diff --git a/bin/ansible-playbook b/bin/ansible-playbook
index 8884f986c0a..2d56df2d2a1 100755
--- a/bin/ansible-playbook
+++ b/bin/ansible-playbook
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ def main(args):
         pb = ansible.playbook.PlayBook(
             playbook=playbook,
             module_path=options.module_path,
-            host_list=options.inventory,
+            inventory=inventory,
             forks=options.forks,
             remote_user=options.remote_user,
             remote_pass=sshpass,
@@ -120,7 +120,6 @@ def main(args):
             extra_vars=extra_vars,
             private_key_file=options.private_key_file,
             only_tags=only_tags,
-            subset=options.subset,
         )
         
         if options.listhosts:
diff --git a/lib/ansible/playbook/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/playbook/__init__.py
index 314492e7be1..ec8d944f3cf 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/playbook/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/playbook/__init__.py
@@ -60,7 +60,8 @@ class PlayBook(object):
         sudo_user        = C.DEFAULT_SUDO_USER,
         extra_vars       = None,
         only_tags        = None,
-        subset           = C.DEFAULT_SUBSET):
+        subset           = C.DEFAULT_SUBSET,
+        inventory        = None):
 
         """
         playbook:         path to a playbook file
@@ -77,6 +78,7 @@ class PlayBook(object):
         runner_callbacks: more callbacks, this time for the runner API
         stats:            holds aggregrate data about events occuring to each host
         sudo:             if not specified per play, requests all plays use sudo mode
+        inventory:        can be specified instead of host_list to use a pre-existing inventory object
         """
 
         self.SETUP_CACHE = SETUP_CACHE
@@ -107,8 +109,11 @@ class PlayBook(object):
         self.private_key_file = private_key_file
         self.only_tags        = only_tags
 
-        self.inventory           = ansible.inventory.Inventory(host_list)
-        self.inventory.subset(subset)
+        if inventory is None:
+            self.inventory    = ansible.inventory.Inventory(host_list)
+            self.inventory.subset(subset)
+        else:
+            self.inventory    = inventory
 
         self.basedir     = os.path.dirname(playbook)
         (self.playbook, self.play_basedirs) = self._load_playbook_from_file(playbook)