diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/ssh.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/ssh.py
index 46f734da28..1339af7449 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/ssh.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/ssh.py
@@ -892,7 +892,7 @@ class Connection(ConnectionBase):
 
     def reset(self):
         # If we have a persistent ssh connection (ControlPersist), we can ask it to stop listening.
-        cmd = map(to_bytes, self._build_command(self._play_context.ssh_executable, '-O', 'stop', self.host))
+        cmd = self._build_command(self._play_context.ssh_executable, '-O', 'stop', self.host)
         controlpersist, controlpath = self._persistence_controls(cmd)
         if controlpersist:
             display.vvv(u'sending stop: %s' % cmd)