diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_utils/vmware.py b/lib/ansible/module_utils/vmware.py
index 4d070a47e1..b3451e37e7 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_utils/vmware.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_utils/vmware.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ try:
     # requests is required for exception handling of the ConnectionError
     import requests
     from pyVim import connect
-    from pyVmomi import vim
+    from pyVmomi import vim, vmodl
     HAS_PYVMOMI = True
 except ImportError:
     HAS_PYVMOMI = False
@@ -420,11 +420,15 @@ def connect_to_api(module, disconnect_atexit=True):
                              " to log on to vCenter or ESXi API at %s: %s" % (username, hostname, e.msg))
     except (requests.ConnectionError, ssl.SSLError) as e:
         module.fail_json(msg="Unable to connect to vCenter or ESXi API at %s on TCP/443: %s" % (hostname, e))
+    except vmodl.fault.InvalidRequest as e:
+        # Request is malformed
+        module.fail_json(msg="Failed to get a response from server %s as "
+                             "request is malformed: %s" % (hostname, e.msg))
     except Exception as e:
-        module.fail_json(msg="Unknown error connecting to vCenter or ESXi API at %s: %s" % (hostname, e))
+        module.fail_json(msg="Unknown error while connecting to vCenter or ESXi API at %s: %s" % (hostname, e))
 
     if service_instance is None:
-        module.fail_json(msg="Unknown error connecting to vCenter or ESXi API at %s" % hostname)
+        module.fail_json(msg="Unknown error while connecting to vCenter or ESXi API at %s" % hostname)
 
     # Disabling atexit should be used in special cases only.
     # Such as IP change of the ESXi host which removes the connection anyway.
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/vmware/vmware_vm_facts.py b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/vmware/vmware_vm_facts.py
index 4c5cacf60d..623f5f4c90 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/vmware/vmware_vm_facts.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/vmware/vmware_vm_facts.py
@@ -51,12 +51,12 @@ virtual_machines:
 
 try:
     from pyVmomi import vim, vmodl
-    HAS_PYVMOMI = True
 except ImportError:
-    HAS_PYVMOMI = False
+    pass
 
 from ansible.module_utils.basic import AnsibleModule
-from ansible.module_utils.vmware import HAS_PYVMOMI, connect_to_api, get_all_objs, vmware_argument_spec
+from ansible.module_utils.vmware import (HAS_PYVMOMI, connect_to_api, get_all_objs,
+                                         vmware_argument_spec, _get_vm_prop)
 
 
 # https://github.com/vmware/pyvmomi-community-samples/blob/master/samples/getallvms.py
@@ -72,8 +72,9 @@ def get_all_virtual_machines(content):
             if _ip_address is None:
                 _ip_address = ""
         _mac_address = []
-        if vm.config is not None:
-            for dev in vm.config.hardware.device:
+        all_devices = _get_vm_prop(vm, ('config', 'hardware', 'device'))
+        if all_devices:
+            for dev in all_devices:
                 if isinstance(dev, vim.vm.device.VirtualEthernetCard):
                     _mac_address.append(dev.macAddress)