diff --git a/examples/ansible.cfg b/examples/ansible.cfg
index 40126ee91a..109f508002 100644
--- a/examples/ansible.cfg
+++ b/examples/ansible.cfg
@@ -284,6 +284,10 @@
 # possibly multiple sources (both static and dynamic)
 #inventory_ignore_extensions = ~, .orig, .bak, .ini, .cfg, .retry, .pyc, .pyo
 
+# This family of modules use an alternative execution path optimized for network appliances
+# only update this setting if you know how this works, otherwise it can break module execution
+#network_group_modules=['eos', 'nxos', 'ios', 'iosxr', 'junos', 'vyos']
+
 [privilege_escalation]
 #become=True
 #become_method=sudo
diff --git a/lib/ansible/constants.py b/lib/ansible/constants.py
index 6a2c1c8953..6116fae27c 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/constants.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/constants.py
@@ -299,6 +299,8 @@ DEFAULT_FILTER_PLUGIN_PATH     = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'filter_plugins',     '
 DEFAULT_TEST_PLUGIN_PATH       = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'test_plugins',       'ANSIBLE_TEST_PLUGINS', '~/.ansible/plugins/test:/usr/share/ansible/plugins/test', value_type='pathlist')
 DEFAULT_STRATEGY_PLUGIN_PATH   = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'strategy_plugins',   'ANSIBLE_STRATEGY_PLUGINS', '~/.ansible/plugins/strategy:/usr/share/ansible/plugins/strategy', value_type='pathlist')
 
+NETWORK_GROUP_MODULES          = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'network_group_modules','NETWORK_GROUP_MODULES', ['eos', 'nxos', 'ios', 'iosxr', 'junos', 'vyos'], value_type='list')
+
 DEFAULT_STRATEGY               = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'strategy',           'ANSIBLE_STRATEGY', 'linear')
 DEFAULT_STDOUT_CALLBACK        = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'stdout_callback',    'ANSIBLE_STDOUT_CALLBACK', 'default')
 # cache
diff --git a/lib/ansible/executor/task_executor.py b/lib/ansible/executor/task_executor.py
index ce65ea8497..c2c87ef5a8 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/executor/task_executor.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/executor/task_executor.py
@@ -774,13 +774,12 @@ class TaskExecutor:
         Returns the correct action plugin to handle the requestion task action
         '''
 
-        network_group_modules = frozenset(['eos', 'nxos', 'ios', 'iosxr', 'junos', 'vyos'])
         module_prefix = self._task.action.split('_')[0]
 
         # let action plugin override module, fallback to 'normal' action plugin otherwise
         if self._task.action in self._shared_loader_obj.action_loader:
             handler_name = self._task.action
-        elif all((module_prefix in network_group_modules, module_prefix in self._shared_loader_obj.action_loader)):
+        elif all((module_prefix in C.NETWORK_GROUP_MODULES, module_prefix in self._shared_loader_obj.action_loader)):
             handler_name = module_prefix
         else:
             handler_name = 'normal'