diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/amazon/ec2_asg.py b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/amazon/ec2_asg.py
index a580c12682..517f9bc83b 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/amazon/ec2_asg.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/amazon/ec2_asg.py
@@ -1089,29 +1089,31 @@ def delete_autoscaling_group(connection):
         del_notification_config(connection, group_name, notification_topic)
     groups = describe_autoscaling_groups(connection, group_name)
     if groups:
+        wait_timeout = time.time() + wait_timeout
         if not wait_for_instances:
             delete_asg(connection, group_name, force_delete=True)
-            return True
+        else:
+            updated_params = dict(AutoScalingGroupName=group_name, MinSize=0, MaxSize=0, DesiredCapacity=0)
+            update_asg(connection, **updated_params)
+            instances = True
+            while instances and wait_for_instances and wait_timeout >= time.time():
+                tmp_groups = describe_autoscaling_groups(connection, group_name)
+                if tmp_groups:
+                    tmp_group = tmp_groups[0]
+                    if not tmp_group.get('Instances'):
+                        instances = False
+                time.sleep(10)
 
-        wait_timeout = time.time() + wait_timeout
-        updated_params = dict(AutoScalingGroupName=group_name, MinSize=0, MaxSize=0, DesiredCapacity=0)
-        update_asg(connection, **updated_params)
-        instances = True
-        while instances and wait_for_instances and wait_timeout >= time.time():
-            tmp_groups = describe_autoscaling_groups(connection, group_name)
-            if tmp_groups:
-                tmp_group = tmp_groups[0]
-                if not tmp_group.get('Instances'):
-                    instances = False
-            time.sleep(10)
+            if wait_timeout <= time.time():
+                # waiting took too long
+                module.fail_json(msg="Waited too long for old instances to terminate. %s" % time.asctime())
 
+            delete_asg(connection, group_name, force_delete=False)
+        while describe_autoscaling_groups(connection, group_name) and wait_timeout >= time.time():
+            time.sleep(5)
         if wait_timeout <= time.time():
             # waiting took too long
-            module.fail_json(msg="Waited too long for old instances to terminate. %s" % time.asctime())
-
-        delete_asg(connection, group_name, force_delete=False)
-        while describe_autoscaling_groups(connection, group_name):
-            time.sleep(5)
+            module.fail_json(msg="Waited too long for ASG to delete. %s" % time.asctime())
         return True
 
     return False