diff --git a/library/files/lineinfile b/library/files/lineinfile
index 73c9e88cb8..bdc7b51ed9 100644
--- a/library/files/lineinfile
+++ b/library/files/lineinfile
@@ -350,9 +350,8 @@ def main():
         if ins_bef is None and ins_aft is None:
             ins_aft = 'EOF'
 
-        # Replace the newline character with an actual newline. Don't replace
-		# escaped \\n, hence sub and not str.replace.
-        line = re.sub(r'\n', os.linesep, params['line'])
+        # Replace the newline character with an actual newline.
+        line = params['line'].decode('string_escape')
 
         present(module, dest, params['regexp'], line,
                 ins_aft, ins_bef, create, backup, backrefs)
diff --git a/test/integration/roles/test_lineinfile/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/roles/test_lineinfile/tasks/main.yml
index f59979473b..b8974b7edc 100644
--- a/test/integration/roles/test_lineinfile/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/roles/test_lineinfile/tasks/main.yml
@@ -209,3 +209,21 @@
     that:
     - "result.stat.md5 == 'fef1d487711facfd7aa2c87d788c19d9'"
 
+
+- name: insert a multiple lines at the end of the file
+  lineinfile: dest={{output_dir}}/test.txt state=present line="This is a line\nwith \\\n character" insertafter="EOF"
+  register: result
+
+- name: assert that the multiple lines was inserted
+  assert:
+    that:
+    - "result.changed == true"
+    - "result.msg == 'line added'"
+
+- stat: path={{output_dir}}/test.txt
+  register: result
+
+- name: assert test md5 matches after insert the multiple lines
+  assert:
+    that:
+    - "result.stat.md5 == 'c2510d5bc8fdef8e752b8f8e74c784c2'"