diff --git a/hacking/test-module b/hacking/test-module
index 6840dcffc7..f953c15b9c 100755
--- a/hacking/test-module
+++ b/hacking/test-module
@@ -79,8 +79,9 @@ def boilerplate_module(modfile, args):
     module_fh.close()
 
     if included_boilerplate:
+
         module_data = module_data.replace(module_common.REPLACER, module_common.MODULE_COMMON)
-        encoded_args = base64.b64encode(args)
+        encoded_args = "\"\"\"%s\"\"\"" % args.replace("\"","\\\"")
         module_data = module_data.replace(module_common.REPLACER_ARGS, encoded_args)
 
         modfile2_path = os.path.expanduser("~/.ansible_module_generated")
diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_common.py b/lib/ansible/module_common.py
index ce0a2c55b8..98c42b20eb 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_common.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_common.py
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ MODULE_COMMON = """
 
 # == BEGIN DYNAMICALLY INSERTED CODE ==
 
-MODULE_ARGS = "<<INCLUDE_ANSIBLE_MODULE_ARGS>>"
+MODULE_ARGS = <<INCLUDE_ANSIBLE_MODULE_ARGS>>
+
 BOOLEANS_TRUE = ['yes', 'on', '1', 'true', 1]
 BOOLEANS_FALSE = ['no', 'off', '0', 'false', 0]
 BOOLEANS = BOOLEANS_TRUE + BOOLEANS_FALSE
@@ -144,7 +145,7 @@ class AnsibleModule(object):
 
     def _load_params(self):
         ''' read the input and return a dictionary and the arguments string '''
-        args = base64.b64decode(MODULE_ARGS)
+        args = MODULE_ARGS
         items   = shlex.split(args)
         params = {}
         for x in items:
diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py
index 2881a261fa..356cd30890 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ class Runner(object):
 
         afd, afile = tempfile.mkstemp()
         afo = os.fdopen(afd, 'w')
-        afo.write(data.encode("utf8"))
+        afo.write(data.encode('utf8'))
         afo.flush()
         afo.close()
 
@@ -700,7 +700,7 @@ class Runner(object):
             if module_common.REPLACER in module_data:
                 is_new_style=True
             module_data = module_data.replace(module_common.REPLACER, module_common.MODULE_COMMON)
-            encoded_args = base64.b64encode(utils.template(self.module_args, inject).encode('utf-8'))
+            encoded_args = "\"\"\"%s\"\"\"" % utils.template(self.module_args, inject).replace("\"","\\\"")
             module_data = module_data.replace(module_common.REPLACER_ARGS, encoded_args)
  
         # use the correct python interpreter for the host
diff --git a/library/command b/library/command
index 48dd0f500a..933cfe19a9 100755
--- a/library/command
+++ b/library/command
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #!/usr/bin/python
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 
 # (c) 2012, Michael DeHaan <michael.dehaan@gmail.com>, and others
 #
@@ -84,7 +85,7 @@ class CommandModule(AnsibleModule):
 
     def _load_params(self):
         ''' read the input and return a dictionary and the arguments string '''
-        args = base64.b64decode(MODULE_ARGS)
+        args = MODULE_ARGS
         items   = shlex.split(args)
         params = {}
         params['chdir'] = None