diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/lookup_plugins/ini.py b/lib/ansible/runner/lookup_plugins/ini.py
index 002dda0908..ebfed750c2 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/lookup_plugins/ini.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/lookup_plugins/ini.py
@@ -43,9 +43,11 @@ class LookupModule(object):
         # Retrieve all values from a section using a regexp
         if is_regexp:
             return [v for k, v in self.cp.items(section) if re.match(key, k)]
+        value = None
         # Retrieve a single value
-        value = self.cp.get(section, key)
-        if value == None:
+        try:
+            value = self.cp.get(section, key)
+        except ConfigParser.NoOptionError, e:
             return dflt
         return value
 
diff --git a/test/integration/test_lookup_properties.yml b/test/integration/test_lookup_properties.yml
index dcd5eb698b..4e085c1497 100644
--- a/test/integration/test_lookup_properties.yml
+++ b/test/integration/test_lookup_properties.yml
@@ -26,4 +26,5 @@
       with_items: [ 'value_section', 'other_section' ]
     - name: "Reading unknown value"
       set_fact:
-        value2_section2:  "{{lookup('ini', 'value2           section=section1 file=lookup.ini')}}"
+        unknown:  "{{lookup('ini', 'value2           default=unknown section=section1 file=lookup.ini')}}"
+    - debug: var=unknown