diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/__init__.py
index eb117f6752e..ca1d339ed2b 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/__init__.py
@@ -569,6 +569,9 @@ class ActionBase(with_metaclass(ABCMeta, object)):
 
         if sudoable and expand_path == '~' and self._play_context.become and self._play_context.become_user:
             expand_path = '~%s' % self._play_context.become_user
+        else:
+            # use remote user instead, if none set default to current user
+            expand_path = '~%s' % self._play_context.remote_user or self._connection.default_user or ''
 
         # use shell to construct appropriate command and execute
         cmd = self._connection._shell.expand_user(expand_path)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/__init__.py
index 0e77f9722fd..536925abfc9 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/__init__.py
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ class ConnectionBase(AnsiblePlugin):
     supports_persistence = False
     force_persistence = False
 
+    default_user = None
+
     def __init__(self, play_context, new_stdin, shell=None, *args, **kwargs):
 
         super(ConnectionBase, self).__init__()
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/chroot.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/chroot.py
index e0b5a1ed5dd..abf0d178a33 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/chroot.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/chroot.py
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ class Connection(ConnectionBase):
     # Have to look into that before re-enabling this
     become_methods = frozenset(C.BECOME_METHODS).difference(('su',))
 
+    default_user = 'root'
+
     def __init__(self, play_context, new_stdin, *args, **kwargs):
         super(Connection, self).__init__(play_context, new_stdin, *args, **kwargs)
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/libvirt_lxc.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/libvirt_lxc.py
index 0cc8940bb7b..c731e71ad1c 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/libvirt_lxc.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/libvirt_lxc.py
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ class Connection(ConnectionBase):
     # checksums (so copy, for instance, doesn't work right)
     # Have to look into that before re-enabling this
     become_methods = frozenset(C.BECOME_METHODS).difference(('su',))
+    default_user = 'root'
 
     def __init__(self, play_context, new_stdin, *args, **kwargs):
         super(Connection, self).__init__(play_context, new_stdin, *args, **kwargs)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/lxc.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/lxc.py
index a8af7785e98..5219b28d680 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/lxc.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/lxc.py
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ class Connection(ConnectionBase):
     transport = 'lxc'
     has_pipelining = True
     become_methods = frozenset(C.BECOME_METHODS)
+    default_user = 'root'
 
     def __init__(self, play_context, new_stdin, *args, **kwargs):
         super(Connection, self).__init__(play_context, new_stdin, *args, **kwargs)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/lxd.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/lxd.py
index 9cc8b8929cd..84d32b9b272 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/lxd.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/lxd.py
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ class Connection(ConnectionBase):
 
     transport = "lxd"
     has_pipelining = True
+    default_user = 'root'
 
     def __init__(self, play_context, new_stdin, *args, **kwargs):
         super(Connection, self).__init__(play_context, new_stdin, *args, **kwargs)