diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/debug.py b/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/debug.py
index 93879c1a8c..d2c0a980ab 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/debug.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/debug.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ class ActionModule(object):
 
     def __init__(self, runner):
         self.runner = runner
+        self.basedir = runner.basedir
 
     def run(self, conn, tmp, module_name, module_args, inject, complex_args=None, **kwargs):
         args = {}
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ class ActionModule(object):
             else:
                 result = dict(msg=args['msg'])
         elif 'var' in args:
-            results = template.template(None, "{{ %s }}" % args['var'], inject)
+            results = template.template(self.basedir, "{{ %s }}" % args['var'], inject)
             result[args['var']] = results
 
         # force flag to make debug output module always verbose
diff --git a/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py
index ec540f6ecd..1a065ccd39 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py
@@ -250,6 +250,8 @@ def path_dwim(basedir, given):
     elif given.startswith("~"):
         return os.path.abspath(os.path.expanduser(given))
     else:
+        if basedir is None:
+            basedir = "."
         return os.path.abspath(os.path.join(basedir, given))
 
 def path_dwim_relative(original, dirname, source, playbook_base, check=True):