diff --git a/examples/playbooks/intro_example.yml b/examples/playbooks/intro_example.yml
index 1fb31d2688b..21bcff3d278 100644
--- a/examples/playbooks/intro_example.yml
+++ b/examples/playbooks/intro_example.yml
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@
 
 # on all hosts, run as the user root...
 
-- hosts: all
+- name: example play
+  hosts: all
   user: root
 
 # could have also have done:
diff --git a/lib/ansible/playbook.py b/lib/ansible/playbook.py
index bd5a3c33bde..038e5e5cee1 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/playbook.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/playbook.py
@@ -553,7 +553,8 @@ class PlayBook(object):
         ''' run a list of tasks for a given pattern, in order '''
 
         # get configuration information about the pattern
-        pattern  = pg.get('hosts',None)
+        pattern = pg.get('hosts',None)
+        name = pg.get('name', pattern)
         if isinstance(pattern, list):
             pattern = ';'.join(pattern)
         if self.override_hosts:
@@ -570,7 +571,7 @@ class PlayBook(object):
         sudo       = pg.get('sudo', self.sudo)
         transport  = pg.get('connection', self.transport)
 
-        self.callbacks.on_play_start(pattern)
+        self.callbacks.on_play_start(name)
 
         # push any variables down to the system # and get facts/ohai/other data back up
         self._do_setup_step(pattern, vars, user, port, sudo, transport, None)