diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/shell/powershell.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/shell/powershell.py
index 4299043dca..c4e9d20b5a 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/shell/powershell.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/shell/powershell.py
@@ -1124,6 +1124,15 @@ $ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
 # return asyncresult to controller
 
 $exec_wrapper = {
+    # help to debug any errors in the exec_wrapper or async_watchdog by generating
+    # an error log in case of a terminating error
+    trap {
+        $log_path = "$($env:TEMP)\async-exec-wrapper-$(Get-Date -Format "yyyy-MM-ddTHH-mm-ss.ffffZ")-error.txt"
+        $error_msg = "Error while running the async exec wrapper`r`n$_`r`n$($_.ScriptStackTrace)"
+        Set-Content -Path $log_path -Value $error_msg
+        throw $_
+    }
+
     &chcp.com 65001 > $null
     $DebugPreference = "Continue"
     $ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
@@ -1201,9 +1210,6 @@ $exec_wrapper = {
 Function Run($payload) {
     $remote_tmp = $payload["module_args"]["_ansible_remote_tmp"]
     $remote_tmp = [System.Environment]::ExpandEnvironmentVariables($remote_tmp)
-    if ($null -eq $remote_tmp) {
-        $remote_tmp = $original_tmp
-    }
 
     # calculate the result path so we can include it in the worker payload
     $jid = $payload.async_jid
@@ -1267,6 +1273,19 @@ Function Run($payload) {
         }
         $watchdog_pid = $process.ProcessId
 
+        # populate initial results before we send the async data to avoid result race
+        $result = @{
+            started = 1;
+            finished = 0;
+            results_file = $results_path;
+            ansible_job_id = $local_jid;
+            _ansible_suppress_tmpdir_delete = $true;
+            ansible_async_watchdog_pid = $watchdog_pid
+        }
+
+        $result_json = ConvertTo-Json $result
+        Set-Content $results_path -Value $result_json
+
         # wait until the client connects, throw an error if the timeout is reached
         $wait_async = $pipe.BeginWaitForConnection($null, $null)
         $wait_async.AsyncWaitHandle.WaitOne(5000) > $null
@@ -1283,19 +1302,6 @@ Function Run($payload) {
         $pipe.Close()
     }
 
-    # populate initial results before we resume the process to avoid result race
-    $result = @{
-        started=1;
-        finished=0;
-        results_file=$results_path;
-        ansible_job_id=$local_jid;
-        _ansible_suppress_tmpdir_delete=$true;
-        ansible_async_watchdog_pid=$watchdog_pid
-    }
-
-    $result_json = ConvertTo-Json $result
-    Set-Content $results_path -Value $result_json
-
     return $result_json
 }
 
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/win_async_wrapper/library/async_test.ps1 b/test/integration/targets/win_async_wrapper/library/async_test.ps1
index 63dbf86ca9..fa41b3e824 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/win_async_wrapper/library/async_test.ps1
+++ b/test/integration/targets/win_async_wrapper/library/async_test.ps1
@@ -1,21 +1,8 @@
 #!powershell
-# 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/>.
 
-# WANT_JSON
-# POWERSHELL_COMMON
+# Copyright: (c) 2018, Ansible Project
+
+#Requires -Module Ansible.ModuleUtils.Legacy
 
 $parsed_args = Parse-Args $args
 
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/win_async_wrapper/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/targets/win_async_wrapper/tasks/main.yml
index 1615f76c23..f247aa8407 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/win_async_wrapper/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/win_async_wrapper/tasks/main.yml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 - name: async fire and forget
   async_test:
-    sleep_delay_sec: 8
+    sleep_delay_sec: 10
   async: 20
   poll: 0
   register: asyncresult
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 - name: async poll immediate success
   async_test:
     sleep_delay_sec: 0
-  async: 20
+  async: 10
   poll: 1
   register: asyncresult
 
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@
 - name: async poll retry
   async_test:
     sleep_delay_sec: 5
-  async: 20
+  async: 10
   poll: 1
   register: asyncresult
 
@@ -97,8 +97,8 @@
 
 - name: async poll timeout
   async_test:
-    sleep_delay_sec: 25
-  async: 20
+    sleep_delay_sec: 5
+  async: 3
   poll: 1
   register: asyncresult
   ignore_errors: true
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@
 
 - name: echo some non ascii characters
   win_command: cmd.exe /c echo über den Fußgängerübergang gehen
-  async: 20
+  async: 10
   poll: 1
   register: nonascii_output