diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/vm_fix.yml b/changelogs/fragments/vm_fix.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index f247cce3383..00000000000
--- a/changelogs/fragments/vm_fix.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-bugfixes:
-    - fix issue with incorrect dict update in vars manager
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/cache/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/cache/__init__.py
index 2b1d51fb5a6..cfb5ebce3ea 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/cache/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/cache/__init__.py
@@ -289,18 +289,10 @@ class FactCache(MutableMapping):
         """ Flush the fact cache of all keys. """
         self._plugin.flush()
 
-    def update(self, host_facts):
-        """ We override the normal update to ensure we always use the 'setter' method """
-        for key in host_facts:
-            try:
-                host_cache = self._plugin.get(key)
-                if host_cache:
-                    host_cache.update(host_facts[key])
-                else:
-                    host_cache = host_facts[key]
-                self._plugin.set(key, host_cache)
-            except KeyError:
-                self._plugin.set(key, host_facts[key])
+    def update(self, key, value):
+        host_cache = self._plugin.get(key)
+        host_cache.update(value)
+        self._plugin.set(key, host_cache)
 
 
 class InventoryFileCacheModule(BaseFileCacheModule):
@@ -319,7 +311,7 @@ class InventoryFileCacheModule(BaseFileCacheModule):
     def validate_cache_connection(self):
         try:
             super(InventoryFileCacheModule, self).validate_cache_connection()
-        except AnsibleError:
+        except AnsibleError as e:
             cache_connection_set = False
         else:
             cache_connection_set = True
diff --git a/lib/ansible/vars/manager.py b/lib/ansible/vars/manager.py
index 439f2d8beb7..42f823beaa9 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/vars/manager.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/vars/manager.py
@@ -622,7 +622,8 @@ class VariableManager:
         '''
         Clears the facts for a host
         '''
-        self._fact_cache.pop(hostname, None)
+        if hostname in self._fact_cache:
+            del self._fact_cache[hostname]
 
     def set_host_facts(self, host, facts):
         '''
@@ -632,16 +633,13 @@ class VariableManager:
         if not isinstance(facts, dict):
             raise AnsibleAssertionError("the type of 'facts' to set for host_facts should be a dict but is a %s" % type(facts))
 
-        try:
+        if host.name not in self._fact_cache:
+            self._fact_cache[host.name] = facts
+        else:
             try:
-                # this is a cache plugin, not a dictionary
-                self._fact_cache.update({host.name: facts})
-            except TypeError:
-                # this is here for backwards compatibilty for the time cache plugins were not 'dict compatible'
                 self._fact_cache.update(host.name, facts)
-                display.deprecated("Your configured fact cache plugin is using a deprecated form of the 'update' method", version="2.12")
-        except KeyError:
-            self._fact_cache[host.name] = facts
+            except KeyError:
+                self._fact_cache[host.name] = facts
 
     def set_nonpersistent_facts(self, host, facts):
         '''
@@ -651,10 +649,13 @@ class VariableManager:
         if not isinstance(facts, dict):
             raise AnsibleAssertionError("the type of 'facts' to set for nonpersistent_facts should be a dict but is a %s" % type(facts))
 
-        try:
-            self._nonpersistent_fact_cache[host.name].update(facts)
-        except KeyError:
+        if host.name not in self._nonpersistent_fact_cache:
             self._nonpersistent_fact_cache[host.name] = facts
+        else:
+            try:
+                self._nonpersistent_fact_cache[host.name].update(facts)
+            except KeyError:
+                self._nonpersistent_fact_cache[host.name] = facts
 
     def set_host_variable(self, host, varname, value):
         '''