diff --git a/test/runner/lib/sanity/__init__.py b/test/runner/lib/sanity/__init__.py
index b2f5f813b7..052ff900e6 100644
--- a/test/runner/lib/sanity/__init__.py
+++ b/test/runner/lib/sanity/__init__.py
@@ -224,6 +224,7 @@ class SanityCodeSmellTest(SanityTest):
         env = ansible_environment(args, color=False)
 
         pattern = None
+        data = None
 
         if self.config:
             with open(self.config, 'r') as config_fd:
@@ -251,10 +252,11 @@ class SanityCodeSmellTest(SanityTest):
             if not paths:
                 return SanitySkipped(self.name)
 
-            cmd += paths
+            data = '\n'.join(paths)
 
+            display.info(data, verbosity=4)
         try:
-            stdout, stderr = run_command(args, cmd, env=env, capture=True)
+            stdout, stderr = run_command(args, cmd, data=data, env=env, capture=True)
             status = 0
         except SubprocessError as ex:
             stdout = ex.stdout
diff --git a/test/sanity/code-smell/boilerplate.py b/test/sanity/code-smell/boilerplate.py
index b0e2e430d9..6cd9665b11 100755
--- a/test/sanity/code-smell/boilerplate.py
+++ b/test/sanity/code-smell/boilerplate.py
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ def main():
         'test/'
     ]
 
-    for path in sys.argv[1:]:
+    for path in sys.argv[1:] or sys.stdin.read().splitlines():
         if path in skip:
             continue
 
diff --git a/test/sanity/code-smell/empty-init.py b/test/sanity/code-smell/empty-init.py
index f55817dc67..b0f5c320c3 100755
--- a/test/sanity/code-smell/empty-init.py
+++ b/test/sanity/code-smell/empty-init.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ def main():
         'lib/ansible/module_utils/six/__init__.py',
     ])
 
-    for path in sys.argv[1:]:
+    for path in sys.argv[1:] or sys.stdin.read().splitlines():
         if path in skip:
             continue
 
diff --git a/test/sanity/code-smell/no-assert.py b/test/sanity/code-smell/no-assert.py
index 06c54e14a7..abb663d577 100755
--- a/test/sanity/code-smell/no-assert.py
+++ b/test/sanity/code-smell/no-assert.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ ASSERT_RE = re.compile(r'.*(?<![-:a-zA-Z#][ -])\bassert\b(?!:).*')
 def main():
     failed = False
 
-    for path in sys.argv[1:]:
+    for path in sys.argv[1:] or sys.stdin.read().splitlines():
         with open(path, 'r') as f:
             for i, line in enumerate(f.readlines()):
                 matches = ASSERT_RE.findall(line)
diff --git a/test/sanity/code-smell/no-basestring.py b/test/sanity/code-smell/no-basestring.py
index e1743807b5..3105a09729 100755
--- a/test/sanity/code-smell/no-basestring.py
+++ b/test/sanity/code-smell/no-basestring.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ def main():
         'lib/ansible/module_utils/six/__init__.py',
     ])
 
-    for path in sys.argv[1:]:
+    for path in sys.argv[1:] or sys.stdin.read().splitlines():
         if path in skip:
             continue
 
diff --git a/test/sanity/code-smell/no-dict-iteritems.py b/test/sanity/code-smell/no-dict-iteritems.py
index 95b3d79b1d..37a794d4eb 100755
--- a/test/sanity/code-smell/no-dict-iteritems.py
+++ b/test/sanity/code-smell/no-dict-iteritems.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ def main():
         'lib/ansible/module_utils/six/__init__.py',
     ])
 
-    for path in sys.argv[1:]:
+    for path in sys.argv[1:] or sys.stdin.read().splitlines():
         if path in skip:
             continue
 
diff --git a/test/sanity/code-smell/no-dict-iterkeys.py b/test/sanity/code-smell/no-dict-iterkeys.py
index 5309ab7ceb..7383c11209 100755
--- a/test/sanity/code-smell/no-dict-iterkeys.py
+++ b/test/sanity/code-smell/no-dict-iterkeys.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ def main():
         'lib/ansible/module_utils/six/__init__.py',
     ])
 
-    for path in sys.argv[1:]:
+    for path in sys.argv[1:] or sys.stdin.read().splitlines():
         if path in skip:
             continue
 
diff --git a/test/sanity/code-smell/no-dict-itervalues.py b/test/sanity/code-smell/no-dict-itervalues.py
index e503ffb67e..8a93dd315e 100755
--- a/test/sanity/code-smell/no-dict-itervalues.py
+++ b/test/sanity/code-smell/no-dict-itervalues.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ def main():
         'lib/ansible/module_utils/six/__init__.py',
     ])
 
-    for path in sys.argv[1:]:
+    for path in sys.argv[1:] or sys.stdin.read().splitlines():
         if path in skip:
             continue
 
diff --git a/test/sanity/code-smell/no-get-exception.py b/test/sanity/code-smell/no-get-exception.py
index d09fa23b35..53ed0f2f84 100755
--- a/test/sanity/code-smell/no-get-exception.py
+++ b/test/sanity/code-smell/no-get-exception.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ def main():
 
     basic_allow_once = True
 
-    for path in sys.argv[1:]:
+    for path in sys.argv[1:] or sys.stdin.read().splitlines():
         if path in skip:
             continue
 
diff --git a/test/sanity/code-smell/no-tests-as-filters.py b/test/sanity/code-smell/no-tests-as-filters.py
index 34ab77d453..3975f436b3 100755
--- a/test/sanity/code-smell/no-tests-as-filters.py
+++ b/test/sanity/code-smell/no-tests-as-filters.py
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ FILTER_RE = re.compile(r'((.+?)\s*(?P<left>[\w \.\'"]+)(\s*)\|(\s*)(?P<filter>\w
 def main():
     failed = False
 
-    for path in sys.argv[1:]:
+    for path in sys.argv[1:] or sys.stdin.read().splitlines():
         with open(path) as f:
             text = f.read()
 
diff --git a/test/sanity/code-smell/no-underscore-variable.py b/test/sanity/code-smell/no-underscore-variable.py
index 5ac713098e..3ec540fe63 100755
--- a/test/sanity/code-smell/no-underscore-variable.py
+++ b/test/sanity/code-smell/no-underscore-variable.py
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ def main():
         'test/units/modules/system/interfaces_file/test_interfaces_file.py',
     ])
 
-    for path in sys.argv[1:]:
+    for path in sys.argv[1:] or sys.stdin.read().splitlines():
         if path in skip:
             continue
 
diff --git a/test/sanity/code-smell/replace-urlopen.py b/test/sanity/code-smell/replace-urlopen.py
index 91d9175f6b..1e0ba862ba 100755
--- a/test/sanity/code-smell/replace-urlopen.py
+++ b/test/sanity/code-smell/replace-urlopen.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ def main():
         'lib/ansible/module_utils/urls.py',
     ])
 
-    for path in sys.argv[1:]:
+    for path in sys.argv[1:] or sys.stdin.read().splitlines():
         if path in skip:
             continue
 
diff --git a/test/sanity/code-smell/required-and-default-attributes.py b/test/sanity/code-smell/required-and-default-attributes.py
index 5c6f86c5b9..6fa7944da9 100755
--- a/test/sanity/code-smell/required-and-default-attributes.py
+++ b/test/sanity/code-smell/required-and-default-attributes.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ def main():
         'test/sanity/code-smell/%s' % os.path.basename(__file__),
     ])
 
-    for path in sys.argv[1:]:
+    for path in sys.argv[1:] or sys.stdin.read().splitlines():
         if path in skip:
             continue
 
diff --git a/test/sanity/code-smell/use-argspec-type-path.py b/test/sanity/code-smell/use-argspec-type-path.py
index 36871d3f4e..856f168899 100755
--- a/test/sanity/code-smell/use-argspec-type-path.py
+++ b/test/sanity/code-smell/use-argspec-type-path.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ def main():
         'lib/ansible/modules/files/find.py',
     ])
 
-    for path in sys.argv[1:]:
+    for path in sys.argv[1:] or sys.stdin.read().splitlines():
         if path in skip:
             continue
 
diff --git a/test/sanity/code-smell/use-compat-six.py b/test/sanity/code-smell/use-compat-six.py
index a7fe13fb0a..c3da78e849 100755
--- a/test/sanity/code-smell/use-compat-six.py
+++ b/test/sanity/code-smell/use-compat-six.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ def main():
         'docs/bin/plugin_formatter.py',
     ])
 
-    for path in sys.argv[1:]:
+    for path in sys.argv[1:] or sys.stdin.read().splitlines():
         if path in skip:
             continue