diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/copy.py b/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/copy.py
index f8fff102db..e0fcad4cfa 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/copy.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/copy.py
@@ -217,7 +217,8 @@ class ActionModule(object):
                 if raw:
                     # don't send down raw=no
                     module_args.pop('raw')
-                module_args_tmp = "%s src=%s" % (module_args, pipes.quote(tmp_src))
+                module_args_tmp = "%s src=%s original_basename=%s" % (module_args,
+                                  pipes.quote(tmp_src), pipes.quote(source_rel))
                 if self.runner.noop_on_check(inject):
                     module_args_tmp = "%s CHECKMODE=True" % module_args_tmp
                 module_return = self.runner._execute_module(conn, tmp, 'file', module_args_tmp, inject=inject, complex_args=complex_args)
diff --git a/library/files/file b/library/files/file
index adbc21061a..4ea527cd50 100644
--- a/library/files/file
+++ b/library/files/file
@@ -144,6 +144,7 @@ def main():
         argument_spec = dict(
             state = dict(choices=['file','directory','link','hard','touch','absent'], default='file'),
             path  = dict(aliases=['dest', 'name'], required=True),
+            original_basename = dict(required=False), # Internal use only, for recursive ops
             recurse  = dict(default='no', type='bool'),
             force = dict(required=False,default=False,type='bool'),
             diff_peek = dict(default=None),
@@ -179,7 +180,11 @@ def main():
         src = os.path.expanduser(src)
 
     if src is not None and os.path.isdir(path) and state != "link":
-        params['path'] = path = os.path.join(path, os.path.basename(src))
+        if params['original_basename']:
+            basename = params['original_basename']
+        else:
+            basename = os.path.basename(src)
+        params['path'] = path = os.path.join(path, basename)
 
     file_args = module.load_file_common_arguments(params)