diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/network/nxos/nxos_hsrp.py b/lib/ansible/modules/network/nxos/nxos_hsrp.py
index a108fbe56ca..2135fe20cad 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/network/nxos/nxos_hsrp.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/network/nxos/nxos_hsrp.py
@@ -211,6 +211,8 @@ def get_hsrp_group(group, interface, module):
     try:
         body = run_commands(module, [command])[0]
         hsrp_table = body['TABLE_grp_detail']['ROW_grp_detail']
+        if 'unknown enum:' in str(hsrp_table):
+            hsrp_table = get_hsrp_group_unknown_enum(module, command, hsrp_table)
     except (AttributeError, IndexError, TypeError, KeyError):
         return {}
 
@@ -239,6 +241,19 @@ def get_hsrp_group(group, interface, module):
     return hsrp
 
 
+def get_hsrp_group_unknown_enum(module, command, hsrp_table):
+    '''Some older NXOS images fail to set the attr values when using structured output and
+    instead set the values to <unknown enum>. This fallback method is a workaround that
+    uses an unstructured (text) request to query the device a second time.
+    'sh_preempt' is currently the only attr affected. Add checks for other attrs as needed.
+    '''
+    if 'unknown enum:' in hsrp_table['sh_preempt']:
+        cmd = {'output': 'text', 'command': command.split('|')[0]}
+        out = run_commands(module, cmd)[0]
+        hsrp_table['sh_preempt'] = 'enabled' if ('may preempt' in out) else 'disabled'
+    return hsrp_table
+
+
 def get_commands_remove_hsrp(group, interface):
     commands = ['interface {0}'.format(interface), 'no hsrp {0}'.format(group)]
     return commands
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/nxos_hsrp/tests/common/sanity.yaml b/test/integration/targets/nxos_hsrp/tests/common/sanity.yaml
index 83e648b50d4..cb09438c4c6 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/nxos_hsrp/tests/common/sanity.yaml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/nxos_hsrp/tests/common/sanity.yaml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 - block:
   - name: "Enable feature hsrp"
-    nxos_feature: 
+    nxos_feature:
       feature: hsrp
       provider: "{{ connection }}"
       state: enabled
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@
 
   always:
   - name: "Disable feature hsrp"
-    nxos_feature: 
+    nxos_feature:
       feature: hsrp
       provider: "{{ connection }}"
       state: disabled