diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/amazon/iam_policy.py b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/amazon/iam_policy.py
index a75f9955b32..8b377e1bfe2 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/amazon/iam_policy.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/amazon/iam_policy.py
@@ -144,12 +144,14 @@ def user_action(module, iam, name, policy_name, skip, pdoc, state):
       if urllib.unquote(iam.get_user_policy(name, pol).
                         get_user_policy_result.policy_document) == pdoc:
         policy_match = True
-
-    if state == 'present' and skip:
-      if policy_name not in current_policies and not policy_match:
-        changed = True
-        iam.put_user_policy(name, policy_name, pdoc)
-    elif state == 'present' and not skip:
+        if policy_match:
+          msg=("The policy document you specified already exists "
+               "under the name %s." % pol)
+    if state == 'present':
+      # If policy document does not already exist (either it's changed
+      # or the policy is not present) or if we're not skipping dupes then
+      # make the put call.  Note that the put call does a create or update.
+      if not policy_match or not skip:
         changed = True
         iam.put_user_policy(name, policy_name, pdoc)
     elif state == 'absent':
@@ -191,11 +193,14 @@ def role_action(module, iam, name, policy_name, skip, pdoc, state):
       if urllib.unquote(iam.get_role_policy(name, pol).
                         get_role_policy_result.policy_document) == pdoc:
         policy_match = True
-    if state == 'present' and skip:
-      if policy_name not in current_policies and not policy_match:
-        changed = True
-        iam.put_role_policy(name, policy_name, pdoc)
-    elif state == 'present' and not skip:
+        if policy_match:
+          msg=("The policy document you specified already exists "
+               "under the name %s." % pol)
+    if state == 'present':
+      # If policy document does not already exist (either it's changed
+      # or the policy is not present) or if we're not skipping dupes then
+      # make the put call.  Note that the put call does a create or update.
+      if not policy_match or not skip:
         changed = True
         iam.put_role_policy(name, policy_name, pdoc)
     elif state == 'absent':
@@ -234,11 +239,11 @@ def group_action(module, iam, name, policy_name, skip, pdoc, state):
         if policy_match:
           msg=("The policy document you specified already exists "
                "under the name %s." % pol)
-    if state == 'present' and skip:
-      if policy_name not in current_policies and not policy_match:
-        changed = True
-        iam.put_group_policy(name, policy_name, pdoc)
-    elif state == 'present' and not skip:
+    if state == 'present':
+      # If policy document does not already exist (either it's changed
+      # or the policy is not present) or if we're not skipping dupes then
+      # make the put call.  Note that the put call does a create or update.
+      if not policy_match or not skip:
         changed = True
         iam.put_group_policy(name, policy_name, pdoc)
     elif state == 'absent':