diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/network/netconf/netconf_config.py b/lib/ansible/modules/network/netconf/netconf_config.py
index c56453cab4..ac10600acc 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/network/netconf/netconf_config.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/network/netconf/netconf_config.py
@@ -75,6 +75,13 @@ options:
     default: auto
     required: false
     version_added: "2.4"
+  save:
+    description:
+      - The C(save) argument instructs the module to save the running-
+        config to the startup-config if changed.
+    required: false
+    default: false
+    version_added: "2.4"
   username:
     description:
      - the username to authenticate with
@@ -86,7 +93,16 @@ options:
   xml:
     description:
      - the XML content to send to the device
-    required: true
+    required: false
+  src:
+    description:
+      - Specifies the source path to the xml file that contains the configuration
+        or configuration template to load.  The path to the source file can
+        either be the full path on the Ansible control host or a relative
+        path from the playbook or role root directory.  This argument is mutually
+        exclusive with I(xml).
+    required: false
+    version_added: "2.4"
 
 
 requirements:
@@ -185,26 +201,35 @@ def main():
             hostkey_verify=dict(type='bool', default=True),
             allow_agent=dict(type='bool', default=True),
             look_for_keys=dict(type='bool', default=True),
-            datastore=dict(type='str', default='auto'),
+            datastore=dict(choices=['auto', 'candidate', 'running'], default='auto'),
+            save=dict(type='bool', default=False),
             username=dict(type='str', required=True, no_log=True),
             password=dict(type='str', required=True, no_log=True),
-            xml=dict(type='str', required=True),
-        )
+            xml=dict(type='str', required=False),
+            src=dict(type='path', required=False),
+        ),
+        mutually_exclusive=[('xml', 'src')]
     )
 
     if not HAS_NCCLIENT:
         module.fail_json(msg='could not import the python library '
                          'ncclient required by this module')
 
+    if (module.params['src']):
+        config_xml = str(module.params['src'])
+    elif module.params['xml']:
+        config_xml = str(module.params['xml'])
+    else:
+        module.fail_json(msg='Option src or xml must be provided')
+
     try:
-        xml.dom.minidom.parseString(module.params['xml'])
+        xml.dom.minidom.parseString(config_xml)
+
     except:
         e = get_exception()
         module.fail_json(
-            msg='error parsing XML: ' +
-                str(e)
+            msg='error parsing XML: ' + str(e)
         )
-        return
 
     nckwargs = dict(
         host=module.params['host'],
@@ -215,7 +240,6 @@ def main():
         username=module.params['username'],
         password=module.params['password'],
     )
-    retkwargs = dict()
 
     try:
         m = ncclient.manager.connect(**nckwargs)
@@ -226,11 +250,12 @@ def main():
     except:
         e = get_exception()
         module.fail_json(
-            msg='error connecting to the device: ' +
-                str(e)
+            msg='error connecting to the device: ' + str(e)
         )
-        return
+
+    retkwargs = dict()
     retkwargs['server_capabilities'] = list(m.server_capabilities)
+
     if module.params['datastore'] == 'candidate':
         if ':candidate' in m.server_capabilities:
             datastore = 'candidate'
@@ -255,28 +280,39 @@ def main():
         else:
             m.close_session()
             module.fail_json(
-                msg='neither :candidate nor :writable-running are supported by this netconf server')
+                msg='neither :candidate nor :writable-running are supported by this netconf server'
+            )
     else:
         m.close_session()
         module.fail_json(
-            msg=module.params['datastore'] +
-            ' datastore is not supported by this ansible module')
+            msg=module.params['datastore'] + ' datastore is not supported by this ansible module'
+        )
+
+    if module.params['save']:
+        if ':startup' not in m.server_capabilities:
+            module.fail_json(
+                msg='cannot copy <running/> to <startup/>, while :startup is not supported'
+            )
 
     try:
         changed = netconf_edit_config(
             m=m,
-            xml=module.params['xml'],
+            xml=config_xml,
             commit=True,
             retkwargs=retkwargs,
             datastore=datastore,
         )
+        if changed and module.params['save']:
+            m.copy_config(source="running", target="startup")
     except:
         e = get_exception()
-        module.fail_json(msg='error editing configuration: ' + str(e))
+        module.fail_json(
+            msg='error editing configuration: ' + str(e)
+        )
     finally:
         m.close_session()
-    module.exit_json(changed=changed, **retkwargs)
 
+    module.exit_json(changed=changed, **retkwargs)
 
 # import module snippets
 from ansible.module_utils.basic import *