diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/files/xattr.py b/lib/ansible/modules/files/xattr.py
index 000ddd0a296..676436fec05 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/files/xattr.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/files/xattr.py
@@ -25,6 +25,11 @@ options:
       - Before 2.3 this option was only usable as I(name).
     aliases: [ name ]
     required: true
+  namespace:
+    description:
+      - Namespace of the named name/key.
+    default: user
+    version_added: "2.7"
   key:
     description:
       - The name of a specific Extended attribute key to set/retrieve.
@@ -58,22 +63,34 @@ EXAMPLES = '''
   xattr:
     path: /etc/foo.conf
 
-- name: Sets the key 'foo' to value 'bar'
+- name: Set the key 'user.foo' to value 'bar'
   xattr:
     path: /etc/foo.conf
-    key: user.foo
+    key: foo
     value: bar
 
-- name: Removes the key 'foo'
+- name: Set the key 'trusted.glusterfs.volume-id' to value '0x817b94343f164f199e5b573b4ea1f914'
+  xattr:
+    path: /mnt/bricks/brick1
+    namespace: trusted
+    key: glusterfs.volume-id
+    value: "0x817b94343f164f199e5b573b4ea1f914"
+
+- name: Remove the key 'user.foo'
   xattr:
     path: /etc/foo.conf
-    key: user.foo
+    key: foo
+    state: absent
+
+- name: Remove the key 'trusted.glusterfs.volume-id'
+  xattr:
+    path: /mnt/bricks/brick1
+    namespace: trusted
+    key: glusterfs.volume-id
     state: absent
 '''
 
-import operator
 import os
-import re
 
 # import module snippets
 from ansible.module_utils.basic import AnsibleModule
@@ -140,10 +157,10 @@ def _run_xattr(module, cmd, check_rc=True):
     # result = {'raw': out}
     result = {}
     for line in out.splitlines():
-        if re.match("^#", line) or line == "":
+        if line.startswith('#') or line == '':
             pass
-        elif re.search('=', line):
-            (key, val) = line.split("=")
+        elif '=' in line:
+            (key, val) = line.split('=')
             result[key] = val.strip('"')
         else:
             result[line] = ''
@@ -154,6 +171,7 @@ def main():
     module = AnsibleModule(
         argument_spec=dict(
             path=dict(type='path', required=True, aliases=['name']),
+            namespace=dict(type='str', default='user'),
             key=dict(type='str'),
             value=dict(type='str'),
             state=dict(type='str', default='read', choices=['absent', 'all', 'keys', 'present', 'read']),
@@ -162,6 +180,7 @@ def main():
         supports_check_mode=True,
     )
     path = module.params.get('path')
+    namespace = module.params.get('namespace')
     key = module.params.get('key')
     value = module.params.get('value')
     state = module.params.get('state')
@@ -177,9 +196,13 @@ def main():
     if key is None and state in ['absent', 'present']:
         module.fail_json(msg="%s needs a key parameter" % state)
 
-    # All xattr must begin in user namespace
-    if key is not None and not re.match(r'^user\.', key):
-        key = 'user.%s' % key
+    # Prepend the key with the namespace if defined
+    if (
+            key is not None and
+            namespace is not None and
+            len(namespace) > 0 and
+            not (namespace == 'user' and key.startswith('user.'))):
+        key = '%s.%s' % (namespace, key)
 
     if (state == 'present' or value is not None):
         current = get_xattr(module, path, key, follow)
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/xattr/tasks/test.yml b/test/integration/targets/xattr/tasks/test.yml
index 4f4f35672c1..616432681f9 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/xattr/tasks/test.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/xattr/tasks/test.yml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 - name: Get specific attribute
   xattr:
     path: "{{ test_file }}"
-    key: user.foo
+    key: foo
   register: xattr_get_specific_result
 
 - assert:
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@
 - name: Set attribute again
   xattr:
     path: "{{ test_file }}"
-    key: user.foo
+    namespace: user
+    key: foo
     value: bar
   register: xattr_set_again_result
 
@@ -38,11 +39,11 @@
 - name: Unset attribute
   xattr:
     path: "{{ test_file }}"
-    key: user.foo
+    key: foo
     state: absent
   register: xattr_unset_result
 
-- name: get attributes
+- name: Get attributes
   xattr:
     path: "{{ test_file }}"
   register: xattr_get_after_unset_result
@@ -56,7 +57,8 @@
 - name: Unset attribute again
   xattr:
     path: "{{ test_file }}"
-    key: user.foo
+    namespace: user
+    key: foo
     state: absent
   register: xattr_unset_result