diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/debug.py b/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/debug.py
index f076b42935..aef4c5a7f4 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/debug.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/debug.py
@@ -49,7 +49,9 @@ class ActionModule(object):
             else:
                 result = dict(msg=args['msg'])
         elif 'var' in args:
-            (intermediate, exception) = utils.safe_eval(args['var'], inject, include_exceptions=True, template_call=True)
+            results = utils.safe_eval(args['var'], inject, include_exceptions=True, template_call=True)
+            intermediate = results[0]
+            exception = results[1]
             if exception is not None:
                 intermediate = "failed to evaluate: %s" % str(exception)
             result[args['var']] = intermediate
diff --git a/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py
index 41033bd19d..3ed9c893c4 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py
@@ -917,11 +917,17 @@ def safe_eval(str, locals=None, include_exceptions=False, template_call=False):
     # do not allow method calls to modules
     if not isinstance(str, basestring):
         # already templated to a datastructure, perhaps?
+        if include_exceptions:
+            return (str, None)
         return str
     if re.search(r'\w\.\w+\(', str):
+        if include_exceptions:
+            return (str, None)
         return str
     # do not allow imports
     if re.search(r'import \w+', str):
+        if include_exceptions:
+            return (str, None)
         return str
     try:
         result = None
diff --git a/lib/ansible/utils/template.py b/lib/ansible/utils/template.py
index 6753fca20d..af4557c31d 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/utils/template.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/utils/template.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import subprocess
 import datetime
 import pwd
 import ast
+import traceback
 
 class Globals(object):
 
@@ -304,6 +305,7 @@ def legacy_varReplace(basedir, raw, vars, lookup_fatal=True, depth=0, expand_lis
 
 def template(basedir, varname, vars, lookup_fatal=True, depth=0, expand_lists=True, convert_bare=False, fail_on_undefined=False, filter_fatal=True):
     ''' templates a data structure by traversing it and substituting for other data structures '''
+    from ansible import utils
 
     try:
         if convert_bare and isinstance(varname, basestring):
@@ -314,6 +316,12 @@ def template(basedir, varname, vars, lookup_fatal=True, depth=0, expand_lists=Tr
         if isinstance(varname, basestring):
             if '{{' in varname or '{%' in varname:
                 varname = template_from_string(basedir, varname, vars, fail_on_undefined)
+
+                if (varname.startswith("{") and not varname.startswith("{{")) or varname.startswith("["):
+                    eval_results = utils.safe_eval(varname, locals=vars, include_exceptions=True)
+                    if eval_results[1] is None:
+                        varname = eval_results[0]
+
             if not '$' in varname:
                 return varname