diff --git a/lib/ansible/playbook/base.py b/lib/ansible/playbook/base.py
index 62af94dd740..56c42fc0ee6 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/playbook/base.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/playbook/base.py
@@ -36,9 +36,8 @@ from ansible.parsing import DataLoader
 from ansible.playbook.attribute import Attribute, FieldAttribute
 from ansible.template import Templar
 from ansible.utils.boolean import boolean
-
 from ansible.utils.debug import debug
-
+from ansible.utils.vars import combine_vars
 from ansible.template import template
 
 class Base:
@@ -48,6 +47,9 @@ class Base:
     _port                = FieldAttribute(isa='int')
     _remote_user         = FieldAttribute(isa='string')
 
+    # variables
+    _vars                = FieldAttribute(isa='dict', default=dict())
+
     # flags and misc. settings
     _environment         = FieldAttribute(isa='list', default=[])
     _no_log              = FieldAttribute(isa='bool', default=False)
@@ -351,6 +353,30 @@ class Base:
         # restore the UUID field
         setattr(self, '_uuid', data.get('uuid'))
 
+    def _load_vars(self, attr, ds):
+        '''
+        Vars in a play can be specified either as a dictionary directly, or
+        as a list of dictionaries. If the later, this method will turn the
+        list into a single dictionary.
+        '''
+
+        try:
+            if isinstance(ds, dict):
+                return ds
+            elif isinstance(ds, list):
+                all_vars = dict()
+                for item in ds:
+                    if not isinstance(item, dict):
+                        raise ValueError
+                    all_vars = combine_vars(all_vars, item)
+                return all_vars
+            elif ds is None:
+                return {}
+            else:
+                raise ValueError
+        except ValueError:
+            raise AnsibleParserError("Vars in a %s must be specified as a dictionary, or a list of dictionaries" % self.__class__.__name__, obj=ds)
+
     def _extend_value(self, value, new_value):
         '''
         Will extend the value given with new_value (and will turn both
diff --git a/lib/ansible/playbook/block.py b/lib/ansible/playbook/block.py
index 7bba9f325c3..c6afe5ba96c 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/playbook/block.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/playbook/block.py
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ class Block(Base, Become, Conditional, Taggable):
         of a role or task include which does, so return those if present.
         '''
 
-        all_vars = dict()
+        all_vars = self.vars.copy()
 
         if self._role:
             all_vars.update(self._role.get_vars(self._dep_chain))
diff --git a/lib/ansible/playbook/play.py b/lib/ansible/playbook/play.py
index 000a280a569..7b3a862911b 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/playbook/play.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/playbook/play.py
@@ -32,8 +32,6 @@ from ansible.playbook.role import Role
 from ansible.playbook.taggable import Taggable
 from ansible.playbook.task import Task
 
-from ansible.utils.vars import combine_vars
-
 
 __all__ = ['Play']
 
@@ -64,7 +62,6 @@ class Play(Base, Taggable, Become):
     _name                = FieldAttribute(isa='string', default='')
 
     # Variable Attributes
-    _vars                = FieldAttribute(isa='dict', default=dict())
     _vars_files          = FieldAttribute(isa='list', default=[])
     _vars_prompt         = FieldAttribute(isa='list', default=[])
     _vault_password      = FieldAttribute(isa='string')
@@ -150,30 +147,6 @@ class Play(Base, Taggable, Become):
 
         return ds
 
-    def _load_vars(self, attr, ds):
-        '''
-        Vars in a play can be specified either as a dictionary directly, or
-        as a list of dictionaries. If the later, this method will turn the
-        list into a single dictionary.
-        '''
-
-        try:
-            if isinstance(ds, dict):
-                return ds
-            elif isinstance(ds, list):
-                all_vars = dict()
-                for item in ds:
-                    if not isinstance(item, dict):
-                        raise ValueError
-                    all_vars = combine_vars(all_vars, item)
-                return all_vars
-            elif ds is None:
-                return {}
-            else:
-                raise ValueError
-        except ValueError:
-            raise AnsibleParserError("Vars in a playbook must be specified as a dictionary, or a list of dictionaries", obj=ds)
-
     def _load_tasks(self, attr, ds):
         '''
         Loads a list of blocks from a list which may be mixed tasks/blocks.
diff --git a/lib/ansible/playbook/task.py b/lib/ansible/playbook/task.py
index 5ae056f604f..7d45506e2d8 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/playbook/task.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/playbook/task.py
@@ -78,7 +78,6 @@ class Task(Base, Conditional, Taggable, Become):
     _retries              = FieldAttribute(isa='int', default=1)
     _run_once             = FieldAttribute(isa='bool')
     _until                = FieldAttribute(isa='list') # ?
-    _vars                 = FieldAttribute(isa='dict', default=dict())
 
     def __init__(self, block=None, role=None, task_include=None):
         ''' constructors a task, without the Task.load classmethod, it will be pretty blank '''
@@ -166,9 +165,9 @@ class Task(Base, Conditional, Taggable, Become):
         # be adding things to them below (special handling for includes).
         # When that deprecated feature is removed, this can be too.
         if 'vars' in ds:
-            if not isinstance(ds['vars'], dict):
-                raise AnsibleError("vars specified on a task must be a dictionary (got a %s)" % type(ds['vars']), obj=new_ds)
-            new_ds['vars'] = ds.pop('vars')
+            # _load_vars is defined in Base, and is used to load a dictionary
+            # or list of dictionaries in a standard way
+            new_ds['vars'] = self._load_vars(None, ds.pop('vars'))
         else:
             new_ds['vars'] = dict()
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/strategies/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/strategies/__init__.py
index 83ddd1d2c36..b6a6e7e305c 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/strategies/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/strategies/__init__.py
@@ -412,7 +412,7 @@ class StrategyBase:
 
         # set the vars for this task from those specified as params to the include
         for b in block_list:
-            b.vars = included_file._args.copy()
+            b.vars.update(included_file._args.copy())
 
         return block_list