diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/network/ios/ios_vrf.py b/lib/ansible/modules/network/ios/ios_vrf.py
index f1035628f55..2d0e9cdd982 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/network/ios/ios_vrf.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/network/ios/ios_vrf.py
@@ -167,7 +167,11 @@ def get_interface_type(interface):
 
 def add_command_to_vrf(name, cmd, commands):
     if 'vrf definition %s' % name not in commands:
-        commands.append('vrf definition %s' % name)
+        commands.extend([
+            'vrf definition %s' % name,
+            'address-family ipv4', 'exit',
+            'address-family ipv6', 'exit',
+        ])
     commands.append(cmd)
 
 def map_obj_to_commands(updates, module):
@@ -185,7 +189,11 @@ def map_obj_to_commands(updates, module):
             continue
 
         if not have.get('state'):
-            commands.append('vrf definition %s' % want['name'])
+            commands.extend([
+                'vrf definition %s' % want['name'],
+                'address-family ipv4', 'exit',
+                'address-family ipv6', 'exit',
+            ])
 
         if needs_update(want, have, 'description'):
             cmd = 'description %s' % want['description']
@@ -337,6 +345,9 @@ def check_declarative_intent_params(want, module):
 
         if rc == 0:
             data = out.strip().split()
+            # data will be empty if the vrf was just added
+            if not data:
+                return
             vrf = data[0]
             interface = data[-1]
 
@@ -356,6 +367,7 @@ def main():
         name=dict(),
         description=dict(),
         rd=dict(),
+
         interfaces=dict(type='list'),
 
         delay=dict(default=10, type='int'),
diff --git a/test/units/modules/network/ios/test_ios_vrf.py b/test/units/modules/network/ios/test_ios_vrf.py
index 61d1ce9e8fc..53f634b4830 100644
--- a/test/units/modules/network/ios/test_ios_vrf.py
+++ b/test/units/modules/network/ios/test_ios_vrf.py
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ class TestIosVrfModule(TestIosModule):
 
     def test_ios_vrf_name(self):
         set_module_args(dict(name='test_4'))
-        commands = ['vrf definition test_4']
+        commands = ['vrf definition test_4', 'address-family ipv4', 'exit', 'address-family ipv6', 'exit']
         self.execute_module(changed=True, commands=commands, sort=False)
 
     def test_ios_vrf_name_unchanged(self):
@@ -62,12 +62,12 @@ class TestIosVrfModule(TestIosModule):
 
     def test_ios_vrf_description(self):
         set_module_args(dict(name='test_1', description='test string'))
-        commands = ['vrf definition test_1', 'description test string']
+        commands = ['vrf definition test_1', 'address-family ipv4', 'exit', 'address-family ipv6', 'exit', 'description test string']
         self.execute_module(changed=True, commands=commands, sort=False)
 
     def test_ios_vrf_rd(self):
         set_module_args(dict(name='test_1', rd='2:100'))
-        commands = ['vrf definition test_1', 'rd 2:100']
+        commands = ['vrf definition test_1', 'address-family ipv4', 'exit', 'address-family ipv6', 'exit', 'rd 2:100']
         self.execute_module(changed=True, commands=commands, sort=False)
 
     def test_ios_vrf_interfaces(self):
@@ -96,34 +96,39 @@ class TestIosVrfModule(TestIosModule):
     def test_ios_vrfs_no_purge(self):
         vrfs = [{'name': 'test_1'}, {'name': 'test_4'}]
         set_module_args(dict(vrfs=vrfs))
-        commands = ['vrf definition test_4']
+        commands = ['vrf definition test_4',
+                    'address-family ipv4', 'exit',
+                    'address-family ipv6', 'exit']
         self.execute_module(changed=True, commands=commands)
 
     def test_ios_vrfs_purge(self):
         vrfs = [{'name': 'test_1'}, {'name': 'test_4'}]
         set_module_args(dict(vrfs=vrfs, purge=True))
-        commands = ['no vrf definition test_2', 'no vrf definition test_3',
-                    'vrf definition test_4']
+        commands = ['vrf definition test_4',
+                    'address-family ipv4', 'exit',
+                    'address-family ipv6', 'exit',
+                    'no vrf definition test_2',
+                    'no vrf definition test_3']
         self.execute_module(changed=True, commands=commands)
 
     def test_ios_vrfs_global_arg(self):
         vrfs = [{'name': 'test_1'}, {'name': 'test_2'}]
         set_module_args(dict(vrfs=vrfs, description='test string'))
-        commands = ['vrf definition test_1', 'description test string',
-                    'vrf definition test_2', 'description test string']
+        commands = ['vrf definition test_1', 'address-family ipv4', 'exit', 'address-family ipv6', 'exit', 'description test string',
+                    'vrf definition test_2', 'address-family ipv4', 'exit', 'address-family ipv6', 'exit', 'description test string']
         self.execute_module(changed=True, commands=commands, sort=False)
 
     def test_ios_vrfs_local_override_description(self):
         vrfs = [{'name': 'test_1', 'description': 'test vrf 1'},
                 {'name': 'test_2'}]
         set_module_args(dict(vrfs=vrfs, description='test string'))
-        commands = ['vrf definition test_2', 'description test string']
+        commands = ['vrf definition test_2', 'address-family ipv4', 'exit', 'address-family ipv6', 'exit', 'description test string']
         self.execute_module(changed=True, commands=commands, sort=False)
 
     def test_ios_vrfs_local_override_state(self):
         vrfs = [{'name': 'test_1', 'state': 'absent'},
                 {'name': 'test_2'}]
         set_module_args(dict(vrfs=vrfs, description='test string'))
-        commands = ['no vrf definition test_1', 'vrf definition test_2',
+        commands = ['no vrf definition test_1', 'vrf definition test_2', 'address-family ipv4', 'exit', 'address-family ipv6', 'exit',
                     'description test string']
         self.execute_module(changed=True, commands=commands, sort=False)