diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/files/template.py b/lib/ansible/modules/files/template.py
index 880e8f141c7..5e2a3a5cb18 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/files/template.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/files/template.py
@@ -74,6 +74,13 @@ options:
     type: bool
     default: 'no'
     version_added: '2.4'
+  lstrip_blocks:
+    description:
+      - If this is set to True leading spaces and tabs are stripped from the start of a line to a block.
+        Setting this option to True requires Jinja2 version >=2.7.
+    type: bool
+    default: 'no'
+    version_added: '2.6'
   force:
     description:
       - the default is C(yes), which will replace the remote file when contents
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/template.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/template.py
index 7e625bee5db..1f924d65ceb 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/template.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/template.py
@@ -53,7 +53,20 @@ class ActionModule(ActionBase):
         variable_end_string = self._task.args.get('variable_end_string', None)
         block_start_string = self._task.args.get('block_start_string', None)
         block_end_string = self._task.args.get('block_end_string', None)
-        trim_blocks = self._task.args.get('trim_blocks', None)
+        trim_blocks = boolean(self._task.args.get('trim_blocks', True), strict=False)
+        lstrip_blocks = boolean(self._task.args.get('lstrip_blocks', False), strict=False)
+
+        # Option `lstrip_blocks' was added in Jinja2 version 2.7.
+        if lstrip_blocks:
+            try:
+                import jinja2.defaults
+            except ImportError:
+                raise AnsibleError('Unable to import Jinja2 defaults for determing Jinja2 features.')
+
+            try:
+                jinja2.defaults.LSTRIP_BLOCKS
+            except AttributeError:
+                raise AnsibleError("Option `lstrip_blocks' is only available in Jinja2 versions >=2.7")
 
         wrong_sequences = ["\\n", "\\r", "\\r\\n"]
         allowed_sequences = ["\n", "\r", "\r\n"]
@@ -108,8 +121,8 @@ class ActionModule(ActionBase):
                     self._templar.environment.variable_start_string = variable_start_string
                 if variable_end_string is not None:
                     self._templar.environment.variable_end_string = variable_end_string
-                if trim_blocks is not None:
-                    self._templar.environment.trim_blocks = bool(trim_blocks)
+                self._templar.environment.trim_blocks = trim_blocks
+                self._templar.environment.lstrip_blocks = lstrip_blocks
 
                 # add ansible 'template' vars
                 temp_vars = task_vars.copy()
@@ -133,6 +146,7 @@ class ActionModule(ActionBase):
             new_task.args.pop('variable_start_string', None)
             new_task.args.pop('variable_end_string', None)
             new_task.args.pop('trim_blocks', None)
+            new_task.args.pop('lstrip_blocks', None)
 
             local_tempdir = tempfile.mkdtemp(dir=C.DEFAULT_LOCAL_TMP)
 
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/template/files/lstrip_blocks_false.expected b/test/integration/targets/template/files/lstrip_blocks_false.expected
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..12600012689
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/targets/template/files/lstrip_blocks_false.expected
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+    hello world
+        hello world
+        hello world
+    
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/template/files/lstrip_blocks_true.expected b/test/integration/targets/template/files/lstrip_blocks_true.expected
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1b11f8b264c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/targets/template/files/lstrip_blocks_true.expected
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+hello world
+hello world
+hello world
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/template/files/trim_blocks_false.expected b/test/integration/targets/template/files/trim_blocks_false.expected
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..283cefc8df3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/targets/template/files/trim_blocks_false.expected
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+
+Hello world
+
+Goodbye
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/template/files/trim_blocks_true.expected b/test/integration/targets/template/files/trim_blocks_true.expected
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..03acd5d37a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/targets/template/files/trim_blocks_true.expected
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Hello world
+Goodbye
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/template/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/targets/template/tasks/main.yml
index ed9e8dc0409..fd0b3c150ba 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/template/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/template/tasks/main.yml
@@ -120,6 +120,93 @@
         - 'import_as_with_context_diff_result.stdout == ""'
         - "import_as_with_context_diff_result.rc == 0"
 
+# VERIFY trim_blocks
+
+- name: Render a template with "trim_blocks" set to False
+  template:
+    src: trim_blocks.j2
+    dest: "{{output_dir}}/trim_blocks_false.templated"
+    trim_blocks: False
+  register: trim_blocks_false_result
+
+- name: Get checksum of known good trim_blocks_false.expected
+  stat:
+    path: "{{role_path}}/files/trim_blocks_false.expected"
+  register: trim_blocks_false_good
+
+- name: Verify templated trim_blocks_false matches known good using checksum
+  assert:
+    that:
+        - "trim_blocks_false_result.checksum == trim_blocks_false_good.stat.checksum"
+
+- name: Render a template with "trim_blocks" set to True
+  template:
+    src: trim_blocks.j2
+    dest: "{{output_dir}}/trim_blocks_true.templated"
+    trim_blocks: True
+  register: trim_blocks_true_result
+
+- name: Get checksum of known good trim_blocks_true.expected
+  stat:
+    path: "{{role_path}}/files/trim_blocks_true.expected"
+  register: trim_blocks_true_good
+
+- name: Verify templated trim_blocks_true matches known good using checksum
+  assert:
+    that:
+        - "trim_blocks_true_result.checksum == trim_blocks_true_good.stat.checksum"
+
+# VERIFY lstrip_blocks
+
+- name: Check support for lstrip_blocks in Jinja2
+  shell: "{{ ansible_python.executable }} -c 'import jinja2; jinja2.defaults.LSTRIP_BLOCKS'"
+  register: lstrip_block_support
+  ignore_errors: True
+
+- name: Render a template with "lstrip_blocks" set to False
+  template:
+    src: lstrip_blocks.j2
+    dest: "{{output_dir}}/lstrip_blocks_false.templated"
+    lstrip_blocks: False
+  register: lstrip_blocks_false_result
+
+- name: Get checksum of known good lstrip_blocks_false.expected
+  stat:
+    path: "{{role_path}}/files/lstrip_blocks_false.expected"
+  register: lstrip_blocks_false_good
+
+- name: Verify templated lstrip_blocks_false matches known good using checksum
+  assert:
+    that:
+        - "lstrip_blocks_false_result.checksum == lstrip_blocks_false_good.stat.checksum"
+
+- name: Render a template with "lstrip_blocks" set to True
+  template:
+    src: lstrip_blocks.j2
+    dest: "{{output_dir}}/lstrip_blocks_true.templated"
+    lstrip_blocks: True
+  register: lstrip_blocks_true_result
+  ignore_errors: True
+
+- name: Verify exception is thrown if Jinja2 does not support lstrip_blocks but lstrip_blocks is used
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - "lstrip_blocks_true_result.failed"
+      - 'lstrip_blocks_true_result.msg is search(">=2.7")'
+  when: "lstrip_block_support is failed"
+
+- name: Get checksum of known good lstrip_blocks_true.expected
+  stat:
+    path: "{{role_path}}/files/lstrip_blocks_true.expected"
+  register: lstrip_blocks_true_good
+  when: "lstrip_block_support is successful"
+
+- name: Verify templated lstrip_blocks_true matches known good using checksum
+  assert:
+    that:
+        - "lstrip_blocks_true_result.checksum == lstrip_blocks_true_good.stat.checksum"
+  when: "lstrip_block_support is successful"
+
 # VERIFY CONTENTS
 
 - name: check what python version ansible is running on
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/template/templates/lstrip_blocks.j2 b/test/integration/targets/template/templates/lstrip_blocks.j2
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d572da6793b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/targets/template/templates/lstrip_blocks.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+{% set hello_world="hello world" %}
+{% for i in [1, 2, 3] %}
+    {% if loop.first %}
+{{hello_world}}
+    {% else %}
+{{hello_world}}
+    {% endif %}
+{% endfor %}
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/template/templates/trim_blocks.j2 b/test/integration/targets/template/templates/trim_blocks.j2
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..824a0a03458
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/targets/template/templates/trim_blocks.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+{% if True %}
+Hello world
+{% endif %}
+Goodbye