diff --git a/lib/ansible/inventory/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/inventory/__init__.py
index f13c37e444..6d93fb6dbc 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/inventory/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/inventory/__init__.py
@@ -573,9 +573,6 @@ class Inventory(object):
         if self.parser is not None:
             vars = combine_vars(vars, self.parser.get_host_variables(host))
 
-        # Read host_vars/ files
-        vars = combine_vars(vars, self.get_host_vars(host))
-
         return vars
 
     def add_group(self, group):
@@ -697,16 +694,14 @@ class Inventory(object):
             if found_group_vars:
                 self._group_vars_files = self._group_vars_files.union(found_group_vars)
                 for group in self.groups.values():
-                    #group.vars = combine_vars(group.vars, self.get_group_vars(group, new_pb_basedir=True))
-                    group.vars = combine_vars(group.vars, self.get_group_vars(group))
+                    self.get_group_vars(group)
 
             found_host_vars = self._find_host_vars_files(self._playbook_basedir)
             if found_host_vars:
                 self._host_vars_files = self._find_host_vars_files(self._playbook_basedir)
                 # get host vars from host_vars/ files
                 for host in self.get_hosts():
-                    #host.vars = combine_vars(host.vars, self.get_host_vars(host, new_pb_basedir=True))
-                    host.vars = combine_vars(host.vars, self.get_host_vars(host))
+                    self.get_host_vars(host)
             # invalidate cache
             self._vars_per_host = {}
             self._vars_per_group = {}
@@ -778,11 +773,11 @@ class Inventory(object):
             if host is None and any(map(lambda ext: group.name + ext in self._group_vars_files, C.YAML_FILENAME_EXTENSIONS)):
                 # load vars in dir/group_vars/name_of_group
                 base_path = to_unicode(os.path.abspath(os.path.join(to_bytes(basedir), b"group_vars/" + to_bytes(group.name))), errors='strict')
-                results = combine_vars(results, self._variable_manager.add_group_vars_file(base_path, self._loader))
+                self._variable_manager.add_group_vars_file(base_path, self._loader)
             elif group is None and any(map(lambda ext: host.name + ext in self._host_vars_files, C.YAML_FILENAME_EXTENSIONS)):
                 # same for hostvars in dir/host_vars/name_of_host
                 base_path = to_unicode(os.path.abspath(os.path.join(to_bytes(basedir), b"host_vars/" + to_bytes(host.name))), errors='strict')
-                results = combine_vars(results, self._variable_manager.add_host_vars_file(base_path, self._loader))
+                self._variable_manager.add_host_vars_file(base_path, self._loader)
 
         # all done, results is a dictionary of variables for this particular host.
         return results
diff --git a/lib/ansible/vars/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/vars/__init__.py
index e1f569abd2..57b6d1b35f 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/vars/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/vars/__init__.py
@@ -53,6 +53,11 @@ except ImportError:
 VARIABLE_CACHE = dict()
 HOSTVARS_CACHE = dict()
 
+class AnsibleInventoryVarsData(dict):
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        super(AnsibleInventoryVarsData, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
+        self.path = None
+
 def preprocess_vars(a):
     '''
     Ensures that vars contained in the parameter passed in are
@@ -549,8 +554,11 @@ class VariableManager:
                 if loader.path_exists(path):
                     data = loader.load_from_file(path)
 
-        name = self._get_inventory_basename(path)
-        return (name, data)
+        rval = AnsibleInventoryVarsData()
+        rval.path = path
+        if data is not None:
+            rval.update(data)
+        return rval
 
     def add_host_vars_file(self, path, loader):
         '''
@@ -559,14 +567,21 @@ class VariableManager:
         the extension, for matching against a given inventory host name
         '''
 
-        (name, data) = self._load_inventory_file(path, loader)
-        if data:
-            if name not in self._host_vars_files:
-                self._host_vars_files[name] = []
-            self._host_vars_files[name].append(data)
-            return data
+        name = self._get_inventory_basename(path)
+        if name not in self._host_vars_files:
+            self._host_vars_files[name] = []
+
+        for entry in self._host_vars_files[name]:
+            if entry.path == path:
+                data = entry
+                break
         else:
-            return dict()
+            data = self._load_inventory_file(path, loader)
+            if data:
+                self._host_vars_files[name].append(data)
+
+        return data
+
 
     def add_group_vars_file(self, path, loader):
         '''
@@ -575,14 +590,20 @@ class VariableManager:
         the extension, for matching against a given inventory host name
         '''
 
-        (name, data) = self._load_inventory_file(path, loader)
-        if data:
-            if name not in self._group_vars_files:
-                self._group_vars_files[name] = []
-            self._group_vars_files[name].append(data)
-            return data
+        name = self._get_inventory_basename(path)
+        if name not in self._group_vars_files:
+            self._group_vars_files[name] = []
+
+        for entry in self._group_vars_files[name]:
+            if entry.path == path:
+                data = entry
+                break
         else:
-            return dict()
+            data = self._load_inventory_file(path, loader)
+            if data:
+                self._group_vars_files[name].append(data)
+
+        return data
 
     def clear_facts(self, hostname):
         '''