diff --git a/lib/ansible/utils/vars.py b/lib/ansible/utils/vars.py
index 8a83f82a5fa..3d0ce388bb8 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/utils/vars.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/utils/vars.py
@@ -121,23 +121,24 @@ def merge_hash(a, b):
 
 def load_extra_vars(loader, options):
     extra_vars = {}
-    for extra_vars_opt in options.extra_vars:
-        data = None
-        extra_vars_opt = to_text(extra_vars_opt, errors='surrogate_or_strict')
-        if extra_vars_opt.startswith(u"@"):
-            # Argument is a YAML file (JSON is a subset of YAML)
-            data = loader.load_from_file(extra_vars_opt[1:])
-        elif extra_vars_opt and extra_vars_opt[0] in u'[{':
-            # Arguments as YAML
-            data = loader.load(extra_vars_opt)
-        else:
-            # Arguments as Key-value
-            data = parse_kv(extra_vars_opt)
-
-        if isinstance(data, MutableMapping):
-            extra_vars = combine_vars(extra_vars, data)
-        else:
-            raise AnsibleOptionsError("Invalid extra vars data supplied. '%s' could not be made into a dictionary" % extra_vars_opt)
+    if hasattr(options, 'extra_vars'):
+        for extra_vars_opt in options.extra_vars:
+            data = None
+            extra_vars_opt = to_text(extra_vars_opt, errors='surrogate_or_strict')
+            if extra_vars_opt.startswith(u"@"):
+                # Argument is a YAML file (JSON is a subset of YAML)
+                data = loader.load_from_file(extra_vars_opt[1:])
+            elif extra_vars_opt and extra_vars_opt[0] in u'[{':
+                # Arguments as YAML
+                data = loader.load(extra_vars_opt)
+            else:
+                # Arguments as Key-value
+                data = parse_kv(extra_vars_opt)
+
+            if isinstance(data, MutableMapping):
+                extra_vars = combine_vars(extra_vars, data)
+            else:
+                raise AnsibleOptionsError("Invalid extra vars data supplied. '%s' could not be made into a dictionary" % extra_vars_opt)
 
     return extra_vars
 
@@ -146,7 +147,8 @@ def load_options_vars(options, version):
     options_vars = {}
     # For now only return check mode, but we can easily return more
     # options if we need variables for them
-    options_vars['ansible_check_mode'] = options.check
+    if hasattr(options, 'check'):
+        options_vars['ansible_check_mode'] = options.check
     options_vars['ansible_version'] = version
     return options_vars