diff --git a/lib/ansible/playbook/base.py b/lib/ansible/playbook/base.py
index ad7328d347..d856ee4351 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/playbook/base.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/playbook/base.py
@@ -38,6 +38,12 @@ from ansible.utils.boolean import boolean
 from ansible.utils.vars import combine_vars, isidentifier
 from ansible.utils.unicode import to_unicode
 
+try:
+    from __main__ import display
+except ImportError:
+    from ansible.utils.display import Display
+    display = Display()
+
 BASE_ATTRIBUTES = {}
 
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/playbook/play.py b/lib/ansible/playbook/play.py
index b917985bdc..a85ab7fe64 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/playbook/play.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/playbook/play.py
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ class Play(Base, Taggable, Become):
 
     # Connection
     _gather_facts        = FieldAttribute(isa='bool', default=None, always_post_validate=True)
-    _gather_subset       = FieldAttribute(isa='list', default=None, always_post_validate=True)
+    _gather_subset       = FieldAttribute(isa='barelist', default=None, always_post_validate=True)
     _hosts               = FieldAttribute(isa='list', required=True, listof=string_types, always_post_validate=True)
     _name                = FieldAttribute(isa='string', default='', always_post_validate=True)