diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_utils/basic.py b/lib/ansible/module_utils/basic.py
index e597b2b407..6e20d54bee 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_utils/basic.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_utils/basic.py
@@ -136,10 +136,10 @@ except ImportError:
     try:
         import simplejson as json
     except ImportError:
-        print('{"msg": "Error: ansible requires the stdlib json or simplejson module, neither was found!", "failed": true}')
+        print('\n{"msg": "Error: ansible requires the stdlib json or simplejson module, neither was found!", "failed": true}')
         sys.exit(1)
     except SyntaxError:
-        print('{"msg": "SyntaxError: probably due to installed simplejson being for a different python version", "failed": true}')
+        print('\n{"msg": "SyntaxError: probably due to installed simplejson being for a different python version", "failed": true}')
         sys.exit(1)
 
 HAVE_SELINUX=False
@@ -574,7 +574,7 @@ class AnsibleModule(object):
         except Exception:
             e = get_exception()
             # Use exceptions here because it isn't safe to call fail_json until no_log is processed
-            print('{"failed": true, "msg": "Module alias error: %s"}' % str(e))
+            print('\n{"failed": true, "msg": "Module alias error: %s"}' % str(e))
             sys.exit(1)
 
         # Save parameter values that should never be logged
@@ -1497,7 +1497,7 @@ class AnsibleModule(object):
             params = json.loads(buffer.decode('utf-8'))
         except ValueError:
             # This helper used too early for fail_json to work.
-            print('{"msg": "Error: Module unable to decode valid JSON on stdin.  Unable to figure out what parameters were passed", "failed": true}')
+            print('\n{"msg": "Error: Module unable to decode valid JSON on stdin.  Unable to figure out what parameters were passed", "failed": true}')
             sys.exit(1)
 
         if sys.version_info < (3,):
@@ -1508,7 +1508,7 @@ class AnsibleModule(object):
             self.constants = params['ANSIBLE_MODULE_CONSTANTS']
         except KeyError:
             # This helper used too early for fail_json to work.
-            print('{"msg": "Error: Module unable to locate ANSIBLE_MODULE_ARGS and ANSIBLE_MODULE_CONSTANTS in json data from stdin.  Unable to figure out what parameters were passed", "failed": true}')
+            print('\n{"msg": "Error: Module unable to locate ANSIBLE_MODULE_ARGS and ANSIBLE_MODULE_CONSTANTS in json data from stdin.  Unable to figure out what parameters were passed", "failed": true}')
             sys.exit(1)
 
     def _log_to_syslog(self, msg):
@@ -1700,7 +1700,7 @@ class AnsibleModule(object):
             kwargs['invocation'] = {'module_args': self.params}
         kwargs = remove_values(kwargs, self.no_log_values)
         self.do_cleanup_files()
-        print(self.jsonify(kwargs))
+        print('\n%s' % self.jsonify(kwargs))
         sys.exit(0)
 
     def fail_json(self, **kwargs):
@@ -1712,7 +1712,7 @@ class AnsibleModule(object):
             kwargs['invocation'] = {'module_args': self.params}
         kwargs = remove_values(kwargs, self.no_log_values)
         self.do_cleanup_files()
-        print(self.jsonify(kwargs))
+        print('\n%s' % self.jsonify(kwargs))
         sys.exit(1)
 
     def fail_on_missing_params(self, required_params=None):
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/__init__.py
index 7a8ee2b4bc..5ac2aba59d 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/__init__.py
@@ -240,7 +240,8 @@ class ActionBase(with_metaclass(ABCMeta, object)):
             raise AnsibleConnectionFailure(output)
 
         try:
-            rc = self._connection._shell.join_path(result['stdout'].strip(), u'').splitlines()[-1]
+            stdout_parts = result['stdout'].strip().split('%s=' % basefile, 1)
+            rc = self._connection._shell.join_path(stdout_parts[-1], u'').splitlines()[-1]
         except IndexError:
             # stdout was empty or just space, set to / to trigger error in next if
             rc = '/'
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/shell/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/shell/__init__.py
index effbddd58e..6b0ed98d1d 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/shell/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/shell/__init__.py
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ class ShellBase(object):
         basetmp = self.join_path(basetmpdir, basefile)
 
         cmd = 'mkdir -p %s echo %s %s' % (self._SHELL_SUB_LEFT, basetmp, self._SHELL_SUB_RIGHT)
-        cmd += ' %s echo %s echo %s %s' % (self._SHELL_AND, self._SHELL_SUB_LEFT, basetmp, self._SHELL_SUB_RIGHT)
+        cmd += ' %s echo %s=%s echo %s %s' % (self._SHELL_AND, basefile, self._SHELL_SUB_LEFT, basetmp, self._SHELL_SUB_RIGHT)
 
         # change the umask in a subshell to achieve the desired mode
         # also for directories created with `mkdir -p`