diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/alternatives.py b/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/alternatives.py
index e81a3e83065..c056348f1d5 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/alternatives.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/alternatives.py
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ EXAMPLES = '''
 DEFAULT_LINK_PRIORITY = 50
 
 import re
+from ansible.module_utils.basic import *
+from ansible.module_utils.pycompat24 import get_exception
+
 
 def main():
 
@@ -135,12 +138,11 @@ def main():
             )
 
             module.exit_json(changed=True)
-        except subprocess.CalledProcessError, cpe:
+        except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
+            e = get_exception()
             module.fail_json(msg=str(dir(cpe)))
     else:
         module.exit_json(changed=False)
 
 
-# import module snippets
-from ansible.module_utils.basic import *
 main()
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/cronvar.py b/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/cronvar.py
index 1873c9d09c7..244bcd63da7 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/cronvar.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/cronvar.py
@@ -106,6 +106,8 @@ import tempfile
 import platform
 import pipes
 import shlex
+from ansible.module_utils.basic import *
+from ansible.module_utils.pycompat24 import get_exception
 
 CRONCMD = "/usr/bin/crontab"
 
@@ -147,7 +149,8 @@ class CronVar(object):
                 f = open(self.cron_file, 'r')
                 self.lines = f.read().splitlines()
                 f.close()
-            except IOError, e:
+            except IOError:
+                e = get_exception
                 # cron file does not exist
                 return
             except:
@@ -203,7 +206,8 @@ class CronVar(object):
         try:
             os.unlink(self.cron_file)
             return True
-        except OSError, e:
+        except OSError:
+            e = get_exception
             # cron file does not exist
             return False
         except:
@@ -425,7 +429,5 @@ def main():
     # --- should never get here
     module.exit_json(msg="Unable to execute cronvar task.")
 
-# import module snippets
-from ansible.module_utils.basic import *
 
 main()
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/crypttab.py b/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/crypttab.py
index 842b5bc7d09..4b36200c526 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/crypttab.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/crypttab.py
@@ -82,6 +82,9 @@ EXAMPLES = '''
   when: '/dev/mapper/luks-' in {{ item.device }}
 '''
 
+from ansible.module_utils.basic import *
+from ansible.module_utils.pycompat24 import get_exception
+
 def main():
 
     module = AnsibleModule(
@@ -126,7 +129,8 @@ def main():
     try:
         crypttab = Crypttab(path)
         existing_line = crypttab.match(name)
-    except Exception, e:
+    except Exception:
+        e = get_exception
         module.fail_json(msg="failed to open and parse crypttab file: %s" % e,
                          **module.params)
 
@@ -358,6 +362,4 @@ class Options(dict):
                 ret.append('%s=%s' % (k, v))
         return ','.join(ret)
 
-# import module snippets
-from ansible.module_utils.basic import *
 main()
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/getent.py b/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/getent.py
index bb6d162398c..ba0d0061460 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/getent.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/getent.py
@@ -80,6 +80,9 @@ EXAMPLES = '''
 
 '''
 
+from ansible.module_utils.basic import *
+from ansible.module_utils.pycompat24 import get_exception
+
 def main():
     module = AnsibleModule(
         argument_spec = dict(
@@ -110,7 +113,8 @@ def main():
 
     try:
         rc, out, err = module.run_command(cmd)
-    except Exception, e:
+    except Exception:
+        e = get_exception
         module.fail_json(msg=str(e))
 
     msg = "Unexpected failure!"
@@ -136,8 +140,6 @@ def main():
 
     module.fail_json(msg=msg)
 
-# import module snippets
-from ansible.module_utils.basic import *
 
 main()
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/gluster_volume.py b/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/gluster_volume.py
index e0b1ef01708..1f968271154 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/gluster_volume.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/gluster_volume.py
@@ -135,6 +135,8 @@ EXAMPLES = """
 import shutil
 import time
 import socket
+from ansible.module_utils.pycompat24 import get_exception
+from ansible.module_utils.basic import *
 
 glusterbin = ''
 
@@ -147,7 +149,8 @@ def run_gluster(gargs, **kwargs):
         rc, out, err = module.run_command(args, **kwargs)
         if rc != 0:
             module.fail_json(msg='error running gluster (%s) command (rc=%d): %s' % (' '.join(args), rc, out or err))
-    except Exception, e:
+    except Exception:
+        e = get_exception
         module.fail_json(msg='error running gluster (%s) command: %s' % (' '.join(args), str(e)))
     return out
 
@@ -456,6 +459,4 @@ def main():
 
     module.exit_json(changed=changed, ansible_facts=facts)
 
-# import module snippets
-from ansible.module_utils.basic import *
 main()
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/known_hosts.py b/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/known_hosts.py
index d1890af5182..e7d9df59ccf 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/known_hosts.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/known_hosts.py
@@ -78,6 +78,8 @@ import os.path
 import tempfile
 import errno
 import re
+from ansible.module_utils.pycompat24 import get_exception
+from ansible.module_utils.basic import *
 
 def enforce_state(module, params):
     """
@@ -121,7 +123,8 @@ def enforce_state(module, params):
     if replace_or_add or found != (state=="present"):
         try:
             inf=open(path,"r")
-        except IOError, e:
+        except IOError:
+            e = get_exception
             if e.errno == errno.ENOENT:
                 inf=None
             else:
@@ -139,7 +142,8 @@ def enforce_state(module, params):
                 outf.write(key)
             outf.flush()
             module.atomic_move(outf.name,path)
-        except (IOError,OSError),e:
+        except (IOError,OSError):
+            e = get_exception()
             module.fail_json(msg="Failed to write to file %s: %s" % \
                                  (path,str(e)))
 
@@ -173,7 +177,8 @@ def sanity_check(module,host,key,sshkeygen):
         outf=tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile()
         outf.write(key)
         outf.flush()
-    except IOError,e:
+    except IOError:
+        e = get_exception()
         module.fail_json(msg="Failed to write to temporary file %s: %s" % \
                              (outf.name,str(e)))
     rc,stdout,stderr=module.run_command([sshkeygen,'-F',host,
@@ -224,7 +229,8 @@ def search_for_host_key(module,host,key,path,sshkeygen):
                 # This output format has been hardcoded in ssh-keygen since at least OpenSSH 4.0
                 # It always outputs the non-localized comment before the found key
                 found_line = int(re.search(r'found: line (\d+)', l).group(1))
-            except IndexError, e:
+            except IndexError:
+                e = get_exception()
                 module.fail_json(msg="failed to parse output of ssh-keygen for line number: '%s'" % l)
         else:
             found_key = normalize_known_hosts_key(l,host)
@@ -274,6 +280,4 @@ def main():
     results = enforce_state(module,module.params)
     module.exit_json(**results)
 
-# import module snippets
-from ansible.module_utils.basic import *
 main()
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/locale_gen.py b/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/locale_gen.py
index 9cb06ccc235..48cfb3ed8be 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/locale_gen.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/locale_gen.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import os
 import os.path
 from subprocess import Popen, PIPE, call
 import re
+from ansible.module_utils.pycompat24 import get_exception
 
 DOCUMENTATION = '''
 ---
@@ -64,6 +65,9 @@ LOCALE_NORMALIZATION = {
 # location module specific support methods.
 #
 
+from ansible.module_utils.basic import *
+from ansible.module_utils.pycompat24 import get_exception
+
 def is_available(name, ubuntuMode):
     """Check if the given locale is available on the system. This is done by
     checking either :
@@ -224,12 +228,11 @@ def main():
                     apply_change(state, name)
                 else:
                     apply_change_ubuntu(state, name)
-            except EnvironmentError, e:
+            except EnvironmentError:
+                e = get_exception()
                 module.fail_json(msg=e.strerror, exitValue=e.errno)
 
         module.exit_json(name=name, changed=changed, msg="OK")
 
-# import module snippets
-from ansible.module_utils.basic import *
 
 main()
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/modprobe.py b/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/modprobe.py
index 405d5ea22c3..94c1a70437b 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/modprobe.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/modprobe.py
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@ EXAMPLES = '''
 - modprobe: name=dummy state=present params="numdummies=2"
 '''
 
+from ansible.module_utils.basic import *
+from ansible.module_utils.pycompat24 import get_exception
 import shlex
 
 
@@ -87,7 +89,8 @@ def main():
                 present = True
                 break
         modules.close()
-    except IOError, e:
+    except IOError:
+        e = get_exception()
         module.fail_json(msg=str(e), **args)
 
     # Check only; don't modify
@@ -118,6 +121,4 @@ def main():
 
     module.exit_json(**args)
 
-# import module snippets
-from ansible.module_utils.basic import *
 main()
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/osx_defaults.py b/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/osx_defaults.py
index 7a04be455d3..126f621d883 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/osx_defaults.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/osx_defaults.py
@@ -84,6 +84,8 @@ EXAMPLES = '''
 '''
 
 import datetime
+from ansible.module_utils.basic import *
+from ansible.module_utils.pycompat24 import get_exception
 
 # exceptions --------------------------------------------------------------- {{{
 class OSXDefaultsException(Exception):
@@ -275,7 +277,7 @@ class OSXDefaults(object):
 
         # Handle absent state
         if self.state == "absent":
-            print "Absent state detected!"
+            print ("Absent state detected!")
             if self.current_value is None:
                 return False
             if self.module.check_mode:
@@ -376,10 +378,10 @@ def main():
                                array_add=array_add, value=value, state=state, path=path)
         changed = defaults.run()
         module.exit_json(changed=changed)
-    except OSXDefaultsException, e:
+    except OSXDefaultsException:
+        e = get_exception()
         module.fail_json(msg=e.message)
 
 # /main ------------------------------------------------------------------- }}}
 
-from ansible.module_utils.basic import *
 main()
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/selinux_permissive.py b/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/selinux_permissive.py
index ec3575d9da4..df01b4333fd 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/selinux_permissive.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/selinux_permissive.py
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ try:
     HAVE_SEOBJECT = True
 except ImportError:
     pass
+from ansible.module_utils.basic import *
+from ansible.module_utils.pycompat24 import get_exception
 
 
 def main():
@@ -90,7 +92,8 @@ def main():
 
     try:
         permissive_domains = seobject.permissiveRecords(store)
-    except ValueError, e:
+    except ValueError:
+        e = get_exception()
         module.fail_json(domain=domain, msg=str(e))
 
     # not supported on EL 6
@@ -99,7 +102,8 @@ def main():
 
     try:
         all_domains = permissive_domains.get_all()
-    except ValueError, e:
+    except ValueError:
+        e = get_exception()
         module.fail_json(domain=domain, msg=str(e))
 
     if permissive:
@@ -107,7 +111,8 @@ def main():
             if not module.check_mode:
                 try:
                     permissive_domains.add(domain)
-                except ValueError, e:
+                except ValueError:
+                    e = get_exception()
                     module.fail_json(domain=domain, msg=str(e))
             changed = True
     else:
@@ -115,7 +120,8 @@ def main():
             if not module.check_mode:
                 try:
                     permissive_domains.delete(domain)
-                except ValueError, e:
+                except ValueError:
+                    e = get_exception()
                     module.fail_json(domain=domain, msg=str(e))
             changed = True
 
@@ -123,8 +129,5 @@ def main():
                      permissive=permissive, domain=domain)
 
 
-#################################################
-# import module snippets
-from ansible.module_utils.basic import *
 
 main()
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/seport.py b/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/seport.py
index 85918d8dac1..b9686095f88 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/seport.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/seport.py
@@ -80,6 +80,8 @@ try:
 except ImportError:
     HAVE_SEOBJECT=False
 
+from ansible.module_utils.basic import *
+from ansible.module_utils.pycompat24 import get_exception
 
 def semanage_port_exists(seport, port, proto):
     """ Get the SELinux port type definition from policy. Return None if it does
@@ -141,15 +143,20 @@ def semanage_port_add(module, ports, proto, setype, do_reload, serange='s0', ses
                 seport.add(port, proto, serange, setype)
             change = change or not exists
 
-    except ValueError, e:
+    except ValueError:
+        e = get_exception()
         module.fail_json(msg="%s: %s\n" % (e.__class__.__name__, str(e)))
-    except IOError, e:
+    except IOError:
+        e = get_exception()
         module.fail_json(msg="%s: %s\n" % (e.__class__.__name__, str(e)))
-    except KeyError, e:
+    except KeyError:
+        e = get_exception()
         module.fail_json(msg="%s: %s\n" % (e.__class__.__name__, str(e)))
-    except OSError, e:
+    except OSError:
+        e = get_exception()
         module.fail_json(msg="%s: %s\n" % (e.__class__.__name__, str(e)))
-    except RuntimeError, e:
+    except RuntimeError:
+        e = get_exception()
         module.fail_json(msg="%s: %s\n" % (e.__class__.__name__, str(e)))
 
     return change
@@ -186,15 +193,20 @@ def semanage_port_del(module, ports, proto, do_reload, sestore=''):
                 seport.delete(port, proto)
             change = change or not exists
 
-    except ValueError, e:
+    except ValueError:
+        e = get_exception()
         module.fail_json(msg="%s: %s\n" % (e.__class__.__name__, str(e)))
-    except IOError,e:
+    except IOError:
+        e = get_exception()
         module.fail_json(msg="%s: %s\n" % (e.__class__.__name__, str(e)))
-    except KeyError, e:
+    except KeyError:
+        e = get_exception()
         module.fail_json(msg="%s: %s\n" % (e.__class__.__name__, str(e)))
-    except OSError, e:
+    except OSError:
+        e = get_exception()
         module.fail_json(msg="%s: %s\n" % (e.__class__.__name__, str(e)))
-    except RuntimeError, e:
+    except RuntimeError:
+        e = get_exception()
         module.fail_json(msg="%s: %s\n" % (e.__class__.__name__, str(e)))
 
     return change
@@ -257,5 +269,4 @@ def main():
     module.exit_json(**result)
 
 
-from ansible.module_utils.basic import *
 main()
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/svc.py b/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/svc.py
index 6cc8c1d21ef..e82b0591d59 100755
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/svc.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/extras/system/svc.py
@@ -87,6 +87,8 @@ EXAMPLES = '''
 
 import platform
 import shlex
+from ansible.module_utils.pycompat24 import get_exception
+from ansible.module_utils.basic import *
 
 def _load_dist_subclass(cls, *args, **kwargs):
     '''
@@ -152,7 +154,8 @@ class Svc(object):
         if os.path.exists(self.src_full):
             try:
                 os.symlink(self.src_full, self.svc_full)
-            except OSError, e:
+            except OSError:
+                e = get_exception()
                 self.module.fail_json(path=self.src_full, msg='Error while linking: %s' % str(e))
         else:
             self.module.fail_json(msg="Could not find source for service to enable (%s)." % self.src_full)
@@ -160,7 +163,8 @@ class Svc(object):
     def disable(self):
         try:
             os.unlink(self.svc_full)
-        except OSError, e:
+        except OSError:
+            e = get_exception()
             self.module.fail_json(path=self.svc_full, msg='Error while unlinking: %s' % str(e))
         self.execute_command([self.svc_cmd,'-dx',self.src_full])
 
@@ -221,7 +225,8 @@ class Svc(object):
     def execute_command(self, cmd):
         try:
             (rc, out, err) = self.module.run_command(' '.join(cmd))
-        except Exception, e:
+        except Exception:
+            e = get_exception()
             self.module.fail_json(msg="failed to execute: %s" % str(e))
         return (rc, out, err)
 
@@ -267,7 +272,8 @@ def main():
                     svc.enable()
                 else:
                     svc.disable()
-            except (OSError, IOError), e:
+            except (OSError, IOError):
+                e = get_exception()
                 module.fail_json(msg="Could change service link: %s" % str(e))
 
     if state is not None and state != svc.state:
@@ -284,13 +290,13 @@ def main():
                     open(d_file, "a").close()
                 else:
                     os.unlink(d_file)
-            except (OSError, IOError), e:
+            except (OSError, IOError):
+                e = get_exception()
                 module.fail_json(msg="Could change downed file: %s " % (str(e)))
 
     module.exit_json(changed=changed, svc=svc.report())
 
 
-# this is magic,  not normal python include
-from ansible.module_utils.basic import *
+
 
 main()