diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py
index d41cf623ac..002625eda4 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ class Runner(object):
         if tmp.find("tmp") != -1 and C.DEFAULT_KEEP_REMOTE_FILES != '1':
             cmd = cmd + "; rm -rf %s >/dev/null 2>&1" % tmp
         res = self._low_level_exec_command(conn, cmd, tmp, sudoable=True)
-        return ReturnData(conn=conn, result=res)
+        return ReturnData(conn=conn, result=res['stdout'])
 
     # *****************************************************
 
@@ -442,19 +442,22 @@ class Runner(object):
         ''' execute a command string over SSH, return the output '''
 
         sudo_user = self.sudo_user
-        stdin, stdout, stderr = conn.exec_command(cmd, tmp, sudo_user, sudoable=sudoable)
+        rc, stdin, stdout, stderr = conn.exec_command(cmd, tmp, sudo_user, sudoable=sudoable)
 
         if type(stdout) not in [ str, unicode ]:
-            out = "\n".join(stdout.readlines())
+            out = ''.join(stdout.readlines())
         else:
             out = stdout
 
         if type(stderr) not in [ str, unicode ]:
-            err = "\n".join(stderr.readlines())
+            err = ''.join(stderr.readlines())
         else:
             err = stderr
 
-        return out + err
+        if rc != None:
+            return dict(rc=rc, stdout=out, stderr=err )
+        else:
+            return dict(stdout=out, stderr=err )
 
     # *****************************************************
 
@@ -474,7 +477,7 @@ class Runner(object):
         cmd = " || ".join(md5s)
         cmd = "%s; %s || (echo \"${rc}  %s\")" % (test, cmd, path)
         data = self._low_level_exec_command(conn, cmd, tmp, sudoable=False)
-        data2 = utils.last_non_blank_line(data)
+        data2 = utils.last_non_blank_line(data['stdout'])
         try:
             return data2.split()[0]
         except IndexError:
@@ -502,7 +505,7 @@ class Runner(object):
         cmd += ' && echo %s' % basetmp
 
         result = self._low_level_exec_command(conn, cmd, None, sudoable=False)
-        rc = utils.last_non_blank_line(result).strip() + '/'
+        rc = utils.last_non_blank_line(result['stdout']).strip() + '/'
         return rc
 
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/raw.py b/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/raw.py
index 3e4dca7605..c683ac6431 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/raw.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/raw.py
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ class ActionModule(object):
         self.runner = runner
 
     def run(self, conn, tmp, module_name, module_args, inject):
-        return ReturnData(conn=conn, result=dict(
-            stdout=self.runner._low_level_exec_command(conn, module_args.encode('utf-8'), tmp, sudoable=True)
-        ))
+        return ReturnData(conn=conn,
+            result=self.runner._low_level_exec_command(conn, module_args.encode('utf-8'), tmp, sudoable=True)
+        )
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/fireball.py b/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/fireball.py
index 5e88ce285f..c21cf0aa44 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/fireball.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/fireball.py
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ class Connection(object):
         response = utils.decrypt(self.key, response)
         response = utils.parse_json(response)
 
-        return ('', response.get('stdout',''), response.get('stderr',''))
+        return (response.get('rc',None), '', response.get('stdout',''), response.get('stderr',''))
 
     def put_file(self, in_path, out_path):
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/local.py b/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/local.py
index 2516cb2377..c7d720fa91 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/local.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/local.py
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ class Connection(object):
         p = subprocess.Popen(cmd, cwd=basedir, shell=True, stdin=None,
                              stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
         stdout, stderr = p.communicate()
-        return ("", stdout, stderr)
+        return (p.returncode, '', stdout, stderr)
 
     def put_file(self, in_path, out_path):
         ''' transfer a file from local to local '''
diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/paramiko_ssh.py b/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/paramiko_ssh.py
index d6e7a5015d..4648269289 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/paramiko_ssh.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/paramiko_ssh.py
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ class Connection(object):
             except socket.timeout:
                 raise errors.AnsibleError('ssh timed out waiting for sudo.\n' + sudo_output)
 
-        return (chan.makefile('wb', bufsize), chan.makefile('rb', bufsize), '')
+        return (chan.recv_exit_status(), chan.makefile('wb', bufsize), chan.makefile('rb', bufsize), chan.makefile_stderr('rb', bufsize))
 
     def put_file(self, in_path, out_path):
         ''' transfer a file from local to remote '''
diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/ssh.py b/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/ssh.py
index 772ad46eca..6c85d68aed 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/ssh.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/ssh.py
@@ -108,11 +108,11 @@ class Connection(object):
             import pty
             master, slave = pty.openpty()
             p = subprocess.Popen(ssh_cmd, stdin=slave,
-                                 stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT)
+                                 stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
             stdin = os.fdopen(master, 'w', 0)
         except:
             p = subprocess.Popen(ssh_cmd, stdin=subprocess.PIPE,
-                                 stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT)
+                                 stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
             stdin = p.stdin
 
         self._send_password()
@@ -137,22 +137,29 @@ class Connection(object):
 
         # We can't use p.communicate here because the ControlMaster may have stdout open as well
         stdout = ''
+        stderr = ''
         while True:
-            rfd, wfd, efd = select.select([p.stdout], [], [p.stdout], 1)
+            rfd, wfd, efd = select.select([p.stdout, p.stderr], [], [p.stdout, p.stderr], 1)
             if p.stdout in rfd:
                 dat = os.read(p.stdout.fileno(), 9000)
                 stdout += dat
                 if dat == '':
                     p.wait()
                     break
+            elif p.stderr in rfd:
+                dat = os.read(p.stderr.fileno(), 9000)
+                stderr += dat
+                if dat == '':
+                    p.wait()
+                    break
             elif p.poll() is not None:
                 break
         stdin.close() # close stdin after we read from stdout (see also issue #848)
 
-        if p.returncode != 0 and stdout.find('Bad configuration option: ControlPersist') != -1:
+        if p.returncode != 0 and stderr.find('Bad configuration option: ControlPersist') != -1:
             raise errors.AnsibleError('using -c ssh on certain older ssh versions may not support ControlPersist, set ANSIBLE_SSH_ARGS="" (or ansible_ssh_args in the config file) before running again')
 
-        return ('', stdout, '')
+        return (p.returncode, '', stdout, stderr)
 
     def put_file(self, in_path, out_path):
         ''' transfer a file from local to remote '''
diff --git a/library/fireball b/library/fireball
index 16f3f58051..88248d6b00 100644
--- a/library/fireball
+++ b/library/fireball
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ def command(data):
         stderr = ''
     log("got stdout: %s" % stdout)
 
-    return dict(stdout=stdout, stderr=stderr)
+    return dict(rc=p.returncode, stdout=stdout, stderr=stderr)
 
 def fetch(data):
     if 'in_path' not in data:
diff --git a/library/raw b/library/raw
index 1b46f2f886..061d8eb066 100644
--- a/library/raw
+++ b/library/raw
@@ -13,11 +13,11 @@ description:
        all core modules require it. Another is speaking to any devices such as
        routers that do not have any Python installed. In any other case, using
        the M(shell) or M(command) module is much more appropriate. Arguments
-       given to M(raw) are run directly through the configured remote shell and
-       only output is returned. There is no error detection or change handler
-       support for this module
+       given to M(raw) are run directly through the configured remote shell.
+       Standard output, error output and return code are returned when
+       available. There is no change handler support for this module.
 examples:
-    - code: ansible newhost.example.com -m raw -a "yum -y install python-simplejson"
-      description: Example from C(/usr/bin/ansible) to bootstrap a legacy python 2.4 host
+    - description: Example from C(/usr/bin/ansible) to bootstrap a legacy python 2.4 host
+      code: ansible newhost.example.com -m raw -a "yum -y install python-simplejson"
 author: Michael DeHaan
 '''