diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/lookup_plugins/subelements.py b/lib/ansible/runner/lookup_plugins/subelements.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..31e7ba9d2e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/lookup_plugins/subelements.py
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+# (c) 2013, Serge van Ginderachter <serge@vanginderachter.be>
+#
+# 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/>.
+
+import ansible.utils as utils
+import ansible.errors as errors
+
+
+class LookupModule(object):
+
+    def __init__(self, basedir=None, **kwargs):
+        self.basedir = basedir
+
+
+    def run(self, terms, inject=None, **kwargs):
+        terms = utils.listify_lookup_plugin_terms(terms, self.basedir, inject)
+        terms[0] = utils.listify_lookup_plugin_terms(terms[0], self.basedir, inject)
+
+        if not isinstance(terms, list) or not len(terms) == 2:
+            raise errors.AnsibleError(
+                "subelements lookup expects a list of two items, first a dict or a list, and second a string")
+        terms[0] = utils.listify_lookup_plugin_terms(terms[0], self.basedir, inject)
+        if not isinstance(terms[0], (list, dict)) or not isinstance(terms[1], basestring):
+            raise errors.AnsibleError(
+                "subelements lookup expects a list of two items, first a dict or a list, and second a string")
+
+        if isinstance(terms[0], dict): # convert to list:
+            elementlist = []
+            for key in terms[0].iterkeys():
+                elementlist.append(terms[0][key])
+        else: 
+            elementlist = terms[0]
+        subelement = terms[1]
+
+        ret = []
+        for item0 in elementlist:
+            if not isinstance(item0, dict):
+                raise errors.AnsibleError("subelements lookup expects a dictionary, got '%s'" %item0)
+            if not subelement in item0:
+                raise errors.AnsibleError("could not find '%s' key in iterated item '%s'" % (subelement, item0))
+            if not isinstance(item0[subelement], list):
+                raise errors.AnsibleError("the key %s should point to a list, got '%s'" % (subelement, item0[subelement]))
+            sublist = item0.pop(subelement, [])
+            for item1 in sublist:
+                ret.append((item0, item1))
+
+        return ret
+