diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/commands/command.py b/lib/ansible/modules/commands/command.py
index e9544ff813..40dca48c7f 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/commands/command.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/commands/command.py
@@ -49,6 +49,12 @@ options:
     type: bool
     default: 'yes'
     version_added: "1.8"
+  stdin:
+    version_added: "2.4"
+    description:
+      - Set the stdin of the command directly to the specified value.
+    required: false
+    default: null
 notes:
     -  If you want to run a command through the shell (say you are using C(<), C(>), C(|), etc), you actually want the M(shell) module instead.
        The C(command) module is much more secure as it's not affected by the user's environment.
@@ -121,6 +127,7 @@ def main():
             creates=dict(type='path'),
             removes=dict(type='path'),
             warn=dict(type='bool', default=True),
+            stdin=dict(required=False),
         )
     )
 
@@ -131,6 +138,7 @@ def main():
     creates = module.params['creates']
     removes = module.params['removes']
     warn = module.params['warn']
+    stdin = module.params['stdin']
 
     if not shell and executable:
         module.warn("As of Ansible 2.4, the parameter 'executable' is no longer supported with the 'command' module. Not using '%s'." % executable)
@@ -174,7 +182,7 @@ def main():
         args = shlex.split(args)
     startd = datetime.datetime.now()
 
-    rc, out, err = module.run_command(args, executable=executable, use_unsafe_shell=shell, encoding=None)
+    rc, out, err = module.run_command(args, executable=executable, use_unsafe_shell=shell, encoding=None, data=stdin)
 
     endd = datetime.datetime.now()
     delta = endd - startd
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/commands/shell.py b/lib/ansible/modules/commands/shell.py
index 3ef8d52c8f..a730828a5a 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/commands/shell.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/commands/shell.py
@@ -60,6 +60,12 @@ options:
     required: false
     default: True
     version_added: "1.8"
+  stdin:
+    version_added: "2.4"
+    description:
+      - Set the stdin of the command directly to the specified value.
+    required: false
+    default: null
 notes:
    -  If you want to execute a command securely and predictably, it may be
       better to use the M(command) module instead. Best practices when writing
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/command_shell/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/targets/command_shell/tasks/main.yml
index 226f8df622..ef96e88dd0 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/command_shell/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/command_shell/tasks/main.yml
@@ -121,6 +121,35 @@
     that:
       - "command_result4.changed != True"
 
+
+- name: pass stdin to cat via command
+  command: "cat"
+  args:
+    stdin: 'foobar'
+  register: command_result5
+
+- name: assert that stdin is passed
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - "command_result5.stdout == 'foobar'"
+
+- name: send to stdin literal multiline block
+  command: "{{ sha1sum.stdout }}"
+  args:
+    stdin: |-
+      this is the first line
+      this is the second line
+      this line is after an empty line
+      this line is the last line
+  register: command_result6
+
+- debug: var=command_result6
+
+- name: assert the multiline input was passed correctly
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - "command_result6.stdout == 'b1a4df888d8d261876dc33ded211ba3ebe803010  -'"
+
 ##
 ## shell
 ##