diff --git a/lib/ansible/inventory/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/inventory/__init__.py
index c1f90b9dcde..50ca53f567c 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/inventory/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/inventory/__init__.py
@@ -37,8 +37,7 @@ from ansible.plugins import vars_loader
 from ansible.utils.unicode import to_unicode, to_bytes
 from ansible.utils.vars import combine_vars
 from ansible.parsing.utils.addresses import parse_address
-
-HOSTS_PATTERNS_CACHE = {}
+from ansible.utils.path import unfrackpath
 
 try:
     from __main__ import display
@@ -55,7 +54,7 @@ class Inventory(object):
 
         # the host file file, or script path, or list of hosts
         # if a list, inventory data will NOT be loaded
-        self.host_list = host_list
+        self.host_list = unfrackpath(host_list, follow=False)
         self._loader = loader
         self._variable_manager = variable_manager
         self.localhost = None
diff --git a/lib/ansible/utils/path.py b/lib/ansible/utils/path.py
index a89dc0a95b3..20454db3458 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/utils/path.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/utils/path.py
@@ -23,14 +23,27 @@ from ansible.utils.unicode import to_bytes
 
 __all__ = ['unfrackpath']
 
-def unfrackpath(path):
+def unfrackpath(path, follow=True):
     '''
-    returns a path that is free of symlinks, environment
-    variables, relative path traversals and symbols (~)
-    example:
-    '$HOME/../../var/mail' becomes '/var/spool/mail'
+    Returns a path that is free of symlinks (if follow=True), environment variables, relative path traversals and symbols (~)
+
+    :arg path: A byte or text string representing a path to be canonicalized
+    :raises UnicodeDecodeError: If the canonicalized version of the path
+        contains non-utf8 byte sequences.
+    :rtype: A text string (unicode on pyyhon2, str on python3).
+    :returns: An absolute path with symlinks, environment variables, and tilde
+        expanded.  Note that this does not check whether a path exists.
+
+    example::
+        '$HOME/../../var/mail' becomes '/var/spool/mail'
     '''
-    return os.path.normpath(os.path.realpath(os.path.expanduser(os.path.expandvars(path))))
+
+    if follow:
+        final_path = os.path.normpath(os.path.realpath(os.path.expanduser(os.path.expandvars(path))))
+    else:
+        final_path = os.path.normpath(os.path.abspath(os.path.expanduser(os.path.expandvars(path))))
+
+    return final_path
 
 def makedirs_safe(path, mode=None):
     '''Safe way to create dirs in muliprocess/thread environments'''