diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_utils/powershell.ps1 b/lib/ansible/module_utils/powershell.ps1
index 54d2eedc4f2..8c05706b604 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_utils/powershell.ps1
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_utils/powershell.ps1
@@ -47,3 +47,20 @@ Function Set-Attr($obj, $name, $value)
     $obj | Add-Member -Force -MemberType NoteProperty -Name $name -Value $value
 }
 
+# Helper function to convert a powershell object to JSON to echo it, exiting
+# the script
+Function Exit-Json($obj)
+{
+    echo $obj | ConvertTo-Json
+    Exit
+}
+
+# Helper function to add the "msg" property and "failed" property, convert the
+# powershell object to JSON and echo it, exiting the script
+Function Fail-Json($obj, $message)
+{
+    Set-Attr $obj "msg" $message
+    Set-Attr $obj "failed" $true
+    echo $obj | ConvertTo-Json
+    Exit
+}
diff --git a/library/windows/setup.ps1 b/library/windows/setup.ps1
index 883c2792059..07d32c56f51 100644
--- a/library/windows/setup.ps1
+++ b/library/windows/setup.ps1
@@ -34,4 +34,4 @@ Set-Attr $result.ansible_facts "ansible_os_family" "Windows"
 Set-Attr $result.ansible_facts "ansible_distribution" $osversion.VersionString
 Set-Attr $result.ansible_facts "ansible_distribution_version" $osversion.Version.ToString()
 
-echo $result | ConvertTo-Json;
+Exit-Json $result;
diff --git a/library/windows/slurp.ps1 b/library/windows/slurp.ps1
index d224539ee63..40bb5eba033 100644
--- a/library/windows/slurp.ps1
+++ b/library/windows/slurp.ps1
@@ -44,4 +44,4 @@ $result = New-Object psobject @{
     encoding = "base64"
 };
 Set-Attr $result "content" $content;
-echo $result | ConvertTo-Json;
+Exit-Json $result;
diff --git a/library/windows/win_ping.ps1 b/library/windows/win_ping.ps1
index 0771ea31259..ec6d530025c 100644
--- a/library/windows/win_ping.ps1
+++ b/library/windows/win_ping.ps1
@@ -29,4 +29,4 @@ $result = New-Object psobject @{
     changed = $false
     ping = $data
 };
-echo $result | ConvertTo-Json;
+Exit-Json $result;
diff --git a/library/windows/win_stat.ps1 b/library/windows/win_stat.ps1
index d7b754a2834..fa5596ec1b7 100644
--- a/library/windows/win_stat.ps1
+++ b/library/windows/win_stat.ps1
@@ -61,4 +61,4 @@ If ($get_md5 -and $result.stat.exists -and -not $result.stat.isdir)
    Set-Attr $result.stat "md5" $path_md5;
 }
 
-echo $result | ConvertTo-Json;
+Exit-Json $result;