diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py
index e556081dc2e..401116388fd 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py
@@ -381,28 +381,23 @@ class Runner(object):
             return ReturnData(host=host, result=result)
 
         conn = None
-        actual_host = host
-        actual_port = port
+        actual_host = inject.get('ansible_ssh_host', host)
+        actual_port = inject.get('ansible_ssh_port', port)
+
+        # the delegated host may have different SSH port configured, etc
+        # and we need to transfer those, and only those, variables
+        delegate_to = inject.get('delegate_to', None)
+        if delegate_to is not None:
+            delegate_to = utils.template(self.basedir, delegate_to, inject)
+            delegate_info = inject['hostvars'][delegate_to]
+            actual_host = delegate_info.get('ansible_ssh_host', delegate_to)
+            actual_port = delegate_info.get('ansible_ssh_port', port)
+
         try:
-            alternative_host = inject.get('ansible_ssh_host', None)
-            if alternative_host is not None:
-                actual_host = alternative_host
-
-            delegate_to = inject.get('delegate_to', None)
-
-            # the delegated host may have different SSH port configured, etc
-            # and we need to transfer those, and only those, variables
-
-            if delegate_to is not None:
-                delegate_to = utils.template(self.basedir, delegate_to, inject)
-                actual_host = inject['hostvars'][delegate_to].get('ansible_ssh_host', delegate_to)
-                actual_port = inject['hostvars'][delegate_to].get('ansible_ssh_port', port)
-
             # connect
             conn = self.connector.connect(actual_host, actual_port)
-
-            if delegate_to is not None or alternative_host is not None:
-                conn._delegate_for = host
+            if delegate_to:
+                conn.delegate = host
 
         except errors.AnsibleConnectionFailed, e:
             result = dict(failed=True, msg="FAILED: %s" % str(e))
diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/return_data.py b/lib/ansible/runner/return_data.py
index 9fdc77b9678..92dc6e2604a 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/return_data.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/return_data.py
@@ -26,11 +26,12 @@ class ReturnData(object):
 
         # which host is this ReturnData about?
         if conn is not None:
-            delegate_for = getattr(conn, '_delegate_for', None)
-            if delegate_for:
-                self.host = delegate_for
-            else:
-                self.host = conn.host
+            self.host = conn.host
+            delegate = getattr(conn, 'delegate', None)
+            if delegate is not None:
+                self.host = delegate
+
+
         else:
             self.host = host
 
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@ class ReturnData(object):
         if type(self.result) in [ str, unicode ]:
             self.result = utils.parse_json(self.result)
 
+
         if self.host is None:
             raise Exception("host not set")
         if type(self.result) != dict: