diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_utils/network/ios/ios.py b/lib/ansible/module_utils/network/ios/ios.py
index 1b091e75b0e..f1671ecd08f 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_utils/network/ios/ios.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_utils/network/ios/ios.py
@@ -166,7 +166,8 @@ def load_config(module, commands):
     connection = get_connection(module)
 
     try:
-        diff, response = connection.edit_config(commands)
-        return response
+        resp = connection.edit_config(commands)
+        resp = json.loads(resp)
+        return resp.get('response')
     except ConnectionError as exc:
         module.fail_json(msg=to_text(exc))
diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_utils/network/vyos/vyos.py b/lib/ansible/module_utils/network/vyos/vyos.py
index 0d9dc41d4ee..2295a41242c 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_utils/network/vyos/vyos.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_utils/network/vyos/vyos.py
@@ -133,7 +133,9 @@ def load_config(module, commands, commit=False, comment=None):
     connection = get_connection(module)
 
     try:
-        diff_config, resp = connection.edit_config(candidate=commands, commit=commit, diff=module._diff, comment=comment)
+        resp = connection.edit_config(candidate=commands, commit=commit, diff=module._diff, comment=comment)
+        resp = json.loads(resp)
+        diff_config = resp.get('diff')
     except ConnectionError as exc:
         module.fail_json(msg=to_text(exc))
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/cliconf/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/cliconf/__init__.py
index 39df307046d..4708fff1823 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/cliconf/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/cliconf/__init__.py
@@ -206,9 +206,13 @@ class CliconfBase(with_metaclass(ABCMeta, object)):
         :param diff: Boolean flag to indicate if configuration that is applied on remote host should
                      generated and returned in response or not
         :param comment: Commit comment provided it is supported by remote host
-        :return: Returns a tuple, the first entry of tupe is configuration diff if diff flag is enable else
-                it is None. Second entry is the list of response received from remote host on executing
-                configuration commands.
+        :return: Returns a json string with contains configuration applied on remote host, the returned
+                 response on executing configuration commands and platform relevant data.
+               {
+                   "diff": "",
+                   "response": []
+               }
+
         """
         pass
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/cliconf/ios.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/cliconf/ios.py
index b2e50229475..ac9bb4cd0b7 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/cliconf/ios.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/cliconf/ios.py
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ class Cliconf(CliconfBase):
 
     @enable_mode
     def edit_config(self, candidate=None, commit=True, replace=False, diff=False, comment=None):
+        resp = {}
         if not candidate:
             raise ValueError("must provide a candidate config to load")
 
@@ -154,7 +155,9 @@ class Cliconf(CliconfBase):
         if diff:
             diff_config = candidate
 
-        return diff_config, results[1:-1]
+        resp['diff'] = diff_config
+        resp['response'] = results[1:-1]
+        return json.dumps(resp)
 
     def get(self, command=None, prompt=None, answer=None, sendonly=False):
         if not command:
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/cliconf/vyos.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/cliconf/vyos.py
index f2dd1270f48..430a2c17334 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/cliconf/vyos.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/cliconf/vyos.py
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ class Cliconf(CliconfBase):
         return out
 
     def edit_config(self, candidate=None, commit=True, replace=False, diff=False, comment=None):
+        resp = {}
         if not candidate:
             raise ValueError('must provide a candidate config to load')
 
@@ -98,7 +99,9 @@ class Cliconf(CliconfBase):
         else:
             self.discard_changes()
 
-        return diff_config, results[1:]
+        resp['diff'] = diff_config
+        resp['response'] = results[1:]
+        return json.dumps(resp)
 
     def get(self, command=None, prompt=None, answer=None, sendonly=False):
         if not command: