diff --git a/examples/playbooks/user_commands.yml b/examples/playbooks/user_commands.yml
index 1217f63ea2..4d66dd392a 100644
--- a/examples/playbooks/user_commands.yml
+++ b/examples/playbooks/user_commands.yml
@@ -15,11 +15,9 @@
     - name: test basic user account creation
       action: user name=tset comment=TsetUser gid=100 shell=/sbin/nologin createhome=no
 
-    - name: test user account modification
-      action: user name=tset comment=NyetUser
+    # the following is just a simple example of how you don't have to include
+    # the 'name' element for each task
 
-    - name: test user account password change
-      action: user name=tset password=$password
-
-    - name: test user account modification
-      action: user name=tset state=absent
+    - action: user name=tset comment=NyetUser
+    - action: user name=tset password=$password
+    - action: user name=tset state=absent
diff --git a/lib/ansible/playbook.py b/lib/ansible/playbook.py
index 5b994d7ac8..3e024f6267 100755
--- a/lib/ansible/playbook.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/playbook.py
@@ -336,8 +336,12 @@ class PlayBook(object):
         host_list = self._prune_failed_hosts(host_list)
 
         # load the module name and parameters from the task entry
-        name    = task['name']    # FIXME: error if not set
-        action  = task['action']  # FIXME: error if not set
+        name    = task.get('name', None) 
+        action  = task.get('action', None)
+        if action is None:
+            raise errors.AnsibleError("action is required for each item in tasks")
+        if name is None:
+            name = action
         only_if = task.get('only_if', 'True')
         async_seconds = int(task.get('async', 0))  # not async by default
         async_poll_interval = int(task.get('poll', 10))  # default poll = 10 seconds