diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/packaging/os/dnf.py b/lib/ansible/modules/packaging/os/dnf.py
index 4aa94f3beb7..6c32bad56c0 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/packaging/os/dnf.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/packaging/os/dnf.py
@@ -70,6 +70,14 @@ options:
     version_added: "2.3"
     default: "/"
 
+  releasever:
+    description:
+      - Specifies an alternative release from which all packages will be
+        installed.
+    required: false
+    version_added: "2.6"
+    default: null
+
   autoremove:
     description:
       - If C(yes), removes all "leaf" packages from the system that were originally
@@ -180,7 +188,7 @@ def _ensure_dnf(module):
                                  "Please install `{0}` package.".format(package))
 
 
-def _configure_base(module, base, conf_file, disable_gpg_check, installroot='/'):
+def _configure_base(module, base, conf_file, disable_gpg_check, installroot='/', releasever=None):
     """Configure the dnf Base object."""
     conf = base.conf
 
@@ -196,6 +204,10 @@ def _configure_base(module, base, conf_file, disable_gpg_check, installroot='/')
     # Set installroot
     conf.installroot = installroot
 
+    # Set releasever
+    if releasever is not None:
+        conf.substitutions['releasever'] = releasever
+
     # Change the configuration file path if provided
     if conf_file:
         # Fail if we can't read the configuration file.
@@ -225,10 +237,10 @@ def _specify_repositories(base, disablerepo, enablerepo):
             repo.enable()
 
 
-def _base(module, conf_file, disable_gpg_check, disablerepo, enablerepo, installroot):
+def _base(module, conf_file, disable_gpg_check, disablerepo, enablerepo, installroot, releasever):
     """Return a fully configured dnf Base object."""
     base = dnf.Base()
-    _configure_base(module, base, conf_file, disable_gpg_check, installroot)
+    _configure_base(module, base, conf_file, disable_gpg_check, installroot, releasever)
     _specify_repositories(base, disablerepo, enablerepo)
     base.fill_sack(load_system_repo='auto')
     return base
@@ -477,6 +489,7 @@ def main():
             disable_gpg_check=dict(default=False, type='bool'),
             installroot=dict(default='/', type='path'),
             autoremove=dict(type='bool'),
+            releasever=dict(default=None),
         ),
         required_one_of=[['name', 'list', 'autoremove']],
         mutually_exclusive=[['name', 'list'], ['autoremove', 'list']],
@@ -501,7 +514,8 @@ def main():
     if params['list']:
         base = _base(
             module, params['conf_file'], params['disable_gpg_check'],
-            params['disablerepo'], params['enablerepo'], params['installroot'])
+            params['disablerepo'], params['enablerepo'], params['installroot'],
+            params['releasever'])
         list_items(module, base, params['list'])
     else:
         # Note: base takes a long time to run so we want to check for failure
@@ -510,7 +524,8 @@ def main():
             module.fail_json(msg="This command has to be run under the root user.")
         base = _base(
             module, params['conf_file'], params['disable_gpg_check'],
-            params['disablerepo'], params['enablerepo'], params['installroot'])
+            params['disablerepo'], params['enablerepo'], params['installroot'],
+            params['releasever'])
 
         ensure(module, base, params['state'], params['name'], params['autoremove'])
 
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/dnf/tasks/dnfreleasever.yml b/test/integration/targets/dnf/tasks/dnfreleasever.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ea4d9c5b5ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/targets/dnf/tasks/dnfreleasever.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+# make an installroot
+- name: Create installroot
+  local_action:
+    module: command mktemp -d "{{lookup('env', 'TMPDIR') | default('/tmp', true)}}/ansible.test.XXXXXX"
+  register: dnfroot
+
+- name: Make a necessary directory
+  file:
+    path: "/{{dnfroot.stdout}}/etc/dnf/vars"
+    state: directory
+    mode: 0755
+
+- name: Populate directory
+  copy:
+    content: "{{ansible_distribution_version}}\n"
+    dest: "/{{dnfroot.stdout}}/etc/dnf/vars/releasever"
+
+- name: attempt releasever to the installroot
+  dnf:
+    name: filesystem
+    installroot: '/{{dnfroot.stdout}}'
+    releasever: 22
+  register: dnf_result
+
+- name: check filesystem version
+  shell: rpm -q filesystem --root="/{{dnfroot.stdout}}/"
+  failed_when: False
+  register: rpm_result
+
+- debug: var=dnf_result
+- debug: var=rpm_result
+
+- name: verify installation was done
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - "not dnf_result.failed | default(False)"
+      - "dnf_result.changed"
+      - "rpm_result.rc == 0"
+
+- name: verify the version
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - "rpm_result.stdout.find('fc22') != -1"
+
+- name: cleanup installroot
+  file:
+    path: "/{{dnfroot.stdout}}/"
+    state: absent
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/dnf/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/targets/dnf/tasks/main.yml
index cd33b2f4621..f4931df3138 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/dnf/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/dnf/tasks/main.yml
@@ -33,3 +33,8 @@
   when:
     - ansible_distribution == 'Fedora'
     - ansible_distribution_major_version|int >= 23
+
+- include: 'dnfreleasever.yml'
+  when:
+    - ansible_distribution == 'Fedora'
+    - ansible_distribution_major_version|int >= 23