diff --git a/lib/ansible/playbook/task.py b/lib/ansible/playbook/task.py
index 11b356f99ab..dd76c47a052 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/playbook/task.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/playbook/task.py
@@ -206,8 +206,12 @@ class Task(object):
         self.changed_when = ds.get('changed_when', None)
         self.failed_when = ds.get('failed_when', None)
 
-        self.async_seconds = int(ds.get('async', 0))  # not async by default
-        self.async_poll_interval = int(ds.get('poll', 10))  # default poll = 10 seconds
+        self.async_seconds = ds.get('async', 0)  # not async by default
+        self.async_seconds = template.template_from_string(play.basedir, self.async_seconds, self.module_vars)
+        self.async_seconds = int(self.async_seconds)
+        self.async_poll_interval = ds.get('poll', 10)  # default poll = 10 seconds
+        self.async_poll_interval = template.template_from_string(play.basedir, self.async_poll_interval, self.module_vars)
+        self.async_poll_interval = int(self.async_poll_interval)
         self.notify = ds.get('notify', [])
         self.first_available_file = ds.get('first_available_file', None)