diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/network/aci/aci_rest.py b/lib/ansible/modules/network/aci/aci_rest.py
index 7e64df31dfe..3df238a6b18 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/network/aci/aci_rest.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/network/aci/aci_rest.py
@@ -70,7 +70,22 @@ EXAMPLES = r'''
     src: /home/cisco/ansible/aci/configs/aci_config.xml
   delegate_to: localhost
 
-- name: Add a tenant
+- name: Add a tenant using inline YAML
+  aci_rest:
+    hostname: '{{ inventory_hostname }}'
+    username: '{{ aci_username }}'
+    password: '{{ aci_password }}'
+    validate_certs: no
+    path: /api/mo/uni/tn-[Sales].json
+    method: post
+    content:
+      fvTenant:
+        attributes:
+          name: Sales
+          descr: Sales departement
+  delegate_to: localhost
+
+- name: Add a tenant using a JSON string
   aci_rest:
     hostname: '{{ inventory_hostname }}'
     username: '{{ aci_username }}'
@@ -89,6 +104,18 @@ EXAMPLES = r'''
       }
   delegate_to: localhost
 
+- name: Add a tenant using an XML string
+  aci_rest:
+    hostname: '{{ inventory_hostname }}'
+    username: '{{ aci_username }}'
+    password: '{{ aci_password }}'
+    validate_certs: no
+    path: /api/mo/uni/tn-[Sales].xml
+    method: post
+    content: |
+      <fvTenant name="Sales" descr="Sales departement"/>
+  delegate_to: localhost
+
 - name: Get tenants
   aci_rest:
     hostname: '{{ inventory_hostname }}'
@@ -187,6 +214,7 @@ url:
   sample: https://1.2.3.4/api/mo/uni/tn-[Dag].json?rsp-subtree=modified
 '''
 
+import json
 import os
 
 try:
@@ -211,9 +239,17 @@ try:
 except ImportError:
     HAS_XMLJSON_COBRA = False
 
+# Optional, only used for YAML validation
+try:
+    import yaml
+    HAS_YAML = True
+except:
+    HAS_YAML = False
+
 from ansible.module_utils.aci import ACIModule, aci_argument_spec, aci_response_json, aci_response_xml
 from ansible.module_utils.basic import AnsibleModule
 from ansible.module_utils.urls import fetch_url
+from ansible.module_utils._text import to_text
 
 
 def update_qsl(url, params):
@@ -267,7 +303,7 @@ def main():
         path=dict(type='str', required=True, aliases=['uri']),
         method=dict(type='str', default='get', choices=['delete', 'get', 'post'], aliases=['action']),
         src=dict(type='path', aliases=['config_file']),
-        content=dict(type='str'),
+        content=dict(type='raw'),
     )
 
     module = AnsibleModule(
@@ -311,6 +347,30 @@ def main():
             # TODO: Would be nice to template this, requires action-plugin
             payload = config_object.read()
 
+    # Validate content
+    if rest_type == 'json':
+        if content and isinstance(content, dict):
+            # Validate inline YAML/JSON
+            payload = json.dumps(payload)
+        elif payload and isinstance(payload, str) and HAS_YAML:
+            try:
+                # Validate YAML/JSON string
+                payload = json.dumps(yaml.load(payload))
+            except Exception as e:
+                module.fail_json(msg='Failed to parse provided JSON/YAML content: %s' % to_text(e), exception=to_text(e), payload=payload)
+    elif rest_type == 'xml' and HAS_LXML_ETREE:
+        if content and isinstance(content, dict) and HAS_XMLJSON_COBRA:
+            # Validate inline YAML/JSON
+            # FIXME: Converting from a dictionary to XML is unsupported at this time
+            # payload = etree.tostring(payload)
+            pass
+        elif payload and isinstance(payload, str):
+            try:
+                # Validate XML string
+                payload = lxml.etree.tostring(lxml.etree.fromstring(payload))
+            except Exception as e:
+                module.fail_json(msg='Failed to parse provided XML content: %s' % to_text(e), payload=payload)
+
     # Perform actual request using auth cookie (Same as aci_request,but also supports XML)
     url = '%(protocol)s://%(hostname)s/' % aci.params + path.lstrip('/')
     if method != 'get':
@@ -325,9 +385,9 @@ def main():
     if info['status'] != 200:
         try:
             aci_response(aci.result, info['body'], rest_type)
-            module.fail_json(msg='Request failed: %(error_code)s %(error_text)s' % aci.result, **aci.result)
+            module.fail_json(msg='Request failed: %(error_code)s %(error_text)s' % aci.result, payload=payload, **aci.result)
         except KeyError:
-            module.fail_json(msg='Request failed for %(url)s. %(msg)s' % info, **aci.result)
+            module.fail_json(msg='Request failed for %(url)s. %(msg)s' % info, payload=payload, **aci.result)
 
     aci_response(aci.result, resp.read(), rest_type)