diff --git a/lib/ansible/constants.py b/lib/ansible/constants.py
index 97f2202dd8f..d2297707282 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/constants.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/constants.py
@@ -32,15 +32,13 @@ from ansible.utils.path import makedirs_safe
 
 BOOL_TRUE = frozenset([ "true", "t", "y", "1", "yes", "on" ])
 
-# copied from utils, avoid circular reference fun :)
 def mk_boolean(value):
-    if value is None:
-        return False
-    val = str(value)
-    if val.lower() in BOOL_TRUE:
-        return True
-    else:
-        return False
+    ret = value
+    if not isinstance(value, bool):
+        if value is None:
+            ret = False
+        ret = (str(value).lower() in BOOL_TRUE)
+    return ret
 
 def shell_expand(path, expand_relative_paths=False):
     '''
diff --git a/lib/ansible/executor/play_iterator.py b/lib/ansible/executor/play_iterator.py
index 078788d5287..625d2b9c6e7 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/executor/play_iterator.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/executor/play_iterator.py
@@ -22,15 +22,13 @@ __metaclass__ = type
 import fnmatch
 
 from ansible.compat.six import iteritems
-
 from ansible import constants as C
-
 from ansible.errors import AnsibleError
 from ansible.playbook.block import Block
 from ansible.playbook.task import Task
 from ansible.playbook.role_include import IncludeRole
 
-from ansible.utils.boolean import boolean
+boolean = C.mk_boolean
 
 __all__ = ['PlayIterator']
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/playbook/base.py b/lib/ansible/playbook/base.py
index 11f908d1816..41a437c22d7 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/playbook/base.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/playbook/base.py
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ from ansible.errors import AnsibleParserError, AnsibleUndefinedVariable
 from ansible.module_utils._text import to_text
 from ansible.playbook.attribute import Attribute, FieldAttribute
 from ansible.parsing.dataloader import DataLoader
-from ansible.utils.boolean import boolean
+from ansible.constants import mk_boolean as boolean
 from ansible.utils.vars import combine_vars, isidentifier
 
 try:
diff --git a/lib/ansible/playbook/play_context.py b/lib/ansible/playbook/play_context.py
index 1eac6f05bf1..b04cb7f0561 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/playbook/play_context.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/playbook/play_context.py
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ from ansible.errors import AnsibleError
 from ansible.module_utils._text import to_bytes
 from ansible.playbook.attribute import FieldAttribute
 from ansible.playbook.base import Base
-from ansible.utils.boolean import boolean
+
+boolean = C.mk_boolean
 
 __all__ = ['PlayContext']
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/assemble.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/assemble.py
index ef7e337150c..3a3f0fc29f6 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/assemble.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/assemble.py
@@ -25,10 +25,10 @@ import os.path
 import re
 import tempfile
 
+from ansible.constants import mk_boolean as boolean
 from ansible.errors import AnsibleError
 from ansible.module_utils._text import to_native, to_text
 from ansible.plugins.action import ActionBase
-from ansible.utils.boolean import boolean
 from ansible.utils.hashing import checksum_s
 
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/copy.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/copy.py
index 41290c8f9e6..fe300b23e4c 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/copy.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/copy.py
@@ -24,10 +24,10 @@ import os
 import stat
 import tempfile
 
+from ansible.constants import mk_boolean as boolean
 from ansible.errors import AnsibleError
 from ansible.module_utils._text import to_bytes, to_native, to_text
 from ansible.plugins.action import ActionBase
-from ansible.utils.boolean import boolean
 from ansible.utils.hashing import checksum
 
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/fetch.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/fetch.py
index 2d32744294e..03cf553474f 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/fetch.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/fetch.py
@@ -20,10 +20,10 @@ __metaclass__ = type
 import os
 import base64
 
+from ansible.constants import mk_boolean as boolean
 from ansible.errors import AnsibleError
 from ansible.module_utils._text import to_bytes
 from ansible.plugins.action import ActionBase
-from ansible.utils.boolean import boolean
 from ansible.utils.hashing import checksum, checksum_s, md5, secure_hash
 from ansible.utils.path import makedirs_safe
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/patch.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/patch.py
index 94bcf677467..88fe91ec2c2 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/patch.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/patch.py
@@ -20,10 +20,10 @@ __metaclass__ = type
 
 import os
 
+from ansible.constants import mk_boolean as boolean
 from ansible.errors import AnsibleError
 from ansible.module_utils._text import to_native
 from ansible.plugins.action import ActionBase
-from ansible.utils.boolean import boolean
 
 
 class ActionModule(ActionBase):
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/set_fact.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/set_fact.py
index 7acc48c781e..b16927b3f2a 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/set_fact.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/set_fact.py
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ __metaclass__ = type
 
 from ansible.compat.six import iteritems, string_types
 
+from ansible.constants import mk_boolean as boolean
 from ansible.plugins.action import ActionBase
-from ansible.utils.boolean import boolean
 from ansible.utils.vars import isidentifier
 
 class ActionModule(ActionBase):
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/synchronize.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/synchronize.py
index 0087b588576..4b13f3990d4 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/synchronize.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/synchronize.py
@@ -22,9 +22,10 @@ import os.path
 from ansible.playbook.play_context import MAGIC_VARIABLE_MAPPING
 from ansible.plugins.action import ActionBase
 from ansible.plugins import connection_loader
-from ansible.utils.boolean import boolean
 from ansible import constants as C
 
+boolean = C.mk_boolean
+
 
 class ActionModule(ActionBase):
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/template.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/template.py
index 34f452f7a3b..43dc6922edd 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/template.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/template.py
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ from ansible.errors import AnsibleError
 from ansible.module_utils._text import to_bytes, to_native, to_text
 from ansible.plugins.action import ActionBase
 from ansible.utils.hashing import checksum_s
-from ansible.utils.boolean import boolean
 
+boolean = C.mk_boolean
 
 class ActionModule(ActionBase):
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/unarchive.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/unarchive.py
index 3966984d62c..818d7d884c6 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/unarchive.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/unarchive.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import os
 from ansible.errors import AnsibleError
 from ansible.module_utils._text import to_native
 from ansible.plugins.action import ActionBase
-from ansible.utils.boolean import boolean
+from ansible.constants import mk_boolean as boolean
 
 
 class ActionModule(ActionBase):
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/ssh.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/ssh.py
index 36b3e2610bf..b4ed0398d18 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/ssh.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/ssh.py
@@ -35,9 +35,9 @@ from ansible.errors import AnsibleOptionsError
 from ansible.module_utils.basic import BOOLEANS
 from ansible.module_utils._text import to_bytes, to_native, to_text
 from ansible.plugins.connection import ConnectionBase
-from ansible.utils.boolean import boolean
 from ansible.utils.path import unfrackpath, makedirs_safe
 
+boolean = C.mk_boolean
 
 try:
     from __main__ import display
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/first_found.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/first_found.py
index 43fc3a7a77c..36e86188d13 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/first_found.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/first_found.py
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ from jinja2.exceptions import UndefinedError
 from ansible.compat.six import string_types
 from ansible.errors import AnsibleFileNotFound, AnsibleLookupError, AnsibleUndefinedVariable
 from ansible.plugins.lookup import LookupBase
-from ansible.utils.boolean import boolean
+from ansible.constants import mk_boolean as boolean
 
 class LookupModule(LookupBase):
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/subelements.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/subelements.py
index 214a03a8f4e..8e8c16b8852 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/subelements.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/subelements.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ from ansible.compat.six import string_types
 from ansible.errors import AnsibleError
 from ansible.plugins.lookup import LookupBase
 from ansible.utils.listify import listify_lookup_plugin_terms
-from ansible.utils.boolean import boolean
+from ansible.constants import mk_boolean as boolean
 
 FLAGS = ('skip_missing',)
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/utils/boolean.py b/lib/ansible/utils/boolean.py
deleted file mode 100644
index bf15be346d0..00000000000
--- a/lib/ansible/utils/boolean.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,29 +0,0 @@
-# (c) 2012-2014, Michael DeHaan <michael.dehaan@gmail.com>
-#
-# This file is part of Ansible
-#
-# Ansible is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
-# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
-# the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
-# (at your option) any later version.
-#
-# Ansible is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
-# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
-# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
-# GNU General Public License for more details.
-#
-# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
-# along with Ansible.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
-
-# Make coding more python3-ish
-from __future__ import (absolute_import, division, print_function)
-__metaclass__ = type
-
-
-def boolean(value):
-    val = str(value)
-    if val.lower() in [ "true", "t", "y", "1", "yes" ]:
-        return True
-    else:
-        return False
-
diff --git a/test/integration/group_vars/all b/test/integration/group_vars/all
index df4be050cfd..0f8a2260309 100644
--- a/test/integration/group_vars/all
+++ b/test/integration/group_vars/all
@@ -13,5 +13,5 @@ test_hash:
 # variables used for conditional testing
 test_bare: true
 test_bare_var: 123
-test_bare_nested_good: "{{test_bare_var}} == 123"
+test_bare_nested_good: "test_bare_var == 123"
 test_bare_nested_bad: "{{test_bare_var}} == 321"