diff --git a/lib/ansible/executor/play_iterator.py b/lib/ansible/executor/play_iterator.py
index f8f3bec9972..57c5a8b4bf8 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/executor/play_iterator.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/executor/play_iterator.py
@@ -503,6 +503,7 @@ class PlayIterator:
         s = self._set_failed_state(s)
         display.debug("^ failed state is now: %s" % s)
         self._host_states[host.name] = s
+        self._play._removed_hosts.append(host.name)
 
     def get_failed_hosts(self):
         return dict((host, True) for (host, state) in iteritems(self._host_states) if self._check_failed_state(state))
diff --git a/lib/ansible/playbook/play.py b/lib/ansible/playbook/play.py
index de621379720..e3d430f17f4 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/playbook/play.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/playbook/play.py
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ class Play(Base, Taggable, Become):
         super(Play, self).__init__()
 
         self._included_path = None
+        self._removed_hosts = []
         self.ROLE_CACHE = {}
 
     def __repr__(self):
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/strategy/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/strategy/__init__.py
index bfe891129dc..53d90a0263d 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/strategy/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/strategy/__init__.py
@@ -365,6 +365,7 @@ class StrategyBase:
                 self._tqm.send_callback('v2_runner_on_failed', task_result, ignore_errors=original_task.ignore_errors)
             elif task_result.is_unreachable():
                 self._tqm._unreachable_hosts[original_host.name] = True
+                iterator._play._removed_hosts.append(original_host.name)
                 self._tqm._stats.increment('dark', original_host.name)
                 self._tqm.send_callback('v2_runner_on_unreachable', task_result)
             elif task_result.is_skipped():
diff --git a/lib/ansible/vars/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/vars/__init__.py
index 8dcb60ab32f..4d2676c3ea4 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/vars/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/vars/__init__.py
@@ -410,12 +410,13 @@ class VariableManager:
             variables['inventory_file'] = self._inventory.src()
             if play:
                 # add the list of hosts in the play, as adjusted for limit/filters
-                # DEPRECATED: play_hosts should be deprecated in favor of ansible_play_hosts,
-                #             however this would take work in the templating engine, so for now
-                #             we'll add both so we can give users something transitional to use
-                variables['play_hosts'] = [x.name for x in self._inventory.get_hosts()]
-                variables['ansible_play_batch'] = [x.name for x in self._inventory.get_hosts()]
-                variables['ansible_play_hosts'] = [x.name for x in self._inventory.get_hosts(pattern=play.hosts or 'all', ignore_restrictions=True)]
+                variables['ansible_play_hosts_all'] = [x.name for x in self._inventory.get_hosts(pattern=play.hosts or 'all', ignore_restrictions=True)]
+                variables['ansible_play_hosts'] = [x for x in variables['ansible_play_hosts_all'] if x not in play._removed_hosts]
+                variables['ansible_play_batch'] = [x.name for x in self._inventory.get_hosts() if x.name not in play._removed_hosts]
+
+                #DEPRECATED: play_hosts should be deprecated in favor of ansible_play_batch,
+                #  however this would take work in the templating engine, so for now we'll add both
+                variables['play_hosts'] = variables['ansible_play_batch']
 
         # the 'omit' value alows params to be left out if the variable they are based on is undefined
         variables['omit'] = self._omit_token