diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/redis_kv.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/_redis_kv.py
similarity index 93%
rename from lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/redis_kv.py
rename to lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/_redis_kv.py
index ec9865c9e04..213aeb3dd4a 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/redis_kv.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/_redis_kv.py
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ DOCUMENTATION = """
     author: Jan-Piet Mens <jpmens(at)gmail.com>
     version_added: "0.9"
     short_description: fetch data from Redis
+    deprecated:
+        why: This lookup uses options intermingled with terms which blurs the interface between settings and data
+        version: '2.9'
+        alternative: new 'redis' lookup
     description:
       - this looup returns a list of items given to it, if any of the top level items is also a list it will flatten it, but it will not recurse
     requirements:
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/redis.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/redis.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..cf8453ded2b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/redis.py
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+# (c) 2012, Jan-Piet Mens <jpmens(at)gmail.com>
+# (c) 2017 Ansible Project
+# GNU General Public License v3.0+ (see COPYING or https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.txt)
+from __future__ import (absolute_import, division, print_function)
+__metaclass__ = type
+
+DOCUMENTATION = """
+    lookup: redis
+    author:
+      - Jan-Piet Mens (@jpmens) <jpmens(at)gmail.com>
+      - Ansible Core
+    version_added: "0.9"
+    short_description: fetch data from Redis
+    description:
+      - This looup returns a list of results from a Redis DB corresponding to a list of items given to it
+    requirements:
+      - redis (python library https://github.com/andymccurdy/redis-py/)
+    options:
+      _terms:
+        description: list of keys to query
+      host:
+        description: location of Redis host
+        default: '127.0.0.1'
+        env:
+          - name: ANSIBLE_REDIS_HOST
+        ini:
+          - section: lookup_redis
+            key: host
+      port:
+      port:
+        description: port on which Redis is listening on
+        default: 6379A
+        type: int
+        env:
+          - name: ANSIBLE_REDIS_PORT
+        ini:
+          - section: lookup_redis
+            key: port
+      socket:
+        description: path to socket on which to query Redis, this option overrides host and port options when set.
+        type: path
+        env:
+          - name: ANSIBLE_REDIS_SOCKET
+        ini:
+          - section: lookup_redis
+            key: socket
+"""
+
+EXAMPLES = """
+- name: query redis for somekey (default or configured settings used)
+  debug: msg="{{ lookup('redis', 'somekey'}}"
+
+- name: query redis for list of keys and non-default host and port
+  debug: msg="{{ lookup('redis', item, host='myredis.internal.com', port=2121) }}"
+  loop: '{{list_of_redis_keys}}'
+
+- name: use list directly
+  debug: msg="{{ lookup('redis', 'key1', 'key2', 'key3') }}"
+
+- name: use list directly with a socket
+  debug: msg="{{ lookup('redis', 'key1', 'key2', socket='/var/tmp/redis.sock') }}"
+
+"""
+
+RETURN = """
+_raw:
+  description: value(s) stored in Redis
+"""
+
+import os
+
+HAVE_REDIS = False
+try:
+    import redis
+    HAVE_REDIS = True
+except ImportError:
+    pass
+
+from ansible.errors import AnsibleError
+from ansible.plugins.lookup import LookupBase
+
+
+class LookupModule(LookupBase):
+
+    def run(self, terms, variables, **kwargs):
+
+        if not HAVE_REDIS:
+            raise AnsibleError("Can't LOOKUP(redis_kv): module redis is not installed")
+
+        # get options
+        self.set_options(direct=kwargs)
+
+        # setup connection
+        host = self.get_option('host')
+        port = self.get_option('port')
+        socket = self.get_option('socket')
+        if socket is None:
+            conn = redis.Redis(host=host, port=port)
+        else:
+            conn = redis.Redis(unix_socket_path=socket)
+
+        ret = []
+        for term in terms:
+            try:
+                res = conn.get(term)
+                if res is None:
+                    res = ""
+                ret.append(res)
+            except Exception:
+                ret.append("")  # connection failed or key not found
+        return ret