diff --git a/ansible_mitogen/connection.py b/ansible_mitogen/connection.py
index 8ae8682e..dc98451f 100644
--- a/ansible_mitogen/connection.py
+++ b/ansible_mitogen/connection.py
@@ -504,7 +504,9 @@ class Connection(ansible.plugins.connection.ConnectionBase):
     loader_basedir = None
 
     # set by `_get_task_vars()` for interpreter discovery
-    _action = None
+    # we need it to be an object with the value of "_finding_python_interpreter" in case we aren't
+    # running interpreter discovery fully
+    _action = type('actionTemp', (object,), {'_finding_python_interpreter': False})
     # redeclaring interpreter discovery vars here in case running ansible < 2.8.0
     _discovered_interpreter_key = None
     _discovered_interpreter = False
@@ -564,7 +566,7 @@ class Connection(ansible.plugins.connection.ConnectionBase):
             # so we don't walk the stack to find them
             # TODO: is there a better way to get the ActionModuleMixin object?
             # ansible python discovery needs it to run discover_interpreter()
-            if not hasattr(self, '_action'):
+            if not isinstance(self._action, ansible_mitogen.mixins.ActionModuleMixin):
                 f = sys._getframe()
                 while f:
                     if f.f_code.co_name == 'run':
diff --git a/ansible_mitogen/transport_config.py b/ansible_mitogen/transport_config.py
index 92456dba..5b043bca 100644
--- a/ansible_mitogen/transport_config.py
+++ b/ansible_mitogen/transport_config.py
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ def run_interpreter_discovery_if_necessary(s, task_vars, action):
     # calls low_level_exec_command which then retriggers spec.python_path()
     # in connect_ssh(), so we'll return the default '/usr/bin/python' to finish building the stack
     # TODO: possible issues here? Chicken-and-egg issue, in order to `connect_ssh` we need a python path
-    if action is None or action._finding_python_interpreter or s is None:
+    if action._finding_python_interpreter or s is None:
         return '/usr/bin/python'
     
     if s in ['auto', 'auto_legacy', 'auto_silent', 'auto_legacy_silent']: