diff --git a/lib/ansible/constants.py b/lib/ansible/constants.py
index 708058e6c5..8b78500c39 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/constants.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/constants.py
@@ -111,9 +111,11 @@ YAML_FILENAME_EXTENSIONS = [ "", ".yml", ".yaml", ".json" ]
 # sections in config file
 DEFAULTS='defaults'
 
+DEPRECATED_HOST_LIST  = shell_expand_path(get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'hostfile', 'ANSIBLE_HOSTS', '/etc/ansible/hosts'))
+
 # generally configurable things
 DEFAULT_DEBUG             = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'debug',            'ANSIBLE_DEBUG',            False, boolean=True)
-DEFAULT_HOST_LIST         = shell_expand_path(get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'hostfile', 'ANSIBLE_HOSTS', get_config(p, DEFAULTS,'inventory','ANSIBLE_INVENTORY', '/etc/ansible/hosts')))
+DEFAULT_HOST_LIST         = shell_expand_path(get_config(p, DEFAULTS,'inventory', 'ANSIBLE_INVENTORY', DEPRECATED_HOST_LIST))
 DEFAULT_MODULE_PATH       = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'library',          'ANSIBLE_LIBRARY',          None)
 DEFAULT_ROLES_PATH        = shell_expand_path(get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'roles_path',       'ANSIBLE_ROLES_PATH',       '/etc/ansible/roles'))
 DEFAULT_REMOTE_TMP        = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'remote_tmp',       'ANSIBLE_REMOTE_TEMP',      '$HOME/.ansible/tmp')