diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_utils/netconf.py b/lib/ansible/module_utils/netconf.py
index cf49019766..ff3d54806e 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_utils/netconf.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_utils/netconf.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 # still belong to the author of the module, and may assign their own license
 # to the complete work.
 #
-# (c) 2016 Red Hat Inc.
+# (c) 2017 Red Hat Inc.
 #
 # Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification,
 # are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
@@ -29,9 +29,11 @@ from contextlib import contextmanager
 
 from ncclient.xml_ import new_ele, sub_ele, to_xml, to_ele
 
+from ansible.module_utils.connection import exec_command
+
 def send_request(module, obj, check_rc=True):
     request = to_xml(obj)
-    rc, out, err = module.exec_command(request)
+    rc, out, err = exec_command(module, request)
     if rc != 0:
         if check_rc:
             module.fail_json(msg=str(err))
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/netconf.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/netconf.py
index 3064876744..edc1c8b4ac 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/netconf.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/netconf.py
@@ -44,11 +44,10 @@ except ImportError:
     display = Display()
 
 class Connection(ConnectionBase):
-    ''' NetConf base connections '''
+    ''' NetConf connections '''
 
     transport = 'netconf'
     has_pipelining = False
-    action_handler = 'network'
 
     def __init__(self, play_context, new_stdin, *args, **kwargs):
         super(Connection, self).__init__(play_context, new_stdin, *args, **kwargs)
@@ -113,9 +112,11 @@ class Connection(ConnectionBase):
 
         return (0, reply.data_xml, '')
 
-    def fetch_file(self):
+    def put_file(self, in_path, out_path):
+        """Transfer a file from local to remote"""
         pass
 
-    def put_file(self):
+    def fetch_file(self, in_path, out_path):
+        """Fetch a file from remote to local"""
         pass
 
diff --git a/test/units/plugins/connection/test_netconf.py b/test/units/plugins/connection/test_netconf.py
index 2b4985603f..2191358489 100644
--- a/test/units/plugins/connection/test_netconf.py
+++ b/test/units/plugins/connection/test_netconf.py
@@ -118,16 +118,4 @@ class TestNetconfConnectionClass(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual('', out)
         self.assertEqual('unable to parse request', err)
 
-    def test_fetch_file(self):
-        pc = PlayContext()
-        new_stdin = StringIO()
-        conn = netconf.Connection(pc, new_stdin)
-        self.assertIsNone(conn.fetch_file())
-
-    def test_put_file(self):
-        pc = PlayContext()
-        new_stdin = StringIO()
-        conn = netconf.Connection(pc, new_stdin)
-        self.assertIsNone(conn.put_file())
-