diff --git a/bin/ansible-connection b/bin/ansible-connection
index 43b3675a21..09656a5541 100755
--- a/bin/ansible-connection
+++ b/bin/ansible-connection
@@ -105,10 +105,6 @@ class ConnectionProcess(object):
             self.connection.set_options(var_options=variables)
             self.connection._connect()
 
-            # implementation plugins are updated while connection initialization
-            if hasattr(self.connection, 'set_implementation_plugin_options'):
-                self.connection.set_implementation_plugin_options(var_options=variables)
-
             self.connection._socket_path = self.socket_path
             self.srv.register(self.connection)
             messages.extend(sys.stdout.getvalue().splitlines())
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/__init__.py
index d7e86e2510..da4a9b4ded 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/__init__.py
@@ -301,6 +301,7 @@ class NetworkConnectionBase(ConnectionBase):
         self._local.set_options()
 
         self._implementation_plugins = []
+        self._cached_variables = (None, None, None)
 
         # reconstruct the socket_path and set instance values accordingly
         self._ansible_playbook_pid = kwargs.get('ansible_playbook_pid')
@@ -317,6 +318,11 @@ class NetworkConnectionBase(ConnectionBase):
                         return method
             raise AttributeError("'%s' object has no attribute '%s'" % (self.__class__.__name__, name))
 
+    def _connect(self):
+        for plugin in self._implementation_plugins:
+            plugin.set_options(*self._cached_variables)
+        self._cached_variables = (None, None, None)
+
     def exec_command(self, cmd, in_data=None, sudoable=True):
         return self._local.exec_command(cmd, in_data, sudoable)
 
@@ -344,14 +350,7 @@ class NetworkConnectionBase(ConnectionBase):
 
     def set_options(self, task_keys=None, var_options=None, direct=None):
         super(NetworkConnectionBase, self).set_options(task_keys=task_keys, var_options=var_options, direct=direct)
-        self.set_implementation_plugin_options(task_keys=task_keys, var_options=var_options, direct=direct)
-
-    def set_implementation_plugin_options(self, task_keys=None, var_options=None, direct=None):
-        '''
-        initialize implementation plugin options
-        '''
-        for plugin in self._implementation_plugins:
-            plugin.set_options(task_keys=task_keys, var_options=var_options, direct=direct)
+        self._cached_variables = (task_keys, var_options, direct)
 
     def _update_connection_state(self):
         '''
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/httpapi.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/httpapi.py
index e651f06bb6..a8718c5e87 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/httpapi.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/httpapi.py
@@ -206,10 +206,8 @@ class Connection(NetworkConnectionBase):
 
             httpapi = httpapi_loader.get(self._network_os, self)
             if httpapi:
-                display.vvvv('loaded API plugin for network_os %s' % self._network_os, host=self._play_context.remote_addr)
+                display.vvvv('loaded API plugin for network_os %s' % self._network_os, host=host)
                 self._implementation_plugins.append(httpapi)
-                httpapi.set_become(self._play_context)
-                httpapi.login(self.get_option('remote_user'), self.get_option('password'))
             else:
                 raise AnsibleConnectionFailure('unable to load API plugin for network_os %s' % self._network_os)
 
@@ -220,6 +218,11 @@ class Connection(NetworkConnectionBase):
             else:
                 display.vvvv('unable to load cliconf for network_os %s' % self._network_os)
 
+            super(Connection, self)._connect()
+
+            httpapi.set_become(self._play_context)
+            httpapi.login(self.get_option('remote_user'), self.get_option('password'))
+
             self._connected = True
 
     def close(self):
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/netconf.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/netconf.py
index 697f7ed3e9..93468f1438 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/netconf.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/netconf.py
@@ -307,6 +307,8 @@ class Connection(NetworkConnectionBase):
             display.display('unable to load netconf plugin for network_os %s, falling back to default plugin' % self._network_os)
         self._implementation_plugins.append(netconf)
 
+        super(Connection, self)._connect()
+
         return 0, to_bytes(self._manager.session_id, errors='surrogate_or_strict'), b''
 
     def close(self):
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/network_cli.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/network_cli.py
index 7dfdcbb78c..e649c32c61 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/network_cli.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/network_cli.py
@@ -300,6 +300,8 @@ class Connection(NetworkConnectionBase):
             else:
                 display.vvvv('unable to load cliconf for network_os %s' % self._network_os)
 
+            super(Connection, self)._connect()
+
             self.receive(prompts=self._terminal.terminal_initial_prompt, answer=self._terminal.terminal_initial_answer,
                          newline=self._terminal.terminal_inital_prompt_newline)