diff --git a/hacking/test-module b/hacking/test-module
index dd031ccc5bc..85d3c16a967 100755
--- a/hacking/test-module
+++ b/hacking/test-module
@@ -63,10 +63,13 @@ def parse():
     else:
         return options, args
 
-def write_argsfile(argstring):
+def write_argsfile(argstring, json=False):
     """ Write args to a file for old-style module's use. """
     argspath = os.path.expanduser("~/.ansible_test_module_arguments")
     argsfile = open(argspath, 'w')
+    if json:
+        args = utils.parse_kv(argstring)
+        argstring = utils.jsonify(args)
     argsfile.write(argstring)
     argsfile.close()
     return argspath
@@ -97,10 +100,16 @@ def boilerplate_module(modfile, args):
         modfile2.write(module_data)
         modfile2.close()
         modfile = modfile2_path
-        return (modfile2_path, included_boilerplate)
+
+        return (modfile2_path, included_boilerplate, False)
     else:
+
+        old_style_but_json = False
+        if 'WANT_JSON' in module_data:
+           old_style_but_json = True
+
         print "* module boilerplate substitution not requested in module, line numbers will be unaltered"
-        return (modfile, included_boilerplate)
+        return (modfile, included_boilerplate, old_style_but_json)
 
 def runtest( modfile, argspath):
     """Test run a module, piping it's output for reporting."""
@@ -142,10 +151,14 @@ def rundebug(debugger, modfile, argspath):
 def main(): 
 
     options, args = parse()
-    (modfile, is_new_style) = boilerplate_module(options.module_path, options.module_args)
+    (modfile, is_new_style, old_style_but_json) = boilerplate_module(options.module_path, options.module_args)
+
     argspath=None
     if not is_new_style:
-        argspath = write_argsfile(options.module_args)
+        if old_style_but_json:
+            argspath = write_argsfile(options.module_args, json=True)
+        else:
+            argspath = write_argsfile(options.module_args, json=False)
     if options.debugger: 
         rundebug(options.debugger, modfile, argspath)
     else:
diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py
index 3893cd86b11..146fec3502e 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ class Runner(object):
             if 'port' not in args:
                 args += " port=%s" % C.ZEROMQ_PORT
 
-        (remote_module_path, is_new_style, shebang) = self._copy_module(conn, tmp, module_name, args, inject, complex_args)
+        (remote_module_path, module_style, shebang) = self._copy_module(conn, tmp, module_name, args, inject, complex_args)
 
         environment_string = self._compute_environment_string(inject)
 
@@ -273,14 +273,26 @@ class Runner(object):
             self._low_level_exec_command(conn, cmd_chmod, tmp, sudoable=False)
 
         cmd = ""
-        if not is_new_style:
+        if module_style != 'new':
             if 'CHECKMODE=True' in args:
                 # if module isn't using AnsibleModuleCommon infrastructure we can't be certain it knows how to
                 # do --check mode, so to be safe we will not run it.
-                return ReturnData(conn=conn, result=dict(skippped=True, msg="cannot run check mode against old-style modules"))
+                return ReturnData(conn=conn, result=dict(skippped=True, msg="cannot yet run check mode against old-style modules"))
 
             args = template.template(self.basedir, args, inject)
-            argsfile = self._transfer_str(conn, tmp, 'arguments', args)
+
+            # decide whether we need to transfer JSON or key=value
+            argsfile = None
+            if module_style == 'non_native_want_json':
+                if complex_args:
+                    complex_args.update(utils.parse_kv(args))
+                    argsfile = self._transfer_str(conn, tmp, 'arguments', utils.jsonify(complex_args))
+                else:
+                    argsfile = self._transfer_str(conn, tmp, 'arguments', utils.jsonify(utils.parse_kv(args)))
+
+            else:
+                argsfile = self._transfer_str(conn, tmp, 'arguments', args)
+
             if async_jid is None:
                 cmd = "%s %s" % (remote_module_path, argsfile)
             else:
@@ -671,12 +683,14 @@ class Runner(object):
         out_path = os.path.join(tmp, module_name)
 
         module_data = ""
-        is_new_style=False
+        module_style = 'old'
 
         with open(in_path) as f:
             module_data = f.read()
             if module_common.REPLACER in module_data:
-                is_new_style=True
+                module_style = 'new'
+            if 'WANT_JSON' in module_data:
+                module_style = 'non_native_want_json'
 
             complex_args_json = utils.jsonify(complex_args)
             encoded_args = "\"\"\"%s\"\"\"" % module_args.replace("\"","\\\"")
@@ -688,7 +702,7 @@ class Runner(object):
             module_data = module_data.replace(module_common.REPLACER_LANG, encoded_lang)
             module_data = module_data.replace(module_common.REPLACER_COMPLEX, encoded_complex)
 
-            if is_new_style:
+            if module_style == 'new':
                 facility = C.DEFAULT_SYSLOG_FACILITY
                 if 'ansible_syslog_facility' in inject:
                     facility = inject['ansible_syslog_facility']
@@ -708,7 +722,7 @@ class Runner(object):
 
         self._transfer_str(conn, tmp, module_name, module_data)
 
-        return (out_path, is_new_style, shebang)
+        return (out_path, module_style, shebang)
 
     # *****************************************************