diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/packaging/os/yum.py b/lib/ansible/modules/packaging/os/yum.py
index cfc3b059ba..320c9d9d74 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/packaging/os/yum.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/packaging/os/yum.py
@@ -22,12 +22,21 @@
 #
 
 import os
-import yum
-import rpm
-import platform
-import tempfile
+import re
 import shutil
-from distutils.version import LooseVersion
+import tempfile
+
+try:
+    import rpm
+    HAS_RPM_PYTHON = True
+except ImportError:
+    HAS_RPM_PYTHON = False
+
+try:
+    import yum
+    HAS_YUM_PYTHON = True
+except ImportError:
+    HAS_YUM_PYTHON = False
 
 try:
     from yum.misc import find_unfinished_transactions, find_ts_remaining
@@ -36,6 +45,11 @@ try:
 except:
     transaction_helpers = False
 
+from ansible.module_utils.basic import AnsibleModule
+from ansible.module_utils.pycompat24 import get_exception
+from ansible.module_utils.urls import fetch_url
+
+
 ANSIBLE_METADATA = {'status': ['stableinterface'],
                     'supported_by': 'core',
                     'version': '1.0'}
@@ -234,7 +248,8 @@ def yum_base(conf_file=None, installroot='/'):
         # do not setup installroot by default, because of error
         # CRITICAL:yum.cli:Config Error: Error accessing file for config file:////etc/yum.conf
         # in old yum version (like in CentOS 6.6)
-        my.conf.installroot=installroot
+        my.preconf.root = installroot
+        my.conf.installroot = installroot
     if conf_file and os.path.exists(conf_file):
         my.preconf.fn = conf_file
     if os.geteuid() != 0:
@@ -318,6 +333,8 @@ def is_installed(module, repoq, pkgspec, conf_file, qf=def_qf, en_repos=None, di
             rpmbin = module.get_bin_path('rpm', required=True)
 
         cmd = [rpmbin, '-q', '--qf', qf, pkgspec]
+        if installroot != '/':
+            cmd.extend(['--root', installroot])
         # rpm localizes messages and we're screen scraping so make sure we use
         # the C locale
         lang_env = dict(LANG='C', LC_ALL='C', LC_MESSAGES='C')
@@ -330,6 +347,8 @@ def is_installed(module, repoq, pkgspec, conf_file, qf=def_qf, en_repos=None, di
         pkgs = [p for p in out.replace('(none)', '0').split('\n') if p.strip()]
         if not pkgs and not is_pkg:
             cmd = [rpmbin, '-q', '--qf', qf, '--whatprovides', pkgspec]
+            if installroot != '/':
+                cmd.extend(['--root', installroot])
             rc2, out2, err2 = module.run_command(cmd, environ_update=lang_env)
         else:
             rc2, out2, err2 = (0, '', '')
@@ -593,6 +612,8 @@ def list_stuff(module, repoquerybin, conf_file, stuff, installroot='/'):
     # is_installed goes through rpm instead of repoquery so it needs a slightly different format
     is_installed_qf = "%{name}|%{epoch}|%{version}|%{release}|%{arch}|installed\n"
     repoq = [repoquerybin, '--show-duplicates', '--plugins', '--quiet']
+    if installroot != '/':
+        repoq.extend(['--installroot', installroot])
     if conf_file and os.path.exists(conf_file):
         repoq += ['-c', conf_file]
 
@@ -1095,6 +1116,15 @@ def main():
         supports_check_mode = True
     )
 
+    error_msgs = []
+    if not HAS_RPM_PYTHON:
+        error_msgs.append('python2 bindings for rpm are needed for this module')
+    if not HAS_YUM_PYTHON:
+        error_msgs.append('python2 yum module is needed for this  module')
+
+    if error_msgs:
+        module.fail_json(msg='. '.join(error_msgs))
+
     params = module.params
 
     if params['list']:
@@ -1122,6 +1152,8 @@ def main():
                 repoquerybin = ensure_yum_utils(module)
                 if repoquerybin:
                     repoquery = [repoquerybin, '--show-duplicates', '--plugins', '--quiet']
+                    if params['installroot'] != '/':
+                        repoquery.extend(['--installroot', params['installroot']])
 
         pkg = [ p.strip() for p in params['name']]
         exclude = params['exclude']
@@ -1138,8 +1170,6 @@ def main():
 
     module.exit_json(**results)
 
-# import module snippets
-from ansible.module_utils.basic import *
-from ansible.module_utils.urls import *
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     main()
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/yum/tasks/yum.yml b/test/integration/targets/yum/tasks/yum.yml
index 8299ec587d..24880f8b76 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/yum/tasks/yum.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/yum/tasks/yum.yml
@@ -227,5 +227,8 @@
         - "'results' in yum_result"
 
 - name: uninstall sos
-  yum: name=sos installroot='/'
+  yum:
+    name: sos
+    installroot: '/'
+    state: removed
   register: yum_result
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/yum/tasks/yuminstallroot.yml b/test/integration/targets/yum/tasks/yuminstallroot.yml
index 3cf0c110f2..3f50b4ab00 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/yum/tasks/yuminstallroot.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/yum/tasks/yuminstallroot.yml
@@ -17,44 +17,44 @@
 
 - name: Make a necessary directory
   file:
-    path: "/{{ yumroot.stdout }}/etc/yum/vars/"
+    path: "{{ yumroot.stdout }}/etc/yum/vars/"
     state: directory
     mode: 0755
 
-#- name: Populate directory
-#  copy:
-#    content: "{{ ansible_lsb.major_release }}\n"
-#    dest: "/{{ yumroot.stdout }}/etc/yum/vars/releasever"
-#
-## This will drag in > 200 MB.
-#- name: attempt installroot
-#  yum: name=sos installroot="/{{ yumroot.stdout }}/" disable_gpg_check=yes
-#  register: yum_result
-#  
-#- name: check sos with rpm in installroot
-#  shell: rpm -q sos --root="/{{ yumroot.stdout }}/"
-#  failed_when: False
-#  register: rpm_result
-#
-#- debug: var=yum_result
-#- debug: var=rpm_result
-#
-#- name: verify installation of sos
-#  assert:
-#    that:
-#        - "yum_result.rc == 0"
-#        - "yum_result.changed"
-#        - "rpm_result.rc == 0"
-#
-#- name: verify yum module outputs
-#  assert:
-#    that:
-#        - "'changed' in yum_result"
-#        - "'msg' in yum_result"
-#        - "'rc' in yum_result"
-#        - "'results' in yum_result"
-#
+- name: Populate directory
+  copy:
+    content: "{{ ansible_distribution_major_version }}\n"
+    dest: "/{{ yumroot.stdout }}/etc/yum/vars/releasever"
+
+# This will drag in > 200 MB.
+- name: attempt installroot
+  yum: name=zlib installroot="{{ yumroot.stdout }}/" disable_gpg_check=yes
+  register: yum_result
+
+- name: check sos with rpm in installroot
+  shell: rpm -q zlib --root="{{ yumroot.stdout }}/"
+  failed_when: False
+  register: rpm_result
+
+- debug: var=yum_result
+- debug: var=rpm_result
+
+- name: verify installation of sos
+  assert:
+    that:
+        - "yum_result.rc == 0"
+        - "yum_result.changed"
+        - "rpm_result.rc == 0"
+
+- name: verify yum module outputs
+  assert:
+    that:
+        - "'changed' in yum_result"
+        - "'msg' in yum_result"
+        - "'rc' in yum_result"
+        - "'results' in yum_result"
+
 - name: cleanup installroot
   file:
-    path: "/{{ yumroot.stdout }}/"
+    path: "{{ yumroot.stdout }}/"
     state: absent