diff --git a/cloud/amazon/ecs_task.py b/cloud/amazon/ecs_task.py
index 000ce68b56c..c2bd73751ad 100644
--- a/cloud/amazon/ecs_task.py
+++ b/cloud/amazon/ecs_task.py
@@ -98,7 +98,6 @@ task:
     sample: "TODO: include sample"
 '''
 try:
-    import json
     import boto
     import botocore
     HAS_BOTO = True
@@ -123,7 +122,7 @@ class EcsExecManager:
                 module.fail_json(msg="Region must be specified as a parameter, in EC2_REGION or AWS_REGION environment variables or in boto configuration file")
             self.ecs = boto3_conn(module, conn_type='client', resource='ecs', region=region, endpoint=ec2_url, **aws_connect_kwargs)
         except boto.exception.NoAuthHandlerFound, e:
-            self.module.fail_json(msg="Can't authorize connection - "+str(e))
+            module.fail_json(msg="Can't authorize connection - "+str(e))
 
     def list_tasks(self, cluster_name, service_name, status):
         response = self.ecs.list_tasks(
diff --git a/cloud/amazon/ecs_taskdefinition.py b/cloud/amazon/ecs_taskdefinition.py
index 50205d6691c..6ad23a88f86 100644
--- a/cloud/amazon/ecs_taskdefinition.py
+++ b/cloud/amazon/ecs_taskdefinition.py
@@ -95,7 +95,6 @@ taskdefinition:
     type: dict inputs plus revision, status, taskDefinitionArn
 '''
 try:
-    import json
     import boto
     import botocore
     HAS_BOTO = True
@@ -120,7 +119,7 @@ class EcsTaskManager:
                 module.fail_json(msg="Region must be specified as a parameter, in EC2_REGION or AWS_REGION environment variables or in boto configuration file")
             self.ecs = boto3_conn(module, conn_type='client', resource='ecs', region=region, endpoint=ec2_url, **aws_connect_kwargs)
         except boto.exception.NoAuthHandlerFound, e:
-            self.module.fail_json(msg="Can't authorize connection - "+str(e))
+            module.fail_json(msg="Can't authorize connection - "+str(e))
 
     def describe_task(self, task_name):
         try:
diff --git a/cloud/amazon/route53_facts.py b/cloud/amazon/route53_facts.py
index d6081dba4da..40bcea73e55 100644
--- a/cloud/amazon/route53_facts.py
+++ b/cloud/amazon/route53_facts.py
@@ -160,7 +160,6 @@ EXAMPLES = '''
 
 '''
 try:
-    import json
     import boto
     import botocore
     HAS_BOTO = True
diff --git a/cloud/vmware/vca_nat.py b/cloud/vmware/vca_nat.py
index 88fc24a20fc..2a464673e56 100644
--- a/cloud/vmware/vca_nat.py
+++ b/cloud/vmware/vca_nat.py
@@ -130,7 +130,6 @@ EXAMPLES = '''
 '''
 
 import time
-import json
 import xmltodict
 
 VALID_RULE_KEYS = ['rule_type', 'original_ip', 'original_port',
diff --git a/clustering/consul.py b/clustering/consul.py
index 609dce89227..627f7fb66af 100644
--- a/clustering/consul.py
+++ b/clustering/consul.py
@@ -190,11 +190,6 @@ EXAMPLES = '''
 
 import sys
 
-try:
-    import json
-except ImportError:
-    import simplejson as json
-
 try:
     import consul
     from requests.exceptions import ConnectionError
diff --git a/clustering/consul_kv.py b/clustering/consul_kv.py
index bb7dea3ad39..b61c0ee1841 100644
--- a/clustering/consul_kv.py
+++ b/clustering/consul_kv.py
@@ -122,11 +122,6 @@ EXAMPLES = '''
 
 import sys
 
-try:
-    import json
-except ImportError:
-    import simplejson as json
-
 try:
     import consul
     from requests.exceptions import ConnectionError
diff --git a/database/misc/riak.py b/database/misc/riak.py
index 453e6c15f3e..1f1cd11e922 100644
--- a/database/misc/riak.py
+++ b/database/misc/riak.py
@@ -100,10 +100,15 @@ EXAMPLES = '''
 import time
 import socket
 import sys
+
 try:
     import json
 except ImportError:
-    import simplejson as json
+    try:
+        import simplejson as json
+    except ImportError:
+        # Let snippet from module_utils/basic.py return a proper error in this case
+        pass
 
 
 def ring_check(module, riak_admin_bin):
diff --git a/monitoring/boundary_meter.py b/monitoring/boundary_meter.py
index 99cb74f870d..ef681704f04 100644
--- a/monitoring/boundary_meter.py
+++ b/monitoring/boundary_meter.py
@@ -22,7 +22,15 @@ You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 along with Ansible.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 """
 
-import json
+try:
+    import json
+except ImportError:
+    try:
+        import simplejson as json
+    except ImportError:
+        # Let snippet from module_utils/basic.py return a proper error in this case
+        pass
+
 import datetime
 import base64
 import os
diff --git a/monitoring/sensu_check.py b/monitoring/sensu_check.py
index 9a004d372e0..09edae63813 100644
--- a/monitoring/sensu_check.py
+++ b/monitoring/sensu_check.py
@@ -174,16 +174,20 @@ EXAMPLES = '''
   sensu_check: name=check_disk_capacity state=absent
 '''
 
+try:
+    import json
+except ImportError:
+    try:
+        import simplejson as json
+    except ImportError:
+        # Let snippet from module_utils/basic.py return a proper error in this case
+        pass
+
 
 def sensu_check(module, path, name, state='present', backup=False):
     changed = False
     reasons = []
 
-    try:
-        import json
-    except ImportError:
-        import simplejson as json
-
     stream = None
     try:
         try:
diff --git a/monitoring/stackdriver.py b/monitoring/stackdriver.py
index 7b3688cbefc..25af77ec26e 100644
--- a/monitoring/stackdriver.py
+++ b/monitoring/stackdriver.py
@@ -92,10 +92,16 @@ EXAMPLES = '''
 # ===========================================
 # Stackdriver module specific support methods.
 #
+
 try:
-  import json
+    import json
 except ImportError:
-  import simplejson as json
+    try:
+        import simplejson as json
+    except ImportError:
+        # Let snippet from module_utils/basic.py return a proper error in this case
+        pass
+
 
 def send_deploy_event(module, key, revision_id, deployed_by='Ansible', deployed_to=None, repository=None):
     """Send a deploy event to Stackdriver"""
diff --git a/monitoring/uptimerobot.py b/monitoring/uptimerobot.py
index bdff8f1f134..65d963cda6d 100644
--- a/monitoring/uptimerobot.py
+++ b/monitoring/uptimerobot.py
@@ -64,7 +64,15 @@ EXAMPLES = '''
 
 '''
 
-import json
+try:
+    import json
+except ImportError:
+    try:
+        import simplejson as json
+    except ImportError:
+        # Let snippet from module_utils/basic.py return a proper error in this case
+        pass
+
 import urllib
 import time
 
diff --git a/network/ipify_facts.py b/network/ipify_facts.py
index 8f509dd278a..95bf549be92 100644
--- a/network/ipify_facts.py
+++ b/network/ipify_facts.py
@@ -59,7 +59,12 @@ ipify_public_ip:
 try:
     import json
 except ImportError:
-    import simplejson as json
+    try:
+        import simplejson as json
+    except ImportError:
+        # Let snippet from module_utils/basic.py return a proper error in this case
+        pass
+
 
 class IpifyFacts(object):
 
diff --git a/packaging/language/composer.py b/packaging/language/composer.py
index 95b0eb3a940..5d1ec7b1014 100644
--- a/packaging/language/composer.py
+++ b/packaging/language/composer.py
@@ -128,7 +128,12 @@ import re
 try:
     import json
 except ImportError:
-    import simplejson as json
+    try:
+        import simplejson as json
+    except ImportError:
+        # Let snippet from module_utils/basic.py return a proper error in this case
+        pass
+
 
 def parse_out(string):
     return re.sub("\s+", " ", string).strip()
diff --git a/packaging/language/npm.py b/packaging/language/npm.py
index a52b7599d80..43fa1f325ff 100644
--- a/packaging/language/npm.py
+++ b/packaging/language/npm.py
@@ -107,7 +107,12 @@ import os
 try:
     import json
 except ImportError:
-    import simplejson as json
+    try:
+        import simplejson as json
+    except ImportError:
+        # Let snippet from module_utils/basic.py return a proper error in this case
+        pass
+
 
 class Npm(object):
     def __init__(self, module, **kwargs):
diff --git a/packaging/os/pacman.py b/packaging/os/pacman.py
index 1f955fa269e..7aa5bf45eaf 100644
--- a/packaging/os/pacman.py
+++ b/packaging/os/pacman.py
@@ -109,7 +109,6 @@ EXAMPLES = '''
 - pacman: name=baz state=absent force=yes
 '''
 
-import json
 import shlex
 import os
 import re
diff --git a/packaging/os/pkgin.py b/packaging/os/pkgin.py
index 0f2714b6c74..cdba6a9218b 100644
--- a/packaging/os/pkgin.py
+++ b/packaging/os/pkgin.py
@@ -63,7 +63,6 @@ EXAMPLES = '''
 '''
 
 
-import json
 import shlex
 import os
 import sys
diff --git a/packaging/os/pkgng.py b/packaging/os/pkgng.py
index 0eafcb6d00b..ad097aae0df 100644
--- a/packaging/os/pkgng.py
+++ b/packaging/os/pkgng.py
@@ -85,7 +85,6 @@ EXAMPLES = '''
 '''
 
 
-import json
 import shlex
 import os
 import re
diff --git a/packaging/os/portinstall.py b/packaging/os/portinstall.py
index b4e3044167e..a5d0e510978 100644
--- a/packaging/os/portinstall.py
+++ b/packaging/os/portinstall.py
@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@ EXAMPLES = '''
 '''
 
 
-import json
 import shlex
 import os
 import sys
diff --git a/packaging/os/urpmi.py b/packaging/os/urpmi.py
index d344f2e7c5c..0b9ec929316 100644
--- a/packaging/os/urpmi.py
+++ b/packaging/os/urpmi.py
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@ EXAMPLES = '''
 '''
 
 
-import json
 import shlex
 import os
 import sys
diff --git a/source_control/github_hooks.py b/source_control/github_hooks.py
index d75fcb1573d..9f664875587 100644
--- a/source_control/github_hooks.py
+++ b/source_control/github_hooks.py
@@ -18,7 +18,15 @@
 # You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 # along with Ansible.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
-import json
+try:
+    import json
+except ImportError:
+    try:
+        import simplejson as json
+    except ImportError:
+        # Let snippet from module_utils/basic.py return a proper error in this case
+        pass
+
 import base64
 
 DOCUMENTATION = '''
diff --git a/system/puppet.py b/system/puppet.py
index 2a70da3cea1..d4f69b1d515 100644
--- a/system/puppet.py
+++ b/system/puppet.py
@@ -22,7 +22,12 @@ import stat
 try:
     import json
 except ImportError:
-    import simplejson as json
+    try:
+        import simplejson as json
+    except ImportError:
+        # Let snippet from module_utils/basic.py return a proper error in this case
+        pass
+
 
 DOCUMENTATION = '''
 ---
diff --git a/web_infrastructure/jira.py b/web_infrastructure/jira.py
index 79cfb72d4a7..dded069f743 100644
--- a/web_infrastructure/jira.py
+++ b/web_infrastructure/jira.py
@@ -160,7 +160,15 @@ EXAMPLES = """
         issue={{issue.meta.key}} operation=transition status="Done"
 """
 
-import json
+try:
+    import json
+except ImportError:
+    try:
+        import simplejson as json
+    except ImportError:
+        # Let snippet from module_utils/basic.py return a proper error in this case
+        pass
+
 import base64
 
 def request(url, user, passwd, data=None, method=None):