()
         return self._config
 
+    def _load_params(self):
+        params = super(NetworkModule, self)._load_params()
+        provider = params.get('provider') or dict()
+        for key, value in provider.items():
+            if key in NET_COMMON_ARGS.keys():
+                params[key] = value
+        return params
+
     def connect(self):
         if self.params['transport'] == 'nxapi':
             self.connection = Nxapi(self)
@@ -191,26 +200,18 @@ class NxosModule(AnsibleModule):
             return resp['ins_api']['outputs']['output']['body']
 
 def get_module(**kwargs):
-    """Return instance of NxosModule
+    """Return instance of NetworkModule
     """
-
     argument_spec = NET_COMMON_ARGS.copy()
     if kwargs.get('argument_spec'):
         argument_spec.update(kwargs['argument_spec'])
     kwargs['argument_spec'] = argument_spec
-    kwargs['check_invalid_arguments'] = False
 
-    module = NxosModule(**kwargs)
+    module = NetworkModule(**kwargs)
 
     # HAS_PARAMIKO is set by module_utils/shell.py
     if module.params['transport'] == 'cli' and not HAS_PARAMIKO:
         module.fail_json(msg='paramiko is required but does not appear to be installed')
 
-    # copy in values from local action.
-    params = json_dict_unicode_to_bytes(json.loads(MODULE_COMPLEX_ARGS))
-    for key, value in params.iteritems():
-        module.params[key] = value
-
     module.connect()
-
     return module
diff --git a/lib/ansible/utils/module_docs_fragments/nxos.py b/lib/ansible/utils/module_docs_fragments/nxos.py
index 37d287ea722..26312155c40 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/utils/module_docs_fragments/nxos.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/utils/module_docs_fragments/nxos.py
@@ -65,5 +65,12 @@ options:
     required: false
     default: false
     choices: BOOLEANS
+  provider:
+    description:
+      - Convience method that allows all M(nxos) arguments to be passed as
+        a dict object.  All constraints (required, choices, etc) must be
+        met either by individual arguments or values in this dict.
+    required: false
+    default: null
 
 """