diff --git a/lib/ansible/callbacks.py b/lib/ansible/callbacks.py
index 57a7b292caf..1468b3d1b58 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/callbacks.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/callbacks.py
@@ -29,7 +29,14 @@ from ansible.color import stringc
 
 import logging
 if constants.DEFAULT_LOG_PATH != '':
-    logging.basicConfig(filename=constants.DEFAULT_LOG_PATH, level=logging.DEBUG, format='%(asctime)s %(name)s %(message)s')
+    path = constants.DEFAULT_LOG_PATH
+
+    if (os.path.exists(path) and not os.access(path, os.W_OK)) or not os.access(os.path.dirname(path), os.W_OK):
+        sys.stderr.write("log file at %s is not writeable, aborting\n" % path)
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+
+    logging.basicConfig(filename=path, level=logging.DEBUG, format='%(asctime)s %(name)s %(message)s')
     mypid = str(os.getpid())
     user = getpass.getuser()
     logger = logging.getLogger("p=%s u=%s | " % (mypid, user))
diff --git a/lib/ansible/utils/template.py b/lib/ansible/utils/template.py
index cb0b56aeaea..7553d89695d 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/utils/template.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/utils/template.py
@@ -247,14 +247,14 @@ def _legacy_varFind(basedir, text, vars, lookup_fatal, depth, expand_lists):
 
         else:
             replacement = None
-        return {'replacement': replacement, 'start': start, 'end': end}
+        return dict(replacement=replacement, start=start, end=end)
 
     if is_complex:
         var_end -= 1
         if text[var_end] != '}' or brace_level != 0:
             return None
     space = _legacy_varFindLimitSpace(basedir, vars, space, text[part_start:var_end], lookup_fatal, depth, expand_lists)
-    return {'replacement': space, 'start': start, 'end': end}
+    return dict(replacement=space, start=start, end=end)
 
 def legacy_varReplace(basedir, raw, vars, lookup_fatal=True, depth=0, expand_lists=False):
     ''' Perform variable replacement of $variables in string raw using vars dictionary '''