diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/update_nxos_cliconf_for_mds.yaml b/changelogs/fragments/update_nxos_cliconf_for_mds.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..370230b8c32
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/update_nxos_cliconf_for_mds.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - Update NX-OS cliconf to accomodate MDS (https://github.com/ansible-collections/cisco.nxos/pull/78).
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/cliconf/nxos.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/cliconf/nxos.py
index 207b824f8da..47f6d8720f3 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/cliconf/nxos.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/cliconf/nxos.py
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ class Cliconf(CliconfBase):
 
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         self._module_context = {}
+        self._device_info = {}
         super(Cliconf, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
 
     def read_module_context(self, module_key):
@@ -60,52 +61,55 @@ class Cliconf(CliconfBase):
         return None
 
     def get_device_info(self):
-        device_info = {}
+        if not self._device_info:
+            device_info = {}
 
-        device_info['network_os'] = 'nxos'
-        reply = self.get('show version')
-        platform_reply = self.get('show inventory')
+            device_info['network_os'] = 'nxos'
+            reply = self.get('show version')
+            platform_reply = self.get('show inventory')
 
-        match_sys_ver = re.search(r'\s+system:\s+version\s*(\S+)', reply, re.M)
-        if match_sys_ver:
-            device_info['network_os_version'] = match_sys_ver.group(1)
-        else:
-            match_kick_ver = re.search(r'\s+kickstart:\s+version\s*(\S+)', reply, re.M)
-            if match_kick_ver:
-                device_info['network_os_version'] = match_kick_ver.group(1)
-
-        if 'network_os_version' not in device_info:
-            match_sys_ver = re.search(r'\s+NXOS:\s+version\s*(\S+)', reply, re.M)
+            match_sys_ver = re.search(r'\s+system:\s+version\s*(\S+)', reply, re.M)
             if match_sys_ver:
                 device_info['network_os_version'] = match_sys_ver.group(1)
+            else:
+                match_kick_ver = re.search(r'\s+kickstart:\s+version\s*(\S+)', reply, re.M)
+                if match_kick_ver:
+                    device_info['network_os_version'] = match_kick_ver.group(1)
 
-        match_chassis_id = re.search(r'Hardware\n\s+cisco(.+)$', reply, re.M)
-        if match_chassis_id:
-            device_info['network_os_model'] = match_chassis_id.group(1).strip()
+            if 'network_os_version' not in device_info:
+                match_sys_ver = re.search(r'\s+NXOS:\s+version\s*(\S+)', reply, re.M)
+                if match_sys_ver:
+                    device_info['network_os_version'] = match_sys_ver.group(1)
 
-        match_host_name = re.search(r'\s+Device name:\s*(\S+)', reply, re.M)
-        if match_host_name:
-            device_info['network_os_hostname'] = match_host_name.group(1)
+            match_chassis_id = re.search(r'Hardware\n\s+cisco(.+)$', reply, re.M)
+            if match_chassis_id:
+                device_info['network_os_model'] = match_chassis_id.group(1).strip()
 
-        match_isan_file_name = re.search(r'\s+system image file is:\s*(\S+)', reply, re.M)
-        if match_isan_file_name:
-            device_info['network_os_image'] = match_isan_file_name.group(1)
-        else:
-            match_kick_file_name = re.search(r'\s+kickstart image file is:\s*(\S+)', reply, re.M)
-            if match_kick_file_name:
-                device_info['network_os_image'] = match_kick_file_name.group(1)
+            match_host_name = re.search(r'\s+Device name:\s*(\S+)', reply, re.M)
+            if match_host_name:
+                device_info['network_os_hostname'] = match_host_name.group(1)
 
-        if 'network_os_image' not in device_info:
-            match_isan_file_name = re.search(r'\s+NXOS image file is:\s*(\S+)', reply, re.M)
+            match_isan_file_name = re.search(r'\s+system image file is:\s*(\S+)', reply, re.M)
             if match_isan_file_name:
                 device_info['network_os_image'] = match_isan_file_name.group(1)
+            else:
+                match_kick_file_name = re.search(r'\s+kickstart image file is:\s*(\S+)', reply, re.M)
+                if match_kick_file_name:
+                    device_info['network_os_image'] = match_kick_file_name.group(1)
 
-        match_os_platform = re.search(r'NAME: "Chassis",\s*DESCR:.*\n'
-                                      r'PID:\s*(\S+)', platform_reply, re.M)
-        if match_os_platform:
-            device_info['network_os_platform'] = match_os_platform.group(1)
+            if 'network_os_image' not in device_info:
+                match_isan_file_name = re.search(r'\s+NXOS image file is:\s*(\S+)', reply, re.M)
+                if match_isan_file_name:
+                    device_info['network_os_image'] = match_isan_file_name.group(1)
 
-        return device_info
+            match_os_platform = re.search(r'NAME: "Chassis",\s*DESCR:.*\n'
+                                          r'PID:\s*(\S+)', platform_reply, re.M)
+            if match_os_platform:
+                device_info['network_os_platform'] = match_os_platform.group(1)
+
+            self._device_info = device_info
+
+        return self._device_info
 
     def get_diff(self, candidate=None, running=None, diff_match='line', diff_ignore_lines=None, path=None, diff_replace='line'):
         diff = {}
@@ -282,7 +286,13 @@ class Cliconf(CliconfBase):
             raise ValueError("'output' value %s is invalid. Valid values are %s" % (output, ','.join(options_values['output'])))
 
         if output == 'json' and not command.endswith('| json'):
-            cmd = '%s | json' % command
+            device_info = self.get_device_info()
+            model = device_info.get("network_os_model", "")
+            platform = device_info.get("network_os_platform", "")
+            if platform.startswith("DS-") and "MDS" in model:
+                cmd = "%s | json native" % command
+            else:
+                cmd = "%s | json" % command
         elif output == 'text' and command.endswith('| json'):
             cmd = command.rsplit('|', 1)[0]
         else: