diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner.py b/lib/ansible/runner.py
index 063dd8a413..bbfc49fcfd 100755
--- a/lib/ansible/runner.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner.py
@@ -308,6 +308,12 @@ class Runner(object):
         because those require extra work.
         '''
 
+        # hack to make the 'shell' module keyword really be executed
+        # by the command module
+        if self.module_name == 'shell':
+            self.module_name = 'command'
+            self.module_args.append("#USE_SHELL")
+
         module = self._transfer_module(conn, tmp, self.module_name)
         result = self._execute_module(conn, tmp, module, self.module_args)
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/utils.py b/lib/ansible/utils.py
index 6d485489c0..1d46f5f006 100755
--- a/lib/ansible/utils.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/utils.py
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ def host_report_msg(hostname, module_name, result, oneline):
     ''' summarize the JSON results for a particular host '''
     buf = ''
     failed = is_failed(result)
-    if module_name == 'command':
+    if module_name in [ 'command', 'shell' ]:
         if not failed:
             buf = command_success_msg(hostname, result, oneline)
         else:
diff --git a/library/command b/library/command
index 06f5d65636..90b6b09d7d 100755
--- a/library/command
+++ b/library/command
@@ -32,18 +32,27 @@ import os
 
 argfile = sys.argv[1]
 args = open(argfile, 'r').read()
-args = shlex.split(args)
+
+shell = False
+
+if args.find("#USE_SHELL") != -1:
+   args = args.replace("#USE_SHELL", "")
+   shell = True
+
+if not shell:
+    args = shlex.split(args)
 
 startd = datetime.datetime.now()
 
 try:
-    cmd = subprocess.Popen(args, shell=False, 
+    cmd = subprocess.Popen(args, shell=shell, 
         stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
     out, err = cmd.communicate()
 except (OSError, IOError), e:
     print json.dumps({
-        "failed": 1,
-        "msg": str(e),
+        "cmd"    : args,
+        "failed" : 1,
+        "msg"    : str(e),
         })
     sys.exit(1)
 except:
@@ -62,6 +71,7 @@ if err is None:
    err = ''
 
 result = {
+   "cmd"    : args,
    "stdout" : out.strip(),
    "stderr" : err.strip(),
    "rc"     : cmd.returncode,
diff --git a/test/TestRunner.py b/test/TestRunner.py
index 96201a7089..074e230b17 100644
--- a/test/TestRunner.py
+++ b/test/TestRunner.py
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ class TestRunner(unittest.TestCase):
        assert result['changed'] == False
 
    def test_command(self):
+   
        # test command module, change trigger, etc
        result = self._run('command', [ "/bin/echo", "hi" ])
        assert "failed" not in result
@@ -134,14 +135,22 @@ class TestRunner(unittest.TestCase):
        assert result['rc'] == 0
        assert result['stdout'] == 'hi'
        assert result['stderr'] == ''
+   
        result = self._run('command', [ "/bin/false" ])
        assert result['rc'] == 1
        assert 'failed' not in result
+   
        result = self._run('command', [ "/usr/bin/this_does_not_exist", "splat" ]) 
        assert 'msg' in result
        assert 'failed' in result
        assert 'rc' not in result
 
+       result = self._run('shell', [ "/bin/echo", "$HOME" ])
+       assert 'failed' not in result
+       assert result['rc'] == 0 
+       raise Exception(result['stdout'])
+   
+
    def test_setup(self):
        output = self._get_stage_file('output.json')
        result = self._run('setup', [ "metadata=%s" % output, "a=2", "b=3", "c=4" ])