diff --git a/assemble b/assemble
index 400438cb0e9..c0c516b117f 100755
--- a/assemble
+++ b/assemble
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ def main():
         argument_spec = dict(
             src = dict(required=True),
             dest = dict(required=True),
+            backup=dict(default=False, choices=BOOLEANS),
         )
     )
 
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ def main():
     destmd5 = None
     src = os.path.expanduser(module.params['src'])
     dest = os.path.expanduser(module.params['dest'])
+    backup = module.boolean(module.params.get('backup', False))
 
     if not os.path.exists(src):
         module.fail_json(msg="Source (%s) does not exist" % src)
@@ -72,6 +74,8 @@ def main():
         destmd5 = module.md5(dest)
 
     if pathmd5 != destmd5:
+        if backup and destmd5 is not None:
+            module.backuplocal(dest)
         shutil.copy(path, dest)
         changed = True
 
diff --git a/copy b/copy
index be7e685a8ab..9d9a00241bc 100755
--- a/copy
+++ b/copy
@@ -20,19 +20,6 @@
 
 import os
 import shutil
-import time
-
-def backuplocal(fn):
-    """make a date-marked backup of the specified file, return True or False on success or failure"""
-    # backups named basename-YYYY-MM-DD@HH:MM~
-    ext = time.strftime("%Y-%m-%d@%H:%M~", time.localtime(time.time()))
-    backupdest = '%s.%s' % (fn, ext)
-    
-    try:
-        shutil.copy2(fn, backupdest)
-    except shutil.Error, e:
-        return False, 'Could not make backup of %s to %s: %s' % (fn, backupdest, e)
-    return True, backupdest
 
 def main():
 
@@ -76,11 +63,7 @@ def main():
         try:
             if backup:
                 if os.path.exists(dest):
-                    success, msg = backuplocal(dest)
-                    if not success:
-                        module.fail_jason(msg=msg)
-                    else:
-                        backup_file = msg
+                    backup_file = module.backuplocal(dest)
             shutil.copyfile(src, dest)
         except shutil.Error:
             module.fail_json(msg="failed to copy: %s and %s are the same" % (src, dest))
diff --git a/lineinfile b/lineinfile
index 40fca34987a..00f298e12bf 100755
--- a/lineinfile
+++ b/lineinfile
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 import re
 import os
 
-def present(module, name, regexp, line, insertafter):
+def present(module, name, regexp, line, insertafter, backup):
     f = open(name, 'rb')
     lines = f.readlines()
     f.close()
@@ -69,13 +69,15 @@ def present(module, name, regexp, line, insertafter):
         changed = True
 
     if changed:
+        if backup:
+            module.backuplocal(name)
         f = open(name, 'wb')
         f.writelines(lines)
         f.close()
 
     module.exit_json(changed=changed, msg=msg)
 
-def absent(module, name, regexp):
+def absent(module, name, regexp, backup):
     f = open(name, 'rb')
     lines = f.readlines()
     f.close()
@@ -90,6 +92,8 @@ def absent(module, name, regexp):
     lines = filter(matcher, lines)
     changed = len(found) > 0
     if changed:
+        if backup:
+            module.backuplocal(name)
         f = open(name, 'wb')
         f.writelines(lines)
         f.close()
@@ -103,18 +107,20 @@ def main():
             regexp=dict(required=True),
             line=dict(aliases=['value']),
             insertafter=dict(default='EOF'),
+            backup=dict(default=False, choices=BOOLEANS),
         ),
     )
 
     params = module.params
+    backup = module.boolean(module.params.get('backup', False))
 
     if params['state'] == 'present':
         if 'line' not in params:
             module.fail_json(msg='line= is required with state=present')
         present(module, params['name'], params['regexp'], params['line'],
-                params['insertafter'])
+                params['insertafter'], backup)
     else:
-        absent(module, params['name'], params['regexp'])
+        absent(module, params['name'], params['regexp'], backup)
 
 # this is magic, see lib/ansible/module_common.py
 #<<INCLUDE_ANSIBLE_MODULE_COMMON>>