diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_common.py b/lib/ansible/module_common.py
index cc1b078b27..9a1d9034e0 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_common.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_common.py
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ MODULE_COMMON = """
 # == BEGIN DYNAMICALLY INSERTED CODE ==
 
 MODULE_ARGS = "<<INCLUDE_ANSIBLE_MODULE_ARGS>>"
+BOOLEANS_TRUE = ['yes', 'on', '1', 'true', 1]
+BOOLEANS_FALSE = ['no', 'off', '0', 'false', 0]
+BOOLEANS = BOOLEANS_TRUE + BOOLEANS_FALSE
 
 # ansible modules can be written in any language.  To simplify
 # development of Python modules, the functions available here
@@ -42,6 +45,7 @@ import shlex
 import subprocess
 import sys
 import syslog
+import types
 
 try:
     from hashlib import md5 as _md5
@@ -128,6 +132,18 @@ class AnsibleModule(object):
         log_args = re.sub(r'password=.+ (.*)', r"password=NOT_LOGGING_PASSWORD \1", self.args)
         syslog.syslog(syslog.LOG_NOTICE, 'Invoked with %s' % log_args)
 
+    def boolean(self, arg):
+        ''' return a bool for the arg '''
+        if type(arg) in types.StringTypes:
+            arg = arg.lower()
+        
+        if arg in BOOLEANS_TRUE:
+            return True
+        elif arg in BOOLEANS_FALSE:
+            return False
+        else:
+            self.fail_json(msg='Boolean %s not in either boolean list' % arg)
+            
     def jsonify(self, data):
         return json.dumps(data)
 
diff --git a/library/apt b/library/apt
index bce0199f6e..abc93eafbd 100755
--- a/library/apt
+++ b/library/apt
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ def main():
     if p['package'] is None and p['update_cache'] != 'yes':
         module.fail_json(msg='pkg=name and/or update-cache=yes is required')
     
-    install_recommends = (p['install_recommends'] == 'yes')
+    install_recommends = module.boolean(p['install_recommends'])
     
     cache = apt.Cache()
     if p['default_release']:
@@ -138,16 +138,13 @@ def main():
         # reopen cache w/ modified config
         cache.open(progress=None)
     
-    if p['update_cache'] == 'yes':
+    if modules.boolean(p['update_cache'])
         cache.update()
         cache.open(progress=None)
         if p['package'] == None:
             module.exit_json(changed=False)
     
-    if p['force'] == 'yes':
-        force_yes = True
-    else:
-        force_yes = False
+    force_yes = modules.boolean(p['force'])
     
     if p['package'].count('=') > 1:
         module.fail_json(msg='invalid package spec')
@@ -164,7 +161,7 @@ def main():
         install(module, p['package'], cache, default_release=p['default_release'],
                   install_recommends=install_recommends,force=force_yes)
     elif p['state'] == 'removed':
-        remove(module, p['package'], cache, purge = p['purge'])
+        remove(module, p['package'], cache, purge = modules.boolean(p['purge']))
     
 # this is magic, see lib/ansible/module_common.py
 #<<INCLUDE_ANSIBLE_MODULE_COMMON>>