diff --git a/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py
index a75c1a57e5..5c431dadae 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py
@@ -385,12 +385,11 @@ def role_spec_parse(role_spec):
     if role_spec == "" or role_spec.startswith("#"):
         return (None, None, None, None)
 
-    # FIXME: coding guidelines want this as a list comprehension
-    tokens = map(lambda s: s.strip(), role_spec.split(','))
+    tokens = [s.strip() for s in role_spec.split(',')]
 
     # assume https://github.com URLs are git+https:// URLs and not
-    # tarballs
-    if 'github.com/' in tokens[0] and not tokens[0].startswith("git+"):
+    # tarballs unless they end in '.zip'
+    if 'github.com/' in tokens[0] and not tokens[0].startswith("git+") and not tokens[0].endswith('.tar.gz'):
         tokens[0] = 'git+' + tokens[0]
 
     if '+' in tokens[0]:
@@ -408,7 +407,7 @@ def role_spec_parse(role_spec):
 
 
 def role_yaml_parse(role):
-    if 'github.com' in role["src"] and 'http' in role["src"] and '+' not in role["src"]:
+    if 'github.com' in role["src"] and 'http' in role["src"] and '+' not in role["src"] and not role["src"].endswith('.tar.gz'):
         role["src"] = "git+" + role["src"]
     if '+' in role["src"]:
         (scm, src) = role["src"].split('+')
diff --git a/test/units/TestUtils.py b/test/units/TestUtils.py
index 044f070f1d..1c82e353ef 100644
--- a/test/units/TestUtils.py
+++ b/test/units/TestUtils.py
@@ -824,7 +824,7 @@ class TestUtils(unittest.TestCase):
                 }
             ),
             (
-                # test that http://github URLs are assumed git+http://
+                # test that http://github URLs are assumed git+http:// unless they end in .tar.gz
                 "http://github.com/ansible/fakerole/fake",
                 {
                     'scm' : 'git',
@@ -832,6 +832,16 @@ class TestUtils(unittest.TestCase):
                     'version' : '', 
                     'name' : 'fake'
                 }
+            ),
+            (
+                # test that http://github URLs are assumed git+http:// unless they end in .tar.gz
+                "http://github.com/ansible/fakerole/fake/archive/master.tar.gz",
+                {
+                    'scm' : None,
+                    'src' : 'http://github.com/ansible/fakerole/fake/archive/master.tar.gz',
+                    'version' : '', 
+                    'name' : 'master'
+                }
             )
             ]
         for (spec, result) in tests: