diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py
index a914eea6fd9..08eb6742ba1 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py
@@ -435,6 +435,7 @@ class Runner(object):
         actual_user = inject.get('ansible_ssh_user', self.remote_user)
         actual_pass = inject.get('ansible_ssh_pass', self.remote_pass)
         actual_transport = inject.get('ansible_connection', self.transport)
+        actual_private_key_file = inject.get('ansible_ssh_private_key_file', self.private_key_file)
         if actual_transport in [ 'paramiko', 'ssh' ]:
             actual_port = inject.get('ansible_ssh_port', port)
 
@@ -457,6 +458,7 @@ class Runner(object):
                 actual_port = delegate_info.get('ansible_ssh_port', port)
                 actual_user = delegate_info.get('ansible_ssh_user', actual_user)
                 actual_pass = delegate_info.get('ansible_ssh_pass', actual_pass)
+                actual_private_key_file = delegate_info.get('private_key_file', self.private_key_file)
                 actual_transport = delegate_info.get('ansible_connection', self.transport)
                 for i in delegate_info:
                     if i.startswith("ansible_") and i.endswith("_interpreter"):
@@ -476,7 +478,7 @@ class Runner(object):
             return ReturnData(host=host, comm_ok=False, result=result)
 
         try:
-            conn = self.connector.connect(actual_host, actual_port, actual_user, actual_pass, actual_transport)
+            conn = self.connector.connect(actual_host, actual_port, actual_user, actual_pass, actual_transport, actual_private_key_file)
             if delegate_to or host != actual_host:
                 conn.delegate = host
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/connection.py b/lib/ansible/runner/connection.py
index 044dc0d4eb9..ad49d1e0b70 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/connection.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/connection.py
@@ -31,9 +31,9 @@ class Connection(object):
     def __init__(self, runner):
         self.runner = runner
 
-    def connect(self, host, port, user, password, transport):
+    def connect(self, host, port, user, password, transport, private_key_file):
         conn = None
-        conn = utils.plugins.connection_loader.get(transport, self.runner, host, port, user=user, password=password)
+        conn = utils.plugins.connection_loader.get(transport, self.runner, host, port, user=user, password=password, private_key_file=private_key_file)
         if conn is None:
             raise AnsibleError("unsupported connection type: %s" % transport)
         self.active = conn.connect()
diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/paramiko_ssh.py b/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/paramiko_ssh.py
index ba36851c16d..13e3847afa3 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/paramiko_ssh.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/paramiko_ssh.py
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ SFTP_CONNECTION_CACHE = {}
 class Connection(object):
     ''' SSH based connections with Paramiko '''
 
-    def __init__(self, runner, host, port, user, password):
+    def __init__(self, runner, host, port, user, password, private_key_file):
 
         self.ssh = None
         self.sftp = None
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ class Connection(object):
         self.port = port
         self.user = user
         self.password = password
+        self.private_key_file = private_key_file
 
     def _cache_key(self):
         return "%s__%s__" % (self.host, self.user)
@@ -79,7 +80,9 @@ class Connection(object):
         if self.password is not None:
             allow_agent = False
         try:
-            if self.runner.private_key_file:
+            if self.private_key_file:
+                key_filename = os.path.expanduser(self.private_key_file)
+            elif self.runner.private_key_file:
                 key_filename = os.path.expanduser(self.runner.private_key_file)
             else:
                 key_filename = None
diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/ssh.py b/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/ssh.py
index f4e502b4e8b..3a1bc1005c2 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/ssh.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/ssh.py
@@ -32,12 +32,13 @@ from ansible import utils
 class Connection(object):
     ''' ssh based connections '''
 
-    def __init__(self, runner, host, port, user, password):
+    def __init__(self, runner, host, port, user, password, private_key_file):
         self.runner = runner
         self.host = host
         self.port = port
         self.user = user
         self.password = password
+        self.private_key_file = private_key_file
 
     def connect(self):
         ''' connect to the remote host '''
@@ -55,7 +56,9 @@ class Connection(object):
         self.common_args += ["-o", "StrictHostKeyChecking=no"]
         if self.port is not None:
             self.common_args += ["-o", "Port=%d" % (self.port)]
-        if self.runner.private_key_file is not None:
+        if self.private_key_file is not None:
+            self.common_args += ["-o", "IdentityFile="+os.path.expanduser(self.private_key_file)]
+        elif self.runner.private_key_file is not None:
             self.common_args += ["-o", "IdentityFile="+os.path.expanduser(self.runner.private_key_file)]
         if self.password:
             self.common_args += ["-o", "GSSAPIAuthentication=no",