diff --git a/lib/ansible/parsing/dataloader.py b/lib/ansible/parsing/dataloader.py
index abc8c55bb21..34958fc1dcd 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/parsing/dataloader.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/parsing/dataloader.py
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ from ansible.parsing.yaml.loader import AnsibleLoader
 from ansible.parsing.yaml.objects import AnsibleBaseYAMLObject, AnsibleUnicode
 from ansible.module_utils.basic import is_executable
 from ansible.utils.path import unfrackpath
-from ansible.utils.unicode import to_unicode, to_bytes
+from ansible.utils.unicode import to_unicode, to_bytes, to_str
 
 try:
     from __main__ import display
@@ -279,45 +279,56 @@ class DataLoader():
     def path_dwim_relative_stack(self, paths, dirname, source):
         '''
         find one file in first path in stack taking roles into account and adding play basedir as fallback
+
+        :arg paths: A list of text strings which are the paths to look for the filename in.
+        :arg dirname: A text string representing a directory.  The directory
+            is prepended to the source to form the path to search for.
+        :arg source: A text string which is the filename to search for
+        :rtype: A text string
+        :returns: An absolute path to the filename ``source``
         '''
+        b_dirname = to_bytes(dirname)
+        b_source = to_bytes(source)
+
         result = None
         if not source:
            display.warning('Invalid request to find a file that matches an empty string or "null" value')
         elif source.startswith('~') or source.startswith(os.path.sep):
             # path is absolute, no relative needed, check existence and return source
-            test_path = to_bytes(unfrackpath(source),errors='strict')
-            if os.path.exists(test_path):
+            test_path = unfrackpath(b_source)
+            if os.path.exists(to_bytes(test_path, errors='strict')):
                 result = test_path
         else:
             search = []
             for path in paths:
                 upath = unfrackpath(path)
-                mydir = os.path.dirname(upath)
+                b_upath = to_bytes(upath, errors='strict')
+                b_mydir = os.path.dirname(b_upath)
 
                 # if path is in role and 'tasks' not there already, add it into the search
-                if upath.endswith('tasks') and os.path.exists(to_bytes(os.path.join(upath,'main.yml'), errors='strict')) \
-                    or os.path.exists(to_bytes(os.path.join(upath,'tasks/main.yml'), errors='strict')) \
-                    or os.path.exists(to_bytes(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(upath),'tasks/main.yml'), errors='strict')):
-                    if mydir.endswith('tasks'):
-                        search.append(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(mydir), dirname, source))
-                        search.append(os.path.join(mydir, source))
+                if b_upath.endswith(b'tasks') and os.path.exists(os.path.join(b_upath, b'main.yml')) \
+                    or os.path.exists(os.path.join(b_upath, b'tasks/main.yml')) \
+                    or os.path.exists(os.path.join(b_mydir, b'tasks/main.yml')):
+                    if b_mydir.endswith(b'tasks'):
+                        search.append(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(b_mydir), b_dirname, b_source))
+                        search.append(os.path.join(b_mydir, b_source))
                     else:
-                        search.append(os.path.join(upath, dirname, source))
-                        search.append(os.path.join(upath, 'tasks', source))
-                elif dirname not in source.split('/'):
+                        search.append(os.path.join(b_upath, b_dirname, b_source))
+                        search.append(os.path.join(b_upath, b'tasks', b_source))
+                elif b_dirname not in b_source.split(b'/'):
                     # don't add dirname if user already is using it in source
-                    search.append(os.path.join(upath, dirname, source))
-                    search.append(os.path.join(upath, source))
+                    search.append(os.path.join(b_upath, b_dirname, b_source))
+                    search.append(os.path.join(b_upath, b_source))
 
             # always append basedir as last resort
-            search.append(os.path.join(self.get_basedir(), dirname, source))
-            search.append(os.path.join(self.get_basedir(), source))
-
-            display.debug('search_path:\n\t' + '\n\t'.join(search))
-            for candidate in search:
-                display.vvvvv('looking for "%s" at "%s"' % (source, candidate))
-                if os.path.exists(to_bytes(candidate, errors='strict')):
-                    result = candidate
+            search.append(os.path.join(to_bytes(self.get_basedir()), b_dirname, b_source))
+            search.append(os.path.join(to_bytes(self.get_basedir()), b_source))
+
+            display.debug(u'search_path:\n\t%s' % to_unicode(b'\n\t'.join(search), errors='replace'))
+            for b_candidate in search:
+                display.vvvvv(u'looking for "%s" at "%s"' % (source, to_unicode(b_candidate)))
+                if os.path.exists(b_candidate):
+                    result = to_unicode(b_candidate)
                     break
 
         return result
@@ -370,10 +381,11 @@ class DataLoader():
         """
 
         if not file_path or not isinstance(file_path, string_types):
-            raise AnsibleParserError("Invalid filename: '%s'" % str(file_path))
+            raise AnsibleParserError("Invalid filename: '%s'" % to_str(file_path))
 
-        if not self.path_exists(file_path) or not self.is_file(file_path):
-            raise AnsibleFileNotFound("the file_name '%s' does not exist, or is not readable" % file_path)
+        b_file_path = to_bytes(file_path, errors='strict')
+        if not self.path_exists(b_file_path) or not self.is_file(b_file_path):
+            raise AnsibleFileNotFound("the file_name '%s' does not exist, or is not readable" % to_str(file_path))
 
         if not self._vault:
             self._vault = VaultLib(password="")
@@ -398,7 +410,7 @@ class DataLoader():
             return real_path
 
         except (IOError, OSError) as e:
-            raise AnsibleParserError("an error occurred while trying to read the file '%s': %s" % (real_path, str(e)))
+            raise AnsibleParserError("an error occurred while trying to read the file '%s': %s" % (to_str(real_path), to_str(e)))
 
     def cleanup_tmp_file(self, file_path):
         """
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/__init__.py
index 7406df3eed8..aecbecad3d1 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/__init__.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ from ansible.errors import AnsibleError, AnsibleConnectionFailure
 from ansible.executor.module_common import modify_module
 from ansible.release import __version__
 from ansible.parsing.utils.jsonify import jsonify
-from ansible.utils.unicode import to_bytes, to_unicode
+from ansible.utils.unicode import to_bytes, to_str, to_unicode
 
 try:
     from __main__ import display
@@ -844,7 +844,7 @@ class ActionBase(with_metaclass(ABCMeta, object)):
         result = self._loader.path_dwim_relative_stack(path_stack, dirname, needle)
 
         if result is None:
-            raise AnsibleError("Unable to find '%s' in expected paths." % needle)
+            raise AnsibleError("Unable to find '%s' in expected paths." % to_str(needle))
 
         return result
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/assemble.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/assemble.py
index ed842f729c7..13a02a88555 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/assemble.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/assemble.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ from ansible.errors import AnsibleError
 from ansible.plugins.action import ActionBase
 from ansible.utils.boolean import boolean
 from ansible.utils.hashing import checksum_s
-from ansible.utils.unicode import to_str
+from ansible.utils.unicode import to_str, to_unicode
 
 
 class ActionModule(ActionBase):
@@ -42,10 +42,10 @@ class ActionModule(ActionBase):
         delimit_me = False
         add_newline = False
 
-        for f in sorted(os.listdir(src_path)):
+        for f in (to_unicode(p, errors='strict') for p in sorted(os.listdir(src_path))):
             if compiled_regexp and not compiled_regexp.search(f):
                 continue
-            fragment = "%s/%s" % (src_path, f)
+            fragment = u"%s/%s" % (src_path, f)
             if not os.path.isfile(fragment) or (ignore_hidden and os.path.basename(fragment).startswith('.')):
                 continue
 
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ class ActionModule(ActionBase):
 
         if not os.path.isdir(src):
             result['failed'] = True
-            result['msg'] = "Source (%s) is not a directory" % src
+            result['msg'] = u"Source (%s) is not a directory" % src
             return result
 
         _re = None
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/async.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/async.py
index ccfebb951a8..124f2f72581 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/async.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/async.py
@@ -18,10 +18,12 @@ from __future__ import (absolute_import, division, print_function)
 __metaclass__ = type
 
 import json
+import pipes
 import random
 
 from ansible import constants as C
 from ansible.plugins.action import ActionBase
+from ansible.compat.six import iteritems
 from ansible.utils.unicode import to_unicode
 
 class ActionModule(ActionBase):
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/copy.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/copy.py
index 95dc4ade29b..c5c266bf5d2 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/copy.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/copy.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ from ansible.errors import AnsibleError
 from ansible.plugins.action import ActionBase
 from ansible.utils.boolean import boolean
 from ansible.utils.hashing import checksum
-from ansible.utils.unicode import to_bytes, to_str
+from ansible.utils.unicode import to_bytes, to_str, to_unicode
 
 
 class ActionModule(ActionBase):
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ class ActionModule(ActionBase):
                 source = self._find_needle('files', source)
             except AnsibleError as e:
                 result['failed'] = True
-                result['msg'] = to_str(e)
+                result['msg'] = to_unicode(e)
                 return result
 
         # A list of source file tuples (full_path, relative_path) which will try to copy to the destination
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ class ActionModule(ActionBase):
                 sz = len(source.rsplit('/', 1)[0]) + 1
 
             # Walk the directory and append the file tuples to source_files.
-            for base_path, sub_folders, files in os.walk(source):
+            for base_path, sub_folders, files in os.walk(to_bytes(source)):
                 for file in files:
                     full_path = os.path.join(base_path, file)
                     rel_path = full_path[sz:]
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/template.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/template.py
index 760db83ba82..919972d8061 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/template.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/template.py
@@ -93,19 +93,20 @@ class ActionModule(ActionBase):
             dest = os.path.join(dest, base)
 
         # template the source data locally & get ready to transfer
+        b_source = to_bytes(source)
         try:
-            with open(source, 'r') as f:
+            with open(b_source, 'r') as f:
                 template_data = to_unicode(f.read())
 
             try:
-                template_uid = pwd.getpwuid(os.stat(source).st_uid).pw_name
+                template_uid = pwd.getpwuid(os.stat(b_source).st_uid).pw_name
             except:
-                template_uid = os.stat(source).st_uid
+                template_uid = os.stat(b_source).st_uid
 
             temp_vars = task_vars.copy()
             temp_vars['template_host']     = os.uname()[1]
             temp_vars['template_path']     = source
-            temp_vars['template_mtime']    = datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp(os.path.getmtime(source))
+            temp_vars['template_mtime']    = datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp(os.path.getmtime(b_source))
             temp_vars['template_uid']      = template_uid
             temp_vars['template_fullpath'] = os.path.abspath(source)
             temp_vars['template_run_date'] = datetime.datetime.now()
@@ -118,7 +119,7 @@ class ActionModule(ActionBase):
             )
             temp_vars['ansible_managed'] = time.strftime(
                 managed_str,
-                time.localtime(os.path.getmtime(source))
+                time.localtime(os.path.getmtime(b_source))
             )
 
             # Create a new searchpath list to assign to the templar environment's file
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/file.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/file.py
index 4df100a02ea..a14951f6001 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/file.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/file.py
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ class LookupModule(LookupBase):
 
             # Find the file in the expected search path
             lookupfile = self.find_file_in_search_path(variables, 'files', term)
-            display.vvvv("File lookup using %s as file" % lookupfile)
+            display.vvvv(u"File lookup using %s as file" % lookupfile)
             try:
                 if lookupfile:
                     contents, show_data = self._loader._get_file_contents(lookupfile)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/fileglob.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/fileglob.py
index 8315e0dbc0f..efd8765bb81 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/fileglob.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/fileglob.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import glob
 
 from ansible.plugins.lookup import LookupBase
 from ansible.errors import AnsibleFileNotFound
+from ansible.module_utils.unicode import to_bytes
 
 class LookupModule(LookupBase):
 
@@ -35,6 +36,6 @@ class LookupModule(LookupBase):
             except AnsibleFileNotFound:
                 dwimmed_path = None
             if dwimmed_path:
-                globbed = glob.glob(os.path.join(dwimmed_path, term_file))
-                ret.extend(g for g in globbed if os.path.isfile(g))
+                globbed = glob.glob(to_bytes(os.path.join(dwimmed_path, term_file), errors='strict'))
+                ret.extend(to_unicode(g, errors='strict') for g in globbed if os.path.isfile(g))
         return ret
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/ini.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/ini.py
index 5f215aedc0b..124b878d983 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/ini.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/ini.py
@@ -58,13 +58,13 @@ class LookupModule(LookupBase):
 
     def read_properties(self, filename, key, dflt, is_regexp):
         config = StringIO()
-        config.write(u'[java_properties]\n' + open(filename).read())
+        config.write(u'[java_properties]\n' + open(to_bytes(filename, errors='strict')).read())
         config.seek(0, os.SEEK_SET)
         self.cp.readfp(config)
         return self.get_value(key, 'java_properties', dflt, is_regexp)
 
     def read_ini(self, filename, key, section, dflt, is_regexp):
-        self.cp.readfp(open(filename))
+        self.cp.readfp(open(to_bytes(filename, errors='strict')))
         return self.get_value(key, section, dflt, is_regexp)
 
     def get_value(self, key, section, dflt, is_regexp):
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/shelvefile.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/shelvefile.py
index a9946148994..415bc358ed0 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/shelvefile.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/shelvefile.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import shelve
 
 from ansible.errors import AnsibleError
 from ansible.plugins.lookup import LookupBase
+from ansible.utils.unicode import to_bytes, to_unicode
 
 class LookupModule(LookupBase):
 
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@ class LookupModule(LookupBase):
         """
         Read the value of "key" from a shelve file
         """
-        d = shelve.open(shelve_filename)
+        d = shelve.open(to_bytes(shelve_filename))
         res = d.get(key, None)
         d.close()
         return res
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@ class LookupModule(LookupBase):
                 if res is None:
                     raise AnsibleError("Key %s not found in shelve file %s" % (key, file))
                 # Convert the value read to string
-                ret.append(str(res))
+                ret.append(to_unicode(res))
                 break
             else:
                 raise AnsibleError("Could not locate shelve file in lookup: %s" % file)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/template.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/template.py
index b485fd07462..f39ef2cc6fb 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/template.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/template.py
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ class LookupModule(LookupBase):
             lookupfile = self.find_file_in_search_path(variables, 'templates', term)
             display.vvvv("File lookup using %s as file" % lookupfile)
             if lookupfile:
-                with open(lookupfile, 'r') as f:
+                with open(to_bytes(lookupfile, errors='strict'), 'r') as f:
                     template_data = to_unicode(f.read())
 
                     # set jinja2 internal search path for includes
diff --git a/lib/ansible/utils/path.py b/lib/ansible/utils/path.py
index 4d89bb097b1..989356a79a9 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/utils/path.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/utils/path.py
@@ -20,29 +20,48 @@ __metaclass__ = type
 import os
 from errno import EEXIST
 from ansible.errors import AnsibleError
-from ansible.utils.unicode import to_bytes, to_str
+from ansible.utils.unicode import to_bytes, to_str, to_unicode
+from ansible.compat.six import PY2
 
 __all__ = ['unfrackpath', 'makedirs_safe']
 
 def unfrackpath(path):
     '''
-    returns a path that is free of symlinks, environment
+    Returns a path that is free of symlinks, environment
     variables, relative path traversals and symbols (~)
-    example:
-    '$HOME/../../var/mail' becomes '/var/spool/mail'
+
+    :arg path: A byte or text string representing a path to be canonicalized
+    :raises UnicodeDecodeError: If the canonicalized version of the path
+        contains non-utf8 byte sequences.
+    :rtype: A text string (unicode on pyyhon2, str on python3).
+    :returns: An absolute path with symlinks, environment variables, and tilde
+        expanded.  Note that this does not check whether a path exists.
+
+    example::
+        '$HOME/../../var/mail' becomes '/var/spool/mail'
     '''
-    return os.path.normpath(os.path.realpath(os.path.expanduser(os.path.expandvars(to_bytes(path, errors='strict')))))
+    canonical_path = os.path.normpath(os.path.realpath(os.path.expanduser(os.path.expandvars(to_bytes(path, errors='strict')))))
+    if PY2:
+        return to_unicode(canonical_path, errors='strict')
+    return to_unicode(canonical_path, errors='surrogateescape')
 
 def makedirs_safe(path, mode=None):
-    '''Safe way to create dirs in muliprocess/thread environments'''
+    '''Safe way to create dirs in muliprocess/thread environments.
+
+    :arg path: A byte or text string representing a directory to be created
+    :kwarg mode: If given, the mode to set the directory to
+    :raises AnsibleError: If the directory cannot be created and does not already exists.
+    :raises UnicodeDecodeError: if the path is not decodable in the utf-8 encoding.
+    '''
 
     rpath = unfrackpath(path)
-    if not os.path.exists(rpath):
+    b_rpath = to_bytes(rpath)
+    if not os.path.exists(b_rpath):
         try:
             if mode:
-                os.makedirs(rpath, mode)
+                os.makedirs(b_rpath, mode)
             else:
-                os.makedirs(rpath)
+                os.makedirs(b_rpath)
         except OSError as e:
             if e.errno != EEXIST:
-                raise AnsibleError("Unable to create local directories(%s): %s" % (rpath, to_str(e)))
+                raise AnsibleError("Unable to create local directories(%s): %s" % (to_str(rpath), to_str(e)))