diff --git a/windows/win_regedit.ps1 b/windows/win_regedit.ps1
index fe060e101c6..1b5c9cf9918 100644
--- a/windows/win_regedit.ps1
+++ b/windows/win_regedit.ps1
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ New-PSDrive -PSProvider registry -Root HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG -Name HCCC -ErrorActi
 $params = Parse-Args $args;
 $result = New-Object PSObject;
 Set-Attr $result "changed" $false;
+Set-Attr $result "data_changed" $false;
+Set-Attr $result "data_type_changed" $false;
 
 $registryKey = Get-Attr -obj $params -name "key" -failifempty $true
 $registryValue = Get-Attr -obj $params -name "value" -default $null
@@ -56,11 +58,78 @@ Function Test-RegistryValueData {
     }
 }
 
+# Returns rue if registry data matches.
+# Handles binary and string registry data
+Function Compare-RegistryData {
+    Param (
+        [parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
+        [ValidateNotNullOrEmpty()]$ReferenceData,
+        [parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
+        [ValidateNotNullOrEmpty()]$DifferenceData
+        )
+        $refType = $ReferenceData.GetType().Name
+
+        if ($refType -eq "String" ) {
+            if ($ReferenceData -eq $DifferenceData) {
+                return $true
+            } else {
+                return $false
+            }
+        } elseif ($refType -eq "Object[]") {
+            if (@(Compare-Object $ReferenceData $DifferenceData -SyncWindow 0).Length -eq 0) {
+                return $true
+            } else {
+                return $false
+            }
+        }
+}
+
+# Simplified version of Convert-HexStringToByteArray from
+# https://cyber-defense.sans.org/blog/2010/02/11/powershell-byte-array-hex-convert
+# Expects a hex in the format you get when you run reg.exe export,
+# and converts to a byte array so powershell can modify binary registry entries
+function Convert-RegExportHexStringToByteArray
+{
+    Param (
+     [parameter(Mandatory=$true)] [String] $String
+    )
+
+# remove 'hex:' from the front of the string if present
+$String = $String.ToLower() -replace '^hex\:', ''
+
+#remove whitespace and any other non-hex crud.
+$String = $String.ToLower() -replace '[^a-f0-9\\,x\-\:]',''
+
+# turn commas into colons
+$String = $String -replace ',',':'
+
+#Maybe there's nothing left over to convert...
+if ($String.Length -eq 0) { ,@() ; return }
+
+#Split string with or without colon delimiters.
+if ($String.Length -eq 1)
+{ ,@([System.Convert]::ToByte($String,16)) }
+elseif (($String.Length % 2 -eq 0) -and ($String.IndexOf(":") -eq -1))
+{ ,@($String -split '([a-f0-9]{2})' | foreach-object { if ($_) {[System.Convert]::ToByte($_,16)}}) }
+elseif ($String.IndexOf(":") -ne -1)
+{ ,@($String -split ':+' | foreach-object {[System.Convert]::ToByte($_,16)}) }
+else
+{ ,@() }
+
+}
+
+if($registryDataType -eq "binary" -and $registryData -ne $null) {
+   $registryData = Convert-RegExportHexStringToByteArray($registryData)
+}
+
 if($state -eq "present") {
     if ((Test-Path $registryKey) -and $registryValue -ne $null)
     {
         if (Test-RegistryValueData -Path $registryKey -Value $registryValue)
         {
+            # handle binary data
+            $currentRegistryData =(Get-ItemProperty -Path $registryKey | Select-Object -ExpandProperty $registryValue) 
+
             if ($registryValue.ToLower() -eq "(default)") {
                 # Special case handling for the key's default property. Because .GetValueKind() doesn't work for the (default) key property
                 $oldRegistryDataType = "String"
@@ -77,6 +146,8 @@ if($state -eq "present") {
                     Remove-ItemProperty -Path $registryKey -Name $registryValue
                     New-ItemProperty -Path $registryKey -Name $registryValue -Value $registryData -PropertyType $registryDataType
                     $result.changed = $true
+                    $result.data_changed = $true
+                    $result.data_type_changed = $true
                 }
                 Catch
                 {
@@ -84,11 +155,12 @@ if($state -eq "present") {
                 }
             }
             # Changes Only Data
-            elseif ((Get-ItemProperty -Path $registryKey | Select-Object -ExpandProperty $registryValue) -ne $registryData)
+            elseif (-Not (Compare-RegistryData -ReferenceData $currentRegistryData -DifferenceData $registryData))
             {
                 Try {
                     Set-ItemProperty -Path $registryKey -Name $registryValue -Value $registryData
                     $result.changed = $true
+                    $result.data_changed = $true
                 }
                 Catch
                 {
diff --git a/windows/win_regedit.py b/windows/win_regedit.py
index 5087a5eaa8f..47dc0a6c56b 100644
--- a/windows/win_regedit.py
+++ b/windows/win_regedit.py
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ options:
     aliases: []
   data:
     description:
-      - Registry Value Data
+      - Registry Value Data.  Binary data should be expressed as comma separated hex values.  An easy way to generate this is to run C(regedit.exe) and use the I(Export) option to save the registry values to a file.  In the exported file binary values will look like C(hex:be,ef,be,ef).  The C(hex:) prefix is optional. 
     required: false
     default: null
     aliases: []
@@ -94,6 +94,15 @@ EXAMPLES = '''
     data: 1337
     datatype: dword
 
+  # Creates Registry Key called MyCompany,
+  # a value within MyCompany Key called "hello", and
+  # binary data for the value "hello" as type "binary".
+  win_regedit:
+    key: HKCU:\Software\MyCompany
+    value: hello
+    data: hex:be,ef,be,ef,be,ef,be,ef,be,ef
+    datatype: binary
+
   # Delete Registry Key MyCompany
   # NOTE: Not specifying a value will delete the root key which means
   # all values will be deleted
@@ -107,3 +116,15 @@ EXAMPLES = '''
     value: hello
     state: absent
 '''
+RETURN = '''
+data_changed:
+    description: whether this invocation changed the data in the registry value 
+    returned: success
+    type: boolean
+    sample: False
+data_type_changed:
+    description: whether this invocation changed the datatype of the registry value 
+    returned: success
+    type: boolean
+    sample: True
+'''