diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_utils/eos.py b/lib/ansible/module_utils/eos.py
index dced385dc83..fa63548fae1 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_utils/eos.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_utils/eos.py
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ eos_argument_spec = {
 def check_args(module, warnings):
     provider = module.params['provider'] or {}
     for key in eos_argument_spec:
-        if key != ['provider', 'transport'] and module.params[key]:
+        if key not in ['provider', 'transport'] and module.params[key]:
             warnings.append('argument %s has been deprecated and will be '
                     'removed in a future version' % key)
 
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ class Cli:
 
     def send_config(self, commands):
         multiline = False
+        rc = 0
         for command in to_list(commands):
             if command == 'end':
                 pass
@@ -170,8 +171,8 @@ class Cli:
             rc, out, err = self.exec_command(command)
             if rc != 0:
                 return (rc, out, err)
-        return (rc, 'ok','')
 
+        return (rc, 'ok','')
 
     def configure(self, commands):
         """Sends configuration commands to the remote device
@@ -322,13 +323,11 @@ class Eapi:
             return response['result']
 
         for item in to_list(commands):
-            if item['output'] == 'json' and not is_json(item['command']):
-                item['command'] = '%s | json' % item['command']
+            if is_json(item['command']):
+                item['command'] = str(item['command']).replace('| json', '')
+                item['output'] == 'json'
 
-            if item['output'] == 'text' and is_json(item['command']):
-                item['command'] = str(item['command']).split('|')[0]
-
-            if all((output == 'json', is_text(item['command']))) or all((output =='text', is_json(item['command']))):
+            if output != item['output']:
                 responses.extend(_send(queue, output))
                 queue = list()
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/eos.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/eos.py
index 4ae90cfa850..79f05a9f1a0 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/eos.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/eos.py
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ class ActionModule(_ActionModule):
         provider = self.load_provider()
         transport = provider['transport'] or 'cli'
 
-        display.vvv('transport is %s' % transport, self._play_context.remote_addr)
+        display.vvvv('connection transport is %s' % transport, self._play_context.remote_addr)
 
         if transport == 'cli':
             pc = copy.deepcopy(self._play_context)
@@ -66,11 +66,22 @@ class ActionModule(_ActionModule):
             connection = self._shared_loader_obj.connection_loader.get('persistent', pc, sys.stdin)
 
             socket_path = self._get_socket_path(pc)
+            display.vvvv('socket_path: %s' % socket_path, pc.remote_addr)
+
             if not os.path.exists(socket_path):
                 # start the connection if it isn't started
+                display.vvvv('calling open_shell()', pc.remote_addr)
                 rc, out, err = connection.exec_command('open_shell()')
                 if not rc == 0:
-                    return {'failed': True, 'msg': 'unable to open shell', 'rc': rc}
+                    return {'failed': True, 'msg': 'unable to open shell'}
+            else:
+                # make sure we are in the right cli context which should be
+                # enable mode and not config module
+                rc, out, err = connection.exec_command('prompt()')
+                while str(out).strip().endswith(')#'):
+                    display.debug('wrong context, sending exit to device', self._play_context.remote_addr)
+                    connection.exec_command('exit')
+                    rc, out, err = connection.exec_command('prompt()')
 
             task_vars['ansible_socket'] = socket_path
 
@@ -92,13 +103,7 @@ class ActionModule(_ActionModule):
             self._play_context.become = False
             self._play_context.become_method = None
 
-        result = super(ActionModule, self).run(tmp, task_vars)
-
-        if transport == 'cli':
-            display.vvv('closing cli shell connection', self._play_context.remote_addr)
-            rc, out, err = connection.exec_command('close_shell()')
-
-        return result
+        return super(ActionModule, self).run(tmp, task_vars)
 
     def _get_socket_path(self, play_context):
         ssh = connection_loader.get('ssh', class_only=True)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/network_cli.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/network_cli.py
index a6bbaf608d5..4a96cb74b9a 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/network_cli.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/network_cli.py
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ class Connection(_Connection):
             return (0, self._history, '')
 
         try:
-            if self._shell is None:
+            if not self._connected:
                 self.open_shell()
         except AnsibleConnectionFailure as exc:
             return (1, '', str(exc))
diff --git a/test/units/plugins/connection/test_network_cli.py b/test/units/plugins/connection/test_network_cli.py
index f6535f9ae3f..aa24069e7f0 100644
--- a/test/units/plugins/connection/test_network_cli.py
+++ b/test/units/plugins/connection/test_network_cli.py
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ class TestConnectionClass(unittest.TestCase):
         conn.ssh = None
 
         self.assertRaises(AnsibleConnectionFailure, conn._connect)
-        #mocked_terminal_loader.all.assert_called_with(class_only=True)
 
         mocked_terminal_loader.reset_mock()
         mocked_terminal_loader.get.return_value = None
@@ -139,6 +138,7 @@ class TestConnectionClass(unittest.TestCase):
         conn._shell = MagicMock()
 
         # test _shell already open
+        conn._connected = MagicMock(return_value=True)
         rc, out, err = conn.exec_command('command')
         self.assertEqual(out, 'command response')
         self.assertFalse(mock_open_shell.called)