diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/system/service.py b/lib/ansible/modules/system/service.py
index a71e6382804..af97e7df5a4 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/system/service.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/system/service.py
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ import select
 import time
 import string
 import glob
+from ansible.module_utils.service import fail_if_missing
 
 # The distutils module is not shipped with SUNWPython on Solaris.
 # It's in the SUNWPython-devel package which also contains development files
@@ -493,7 +494,7 @@ class LinuxService(Service):
                 self.enable_cmd = location['chkconfig']
 
         if self.enable_cmd is None:
-            self.module.fail_json(msg="no service or tool found for: %s" % self.name)
+            fail_if_missing(self.module, False, self.name, msg='host')
 
         # If no service control tool selected yet, try to see if 'service' is available
         if self.svc_cmd is None and location.get('service', False):
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/system/systemd.py b/lib/ansible/modules/system/systemd.py
index d835b85ff13..19fedce4a78 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/system/systemd.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/system/systemd.py
@@ -329,8 +329,7 @@ def main():
                 (rc, out, err) = module.run_command("%s %s '%s'" % (systemctl, action, unit))
                 if rc != 0:
                     # some versions of system CAN mask/unmask non existing services, we only fail on missing if they don't
-                    fail_if_missing(module, found, unit, "cannot %s" % (action))
-                    module.fail_json(msg="Unable to %s service %s: %s" % (action, unit, err))
+                    fail_if_missing(module, found, unit, msg='host')
 
 
     # Enable/disable service startup at boot if requested
@@ -341,7 +340,7 @@ def main():
         else:
             action = 'disable'
 
-        fail_if_missing(module, found, unit, "cannot %s" % (action))
+        fail_if_missing(module, found, unit, msg='host')
 
         # do we need to enable the service?
         enabled = False
@@ -370,7 +369,7 @@ def main():
 
     # set service state if requested
     if module.params['state'] is not None:
-        fail_if_missing(module, found, unit, "cannot check nor set state")
+        fail_if_missing(module, found, unit, msg="host")
 
         # default to desired state
         result['state'] = module.params['state']