diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner.py b/lib/ansible/runner.py
index 696cd4f554b..934de8169d4 100755
--- a/lib/ansible/runner.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner.py
@@ -202,7 +202,8 @@ class Runner(object):
         ''' 
         runs a module that has already been transferred
         '''
-        args = " ".join(module_args)
+        args = [ str(x) for x in module_args ]
+        args = " ".join(args)
         cmd = "%s %s" % (remote_module_path, args)
         result = self._exec_command(conn, cmd)
         self._delete_remote_files(conn, [ tmp ])
@@ -226,7 +227,7 @@ class Runner(object):
         async  = self._transfer_module(conn, tmp, 'async_wrapper')
         module = self._transfer_module(conn, tmp, self.module_name)
         new_args = [] 
-        new_args = [ self.generated_jid, module, self.background ]
+        new_args = [ self.generated_jid, self.background, module ]
         new_args.extend(self.module_args)
         result = self._execute_module(conn, tmp, async, new_args)
         return self._return_from_module(conn, host, result)
diff --git a/test/TestRunner.py b/test/TestRunner.py
index 47e640f7830..025bae61406 100644
--- a/test/TestRunner.py
+++ b/test/TestRunner.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import getpass
 import ansible.runner
 import os
 import shutil
+import time
 
 class TestRunner(unittest.TestCase):
 
@@ -50,10 +51,11 @@ class TestRunner(unittest.TestCase):
        filename = os.path.join(self.stage_dir, filename)
        return filename
 
-   def _run(self, module_name, module_args):
+   def _run(self, module_name, module_args, background=0):
        ''' run a module and get the localhost results '''
        self.runner.module_name = module_name
        self.runner.module_args = module_args
+       self.runner.background  = background
        results = self.runner.run()
        print "RESULTS=%s" % results
        assert "127.0.0.1" in results['contacted']
@@ -137,9 +139,22 @@ class TestRunner(unittest.TestCase):
    def test_async(self):
        # test async launch and job status
        # of any particular module
-       pass
-
-
-  
+       result = self._run('command', [ "/bin/sleep", "10" ], background=20)
+       print "RESULT1=%s" % result
+       assert 'ansible_job_id' in result
+       assert 'started' in result
+       jid = result['ansible_job_id']
+       # no real chance of this op taking a while, but whatever
+       time.sleep(1)
+       # TODO: verify we are still running
+       time.sleep(12)
+       # CLI will abstract this, but this is how it works internally
+       result = self._run('async_status', [ "jid=%s" % ansible_job_id ])
+       # TODO: would be nice to have tests for supervisory process
+       # killing job after X seconds
+       assert 'finished' in result
+       assert 'failed' not in result
+       assert 'rc' in result
+       assert 'stdout' in result
+       assert result['ansible_job_id'] == jid
 
-