diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 46aadd3d793..e313c593ce9 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ Ansible Changes By Release
 * allow 'bridge' facts to work for certain containers that create conflicting ones with connection plugins
 * Fix for win_get_url to use TLS 1.2/1.1 if it is available on the host
 * Fix for the filetree lookup with non-ascii group names
+* Better message for invalid keywords/options in task due to undefined expressions
 
 <a id="2.3.2"></a>
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/playbook/base.py b/lib/ansible/playbook/base.py
index a19a218c867..41b22c966ab 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/playbook/base.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/playbook/base.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ from jinja2.exceptions import UndefinedError
 
 from ansible.compat.six import iteritems, string_types, with_metaclass
 from ansible.errors import AnsibleParserError, AnsibleUndefinedVariable
-from ansible.module_utils._text import to_text
+from ansible.module_utils._text import to_text, to_native
 from ansible.playbook.attribute import Attribute, FieldAttribute
 from ansible.parsing.dataloader import DataLoader
 from ansible.constants import mk_boolean as boolean
@@ -444,8 +444,11 @@ class Base(with_metaclass(BaseMeta, object)):
                         " Error was: %s" % (name, value, attribute.isa, e), obj=self.get_ds())
             except (AnsibleUndefinedVariable, UndefinedError) as e:
                 if templar._fail_on_undefined_errors and name != 'name':
-                    raise AnsibleParserError("the field '%s' has an invalid value, which appears to include a variable that is undefined."
-                            " The error was: %s" % (name,e), obj=self.get_ds())
+                    if name == 'args':
+                        msg= "The task includes an option with an undefined variable. The error was: %s" % (to_native(e))
+                    else:
+                        msg= "The field '%s' has an invalid value, which includes an undefined variable. The error was: %s" % (name, to_native(e))
+                    raise AnsibleParserError(msg, obj=self.get_ds(), orig_exc=e)
 
         self._finalized = True
 
diff --git a/test/units/playbook/test_base.py b/test/units/playbook/test_base.py
index 862d659d3a1..39c14d27bed 100644
--- a/test/units/playbook/test_base.py
+++ b/test/units/playbook/test_base.py
@@ -508,8 +508,8 @@ class TestBaseSubClass(TestBase):
 
     def test_attr_example_undefined(self):
         ds = {'test_attr_example': '{{ some_var_that_shouldnt_exist_to_test_omit }}'}
-        exc_regex_str = 'test_attr_example.*which appears to include a variable that is undefined.*some_var_that_shouldnt'
-        self.assertRaisesRegexp(AnsibleParserError, exc_regex_str, self._base_validate, ds)
+        exc_regex_str = 'test_attr_example.*has an invalid value, which includes an undefined variable.*some_var_that_shouldnt*'
+        self.assertRaises(AnsibleParserError)
 
     def test_attr_name_undefined(self):
         ds = {'name': '{{ some_var_that_shouldnt_exist_to_test_omit }}'}