diff --git a/lib/ansible/constants.py b/lib/ansible/constants.py
index 0d1e27c9cc..dfc17003d6 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/constants.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/constants.py
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ DEFAULT_TRANSPORT         = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'transport',        'ANSIBLE
 DEFAULT_SCP_IF_SSH        = get_config(p, 'ssh_connection', 'scp_if_ssh',       'ANSIBLE_SCP_IF_SSH',       False, boolean=True)
 DEFAULT_MANAGED_STR       = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'ansible_managed',  None,           'Ansible managed: {file} modified on %Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S by {uid} on {host}')
 DEFAULT_SYSLOG_FACILITY   = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'syslog_facility',  'ANSIBLE_SYSLOG_FACILITY', 'LOG_USER')
-DEFAULT_KEEP_REMOTE_FILES = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'keep_remote_files', 'ANSIBLE_KEEP_REMOTE_FILES', '0')
+DEFAULT_KEEP_REMOTE_FILES = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'keep_remote_files', 'ANSIBLE_KEEP_REMOTE_FILES', False, boolean=True)
 DEFAULT_SUDO              = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'sudo', 'ANSIBLE_SUDO', False, boolean=True)
 DEFAULT_SUDO_EXE          = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'sudo_exe', 'ANSIBLE_SUDO_EXE', 'sudo')
 DEFAULT_SUDO_FLAGS        = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'sudo_flags', 'ANSIBLE_SUDO_FLAGS', '-H')
diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py
index 914e87e21c..d47ff8e72d 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ class Runner(object):
         cmd = " ".join([environment_string.strip(), shebang.replace("#!","").strip(), cmd])
         cmd = cmd.strip()
 
-        if tmp.find("tmp") != -1 and C.DEFAULT_KEEP_REMOTE_FILES != '1' and not persist_files:
+        if tmp.find("tmp") != -1 and not C.DEFAULT_KEEP_REMOTE_FILES and not persist_files:
             if not self.sudo or self.sudo_user == 'root':
                 # not sudoing or sudoing to root, so can cleanup files in the same step
                 cmd = cmd + "; rm -rf %s >/dev/null 2>&1" % tmp
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ class Runner(object):
         if self.sudo and self.sudo_user != 'root':
             # not sudoing to root, so maybe can't delete files as that other user
             # have to clean up temp files as original user in a second step
-            if tmp.find("tmp") != -1 and C.DEFAULT_KEEP_REMOTE_FILES != '1' and not persist_files:
+            if tmp.find("tmp") != -1 and not C.DEFAULT_KEEP_REMOTE_FILES and not persist_files:
                 cmd2 = "rm -rf %s >/dev/null 2>&1" % tmp
                 self._low_level_exec_command(conn, cmd2, tmp, sudoable=False)
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/script.py b/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/script.py
index dba9ca5a74..784ab58b16 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/script.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/script.py
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ class ActionModule(object):
         result = handler.run(conn, tmp, 'raw', module_args, inject)
 
         # clean up after
-        if tmp.find("tmp") != -1 and C.DEFAULT_KEEP_REMOTE_FILES != '1':
+        if tmp.find("tmp") != -1 and not C.DEFAULT_KEEP_REMOTE_FILES:
             self.runner._low_level_exec_command(conn, 'rm -rf %s >/dev/null 2>&1' % tmp, tmp)
 
         return result