diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 35934bc541a..c36e6524ac0 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ Major features/changes:
 
 * The deprecated legacy variable templating system has been finally removed.  Use {{ foo }} always not $foo or ${foo}.
 * Role dependencies are now tracked across multiple plays, making common roles easier to include in dependencies without any special variable tricks.
+* Any data file can also be JSON.  Use sparingly -- with great power comes great responsibility.  Starting file with "{" or "[" denotes JSON.
 
 New Modules:
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py
index c3e777e4d65..1d09cfde990 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ import traceback
 import getpass
 import sys
 import textwrap
+import json
 
 #import vault
 from vault import VaultLib
@@ -351,7 +352,16 @@ def smush_ds(data):
         return data
 
 def parse_yaml(data):
-    ''' convert a yaml string to a data structure '''
+    ''' convert a yaml string to a data structure.  Also supports JSON, ssssssh!!!'''
+
+    data = data.lstrip()
+    if data.startswith("{") or data.startswith("["):
+        # since the line starts with { or [ we can infer this is a JSON document.
+        loaded = json.loads(data)
+    else:
+        # else this is pretty sure to be a YAML document
+        loaded = yaml.safe_load(data)
+
     return smush_ds(yaml.safe_load(data))
 
 def process_common_errors(msg, probline, column):