diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py
index f1716ed88f..b0109fedce 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py
@@ -317,7 +317,8 @@ class Runner(object):
         ''' executes any module one or more times '''
 
         host_variables = self.inventory.get_variables(host)
-        if self.transport in [ 'paramiko', 'ssh' ]:
+        host_connection = host_variables.get('ansible_connection', self.transport)
+        if host_connection in [ 'paramiko', 'ssh' ]:
             port = host_variables.get('ansible_ssh_port', self.remote_port)
             if port is None:
                 port = C.DEFAULT_REMOTE_PORT
@@ -423,7 +424,8 @@ class Runner(object):
         actual_port = port
         actual_user = inject.get('ansible_ssh_user', self.remote_user)
         actual_pass = inject.get('ansible_ssh_pass', self.remote_pass)
-        if self.transport in [ 'paramiko', 'ssh' ]:
+        actual_transport = inject.get('ansible_connection', self.transport)
+        if actual_transport in [ 'paramiko', 'ssh' ]:
             actual_port = inject.get('ansible_ssh_port', port)
 
         # the delegated host may have different SSH port configured, etc
@@ -463,7 +465,7 @@ class Runner(object):
             return ReturnData(host=host, comm_ok=False, result=result)
 
         try:
-            conn = self.connector.connect(actual_host, actual_port, actual_user, actual_pass)
+            conn = self.connector.connect(actual_host, actual_port, actual_user, actual_pass, actual_transport)
             if delegate_to or host != actual_host:
                 conn.delegate = host
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/connection.py b/lib/ansible/runner/connection.py
index c585397ba7..044dc0d4eb 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/connection.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/connection.py
@@ -31,9 +31,8 @@ class Connection(object):
     def __init__(self, runner):
         self.runner = runner
 
-    def connect(self, host, port, user, password):
+    def connect(self, host, port, user, password, transport):
         conn = None
-        transport = self.runner.transport
         conn = utils.plugins.connection_loader.get(transport, self.runner, host, port, user=user, password=password)
         if conn is None:
             raise AnsibleError("unsupported connection type: %s" % transport)