diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/lookup_plugins/first_found.py b/lib/ansible/runner/lookup_plugins/first_found.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c2a8fc9cfb6
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+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/lookup_plugins/first_found.py
@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+# (c) 2013, seth vidal <skvidal@fedoraproject.org> red hat, inc
+#
+# 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/>.
+
+
+# take a list of files and (optionally) a list of paths
+# return the first existing file found in the paths
+# [file1, file2, file3], [path1, path2, path3]
+# search order is:
+# path1/file1
+# path1/file2
+# path1/file3
+# path2/file1
+# path2/file2
+# path2/file3
+# path3/file1
+# path3/file2
+# path3/file3
+
+# first file found with os.path.exists() is returned
+# no file matches raises ansibleerror
+# EXAMPLES
+#  - name: copy first existing file found to /some/file
+#    action: copy src=$item dest=/some/file
+#    with_first_found: 
+#     - files: foo ${inventory_hostname} bar
+#       paths: /tmp/production /tmp/staging
+
+# that will look for files in this order:
+# /tmp/production/foo
+#                 ${inventory_hostname}
+#                 bar
+# /tmp/staging/foo
+#              ${inventory_hostname}
+#              bar
+                  
+#  - name: copy first existing file found to /some/file
+#    action: copy src=$item dest=/some/file
+#    with_first_found: 
+#     - files: /some/place/foo ${inventory_hostname} /some/place/else
+
+#  that will look for files in this order:
+#  /some/place/foo
+#  $relative_path/${inventory_hostname}
+#  /some/place/else
+
+# example - including tasks:
+#  tasks:
+#  - include: $item
+#    with_first_found:
+#     - files: generic
+#       paths: tasks/staging tasks/production
+
+# this will include the tasks in the file generic where it is found first (staging or production)
+
+
+
+
+
+from ansible import utils, errors
+import os
+
+class LookupModule(object):
+
+    def __init__(self, basedir=None, **kwargs):
+        self.basedir = basedir
+
+    def run(self, terms, **kwargs):
+        result = None
+        for term in terms:
+            files = term.get('files', [])
+            paths = term.get('paths', [])
+        
+            filelist = files
+            if isinstance(files, basestring):
+                files = files.replace(',', ' ')
+                files = files.replace(';', ' ')
+                filelist = files.split(' ')
+
+            pathlist = paths
+            if paths:
+                if isinstance(paths, basestring):
+                    paths = paths.replace(',', ' ')
+                    paths = paths.replace(':', ' ')
+                    paths = paths.replace(';', ' ')
+                    pathlist = paths.split(' ')
+                
+            total_search = []
+        
+
+            if not pathlist:
+                total_search = filelist
+            else:
+                for path in pathlist:
+                    for fn in filelist:
+                        f = path + '/' + fn
+                        total_search.append(f)
+
+
+            result = None
+            for fn in total_search:
+                path = utils.path_dwim(self.basedir, fn)
+                if os.path.exists(path):
+                    return [path]
+
+
+        if not result:
+            raise errors.AnsibleError("no match found: %s, %s" % (pathlist, filelist))