diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/ssh.py b/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/ssh.py
index 28e4ad5f4c..68c6f17d4a 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/ssh.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/ssh.py
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ class Connection(object):
             # the host to known hosts is not intermingled with multiprocess output.
             fcntl.lockf(self.runner.output_lockfile, fcntl.LOCK_UN)
             fcntl.lockf(self.runner.process_lockfile, fcntl.LOCK_UN)
-        controlpersisterror = stderr.find('Bad configuration option: ControlPersist') or stderr.find('unknown configuration option: ControlPersist') != -1
+        controlpersisterror = stderr.find('Bad configuration option: ControlPersist') != -1 or stderr.find('unknown configuration option: ControlPersist') != -1
         if p.returncode != 0 and controlpersisterror:
             raise errors.AnsibleError('using -c ssh on certain older ssh versions may not support ControlPersist, set ANSIBLE_SSH_ARGS="" (or ansible_ssh_args in the config file) before running again')