diff --git a/lib/ansible/executor/process/result.py b/lib/ansible/executor/process/result.py
index 4041021b164..0fb06c9b3a2 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/executor/process/result.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/executor/process/result.py
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ class ResultProcess(multiprocessing.Process):
 
                 # if this task is registering a result, do it now
                 if result._task.register:
-                    self._send_result(('set_host_var', result._host, result._task, None, result._task.register, result._result))
+                    self._send_result(('register_host_var', result._host, result._task.register, result._result))
 
                 # send callbacks, execute other options based on the result status
                 # FIXME: this should all be cleaned up and probably moved to a sub-function.
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/strategies/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/strategies/__init__.py
index 0452a7616dd..aff1eadd3b6 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/strategies/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/strategies/__init__.py
@@ -223,6 +223,14 @@ class StrategyBase:
                     if host not in self._notified_handlers[handler_name]:
                         self._notified_handlers[handler_name].append(host)
 
+                elif result[0] == 'register_host_var':
+                    # essentially the same as 'set_host_var' below, however we
+                    # never follow the delegate_to value for registered vars
+                    host      = result[1]
+                    var_name  = result[2]
+                    var_value = result[3]
+                    self._variable_manager.set_host_variable(host, var_name, var_value)
+
                 elif result[0] in ('set_host_var', 'set_host_facts'):
                     host = result[1]
                     task = result[2]
diff --git a/test/integration/roles/test_template/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/roles/test_template/tasks/main.yml
index acb6ae91340..a35b93d9d92 100644
--- a/test/integration/roles/test_template/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/roles/test_template/tasks/main.yml
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
 - name: check what python version ansible is running on
   command: python -c 'import distutils.sysconfig ; print(distutils.sysconfig.get_python_version())'
   register: pyver
-  #delegate_to: localhost
+  delegate_to: localhost
 
 - name: copy known good into place
   copy: src=foo.txt dest={{output_dir}}/foo.txt