diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/strategy/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/strategy/__init__.py
index 785c045240f..edb17ff8bd4 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/strategy/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/strategy/__init__.py
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ from ansible.inventory.group import Group
 from ansible.module_utils.facts import Facts
 from ansible.playbook.helpers import load_list_of_blocks
 from ansible.playbook.included_file import IncludedFile
+from ansible.playbook.task_include import TaskInclude
 from ansible.plugins import action_loader, connection_loader, filter_loader, lookup_loader, module_loader, test_loader
 from ansible.template import Templar
 from ansible.utils.unicode import to_unicode
@@ -344,21 +345,48 @@ class StrategyBase:
                                     continue
                         return None
 
+                    def parent_handler_match(target_handler, handler_name):
+                        if target_handler:
+                            if isinstance(target_handler, TaskInclude):
+                                try:
+                                    handler_vars = self._variable_manager.get_vars(loader=self._loader, play=iterator._play, task=target_handler)
+                                    templar = Templar(loader=self._loader, variables=handler_vars)
+                                    target_handler_name = templar.template(target_handler.name)
+                                    if target_handler_name == handler_name:
+                                        return True
+                                    else:
+                                        target_handler_name = templar.template(target_handler.get_name())
+                                        if target_handler_name == handler_name:
+                                            return True
+                                except (UndefinedError, AnsibleUndefinedVariable) as e:
+                                    pass
+                            return parent_handler_match(target_handler._task_include, handler_name)
+                        else:
+                            return False
+
                     # Find the handler using the above helper.  First we look up the
                     # dependency chain of the current task (if it's from a role), otherwise
                     # we just look through the list of handlers in the current play/all
                     # roles and use the first one that matches the notify name
                     target_handler = search_handler_blocks(iterator._play.handlers)
-                    if target_handler is None:
-                        raise AnsibleError("The requested handler '%s' was not found in any of the known handlers" % handler_name)
-
-                    if target_handler in self._notified_handlers:
+                    if target_handler is not None:
                         if original_host not in self._notified_handlers[target_handler]:
                             self._notified_handlers[target_handler].append(original_host)
                             # FIXME: should this be a callback?
                             display.vv("NOTIFIED HANDLER %s" % (handler_name,))
                     else:
-                        raise AnsibleError("The requested handler '%s' was not found in the main handlers list" % handler_name)
+                        # As there may be more than one handler with the notified name as the
+                        # parent, so we just keep track of whether or not we found one at all
+                        found = False
+                        for target_handler in self._notified_handlers:
+                            if parent_handler_match(target_handler, handler_name):
+                                self._notified_handlers[target_handler].append(original_host)
+                                display.vv("NOTIFIED HANDLER %s" % (target_handler.get_name(),))
+                                found = True
+
+                        # and if none were found, then we raise an error
+                        if not found:
+                            raise AnsibleError("The requested handler '%s' was not found in the main handlers list" % handler_name)
 
                 elif result[0] == 'register_host_var':
                     # essentially the same as 'set_host_var' below, however we
diff --git a/lib/ansible/vars/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/vars/__init__.py
index c88b41aefcf..5ecc35339e2 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/vars/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/vars/__init__.py
@@ -236,7 +236,10 @@ class VariableManager:
             # sure it sees its defaults above any other roles, as we previously
             # (v1) made sure each task had a copy of its roles default vars
             if task and task._role is not None:
-                all_vars = combine_vars(all_vars, task._role.get_default_vars(dep_chain=task._block.get_dep_chain()))
+                dep_chain = []
+                if task._block:
+                    dep_chain = task._block.get_dep_chain()
+                all_vars = combine_vars(all_vars, task._role.get_default_vars(dep_chain=dep_chain))
 
         if host:
             # next, if a host is specified, we load any vars from group_vars
@@ -333,7 +336,10 @@ class VariableManager:
         # vars (which will look at parent blocks/task includes)
         if task:
             if task._role:
-                all_vars = combine_vars(all_vars, task._role.get_vars(task._block._dep_chain, include_params=False))
+                dep_chain = []
+                if task._block:
+                    dep_chain = task._block.get_dep_chain()
+                all_vars = combine_vars(all_vars, task._role.get_vars(dep_chain=dep_chain, include_params=False))
             all_vars = combine_vars(all_vars, task.get_vars())
 
         # next, we merge in the vars cache (include vars) and nonpersistent
@@ -345,7 +351,10 @@ class VariableManager:
         # next, we merge in role params and task include params
         if task:
             if task._role:
-                all_vars = combine_vars(all_vars, task._role.get_role_params(task._block.get_dep_chain()))
+                dep_chain = []
+                if task._block:
+                    dep_chain = task._block.get_dep_chain()
+                all_vars = combine_vars(all_vars, task._role.get_role_params(dep_chain=dep_chain))
 
             # special case for include tasks, where the include params
             # may be specified in the vars field for the task, which should