diff --git a/lib/ansible/callbacks.py b/lib/ansible/callbacks.py
index cbfd315e36..cbd72b0591 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/callbacks.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/callbacks.py
@@ -651,9 +651,10 @@ class PlaybookCallbacks(object):
             msg = 'input for %s: ' % varname
 
         def prompt(prompt, private):
+            msg = prompt.encode(sys.stdout.encoding)
             if private:
-                return getpass.getpass(prompt)
-            return raw_input(prompt)
+                return getpass.getpass(msg)
+            return raw_input(msg)
 
 
         if confirm:
diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/pause.py b/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/pause.py
index c6a06dcd7c..d0c9b53db2 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/pause.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/pause.py
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ class ActionModule(object):
                 # Clear out any unflushed buffered input which would
                 # otherwise be consumed by raw_input() prematurely.
                 tcflush(sys.stdin, TCIFLUSH)
-                self.result['user_input'] = raw_input(self.prompt)
+                self.result['user_input'] = raw_input(self.prompt.encode(sys.stdout.encoding))
         except KeyboardInterrupt:
             while True:
                 print '\nAction? (a)bort/(c)ontinue: '