diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/lookup_plugins/flat_list.py b/lib/ansible/runner/lookup_plugins/flat_list.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e359f591722
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/lookup_plugins/flat_list.py
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+# (c) 2013, Serge van Ginderachter <serge@vanginderachter.be>
+#
+# This file is part of Ansible
+#
+# Ansible is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# Ansible is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with Ansible.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+import ansible.utils as utils
+import ansible.errors as errors
+
+
+def check_list_of_one_list(term):
+    # make sure term is not a list of one (list of one..) item
+    # return the final non list item if so
+
+    if isinstance(term,list) and len(term) == 1:
+        term = term[0]
+        if isinstance(term,list):
+            term = check_list_of_one_list(term)
+
+    return term
+
+
+
+class LookupModule(object):
+
+    def __init__(self, basedir=None, **kwargs):
+        self.basedir = basedir
+
+
+    def flatten(self, terms, inject):
+
+        ret = []
+        for term in terms:
+            term = check_list_of_one_list(term)
+
+            if term == 'None' or term == 'null':
+                # ignore undefined items
+                break
+
+            if isinstance(term, basestring):
+                # convert a variable to a list
+                term2 = utils.listify_lookup_plugin_terms(term, self.basedir, inject)
+                # but avoid converting a plain string to a list of one string
+                if term2 != [ term ]:
+                    term = term2
+
+            if isinstance(term, list):
+                # if it's a list, check recursively for items that are a list
+                term = self.flatten(term, inject)
+                ret.extend(term)
+            else:   
+                ret.append(term)
+
+        return ret
+
+
+    def run(self, terms, inject=None, **kwargs):
+
+        # see if the string represents a list and convert to list if so
+        terms = utils.listify_lookup_plugin_terms(terms, self.basedir, inject)
+
+        if not isinstance(terms, list):
+            raise errors.AnsibleError("with_flat_list expects a list")
+
+        ret = self.flatten(terms, inject)
+        return ret
+