diff --git a/examples/playbooks/prompts.yml b/examples/playbooks/prompts.yml
index 6b020072491..564061ae123 100644
--- a/examples/playbooks/prompts.yml
+++ b/examples/playbooks/prompts.yml
@@ -29,8 +29,10 @@
     - name: "some_password"
       prompt: "Enter password"
       private: yes
+
     - name: "release_version"
       prompt: "Product release version"
+      default: "my_default_version"
       private: no
    
     - name: "my_password2"
@@ -48,7 +50,7 @@
   tasks:
 
   - name: imagine this did something interesting with $release_version
-    action: shell echo foo >> /tmp/$release_version-$alpha
+    action: shell echo foo >> /tmp/$release_version-alpha
 
   - name: look we crypted a password
     action: shell echo my password is $my_password2
diff --git a/lib/ansible/callback_plugins/noop.py b/lib/ansible/callback_plugins/noop.py
index 4b9bcd23816..b0f48ef47fb 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/callback_plugins/noop.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/callback_plugins/noop.py
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ class CallbackModule(object):
     def playbook_on_task_start(self, name, is_conditional):
         pass
 
-    def playbook_on_vars_prompt(self, varname, private=True, prompt=None, encrypt=None, confirm=False, salt_size=None, salt=None):
+    def playbook_on_vars_prompt(self, varname, private=True, prompt=None, encrypt=None, confirm=False, salt_size=None, salt=None, default=None):
         pass
 
     def playbook_on_setup(self):
diff --git a/lib/ansible/callbacks.py b/lib/ansible/callbacks.py
index 1fd47b35c58..619613fb333 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/callbacks.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/callbacks.py
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@ class PlaybookCallbacks(object):
         print banner(msg)
         call_callback_module('playbook_on_task_start', name, is_conditional)
 
-    def on_vars_prompt(self, varname, private=True, prompt=None, encrypt=None, confirm=False, salt_size=None, salt=None):
+    def on_vars_prompt(self, varname, private=True, prompt=None, encrypt=None, confirm=False, salt_size=None, salt=None, default=None):
 
         if prompt:
             msg = "%s: " % prompt
@@ -458,10 +458,17 @@ class PlaybookCallbacks(object):
         else:
             result = prompt(msg, private)
 
+        # if result is false and default is not None
+        if not result and default:
+            result = default
+
+
         if encrypt:
             result = utils.do_encrypt(result,encrypt,salt_size,salt)
 
-        call_callback_module('playbook_on_vars_prompt', varname, private=private, prompt=prompt, encrypt=encrypt, confirm=confirm, salt_size=salt_size, salt=None)
+        call_callback_module( 'playbook_on_vars_prompt', varname, private=private, prompt=prompt,
+                               encrypt=encrypt, confirm=confirm, salt_size=salt_size, salt=None, default=default
+                            )
 
         return result
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/playbook/play.py b/lib/ansible/playbook/play.py
index 06cf184c1e8..f678a15bb78 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/playbook/play.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/playbook/play.py
@@ -189,6 +189,7 @@ class Play(object):
 
                 vname = var['name']
                 prompt = var.get("prompt", vname)
+                default = var.get("default", None)
                 private = var.get("private", True)
 
                 confirm = var.get("confirm", False)
@@ -197,13 +198,17 @@ class Play(object):
                 salt = var.get("salt", None)
 
                 if vname not in self.playbook.extra_vars:
-                    vars[vname] = self.playbook.callbacks.on_vars_prompt(vname, private, prompt,encrypt, confirm, salt_size, salt)
+                    vars[vname] = self.playbook.callbacks.on_vars_prompt (
+                                     vname, private, prompt, encrypt, confirm, salt_size, salt, default
+                                  )
 
         elif type(self.vars_prompt) == dict:
             for (vname, prompt) in self.vars_prompt.iteritems():
                 prompt_msg = "%s: " % prompt
                 if vname not in self.playbook.extra_vars:
-                    vars[vname] = self.playbook.callbacks.on_vars_prompt(varname=vname, private=False, prompt=prompt_msg)
+                    vars[vname] = self.playbook.callbacks.on_vars_prompt(
+                                     varname=vname, private=False, prompt=prompt_msg, default=None
+                                  )
 
         else:
             raise errors.AnsibleError("'vars_prompt' section is malformed, see docs")
diff --git a/plugins/callbacks/log_plays.py b/plugins/callbacks/log_plays.py
index d9af3049de5..3931b3411b2 100644
--- a/plugins/callbacks/log_plays.py
+++ b/plugins/callbacks/log_plays.py
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ class CallbackModule(object):
     def playbook_on_task_start(self, name, is_conditional):
         pass
 
-    def playbook_on_vars_prompt(self, varname, private=True, prompt=None, encrypt=None, confirm=False, salt_size=None, salt=None):
+    def playbook_on_vars_prompt(self, varname, private=True, prompt=None, encrypt=None, confirm=False, salt_size=None, salt=None, default=None):
         pass
 
     def playbook_on_setup(self):
diff --git a/plugins/callbacks/osx_say.py b/plugins/callbacks/osx_say.py
index 9dba871a4f5..89c82ca5304 100644
--- a/plugins/callbacks/osx_say.py
+++ b/plugins/callbacks/osx_say.py
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ class CallbackModule(object):
         else:
             say("Notifying task: %s" % name, REGULAR_VOICE)
 
-    def playbook_on_vars_prompt(self, varname, private=True, prompt=None, encrypt=None, confirm=False, salt_size=None, salt=None):
+    def playbook_on_vars_prompt(self, varname, private=True, prompt=None, encrypt=None, confirm=False, salt_size=None, salt=None, default=None):
         pass
 
     def playbook_on_setup(self):