diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py
index 59b40d14835..71b6047fc47 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py
@@ -568,7 +568,9 @@ class Runner(object):
 
         module_name = utils.template(self.module_name, inject)
 
-        tmp = self._make_tmp_path(conn)
+        tmp = ''
+        if self.module_name != 'raw':
+            tmp = self._make_tmp_path(conn)
         result = None
 
         handler = getattr(self, "_execute_%s" % self.module_name, None)
@@ -595,7 +597,8 @@ class Runner(object):
 
             del result.result['daisychain']
 
-        self._delete_remote_files(conn, tmp)
+        if self.module_name != 'raw':
+            self._delete_remote_files(conn, tmp)
         conn.close()
 
         if not result.comm_ok:
diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/connection/paramiko_ssh.py b/lib/ansible/runner/connection/paramiko_ssh.py
index 79d91ec5a35..ca48f1dd984 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/connection/paramiko_ssh.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/connection/paramiko_ssh.py
@@ -84,7 +84,13 @@ class ParamikoConnection(object):
         ''' run a command on the remote host '''
 
         bufsize = 4096
-        chan = self.ssh.get_transport().open_session()
+        try:
+            chan = self.ssh.get_transport().open_session()
+        except Exception, e:
+            msg = "Failed to open session"
+            if len(str(e)) > 0:
+                msg += ": %s" % str(e)
+            raise errors.AnsibleConnectionFailed(msg)
         chan.get_pty()
 
         if not self.runner.sudo or not sudoable: