diff --git a/lib/ansible/inventory/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/inventory/__init__.py
index 972042c9b1..7d279b7b4d 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/inventory/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/inventory/__init__.py
@@ -437,7 +437,10 @@ class Inventory(object):
 
     def get_variables(self, hostname, update_cached=False, vault_password=None):
 
-        return self.get_host(hostname).get_variables()
+        host = self.get_host(hostname)
+        if not host:
+            raise Exception("host not found: %s" % hostname)
+        return host.get_variables()
 
     def get_host_variables(self, hostname, update_cached=False, vault_password=None):
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py
index 831e5d10e2..41e5d6054d 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py
@@ -367,6 +367,16 @@ class Runner(object):
             if inject['hostvars'][host].get('ansible_ssh_user'):
                 # user for delegate host in inventory
                 thisuser = inject['hostvars'][host].get('ansible_ssh_user')
+        else:
+            # look up the variables for the host directly from inventory
+            try:
+                host_vars = self.inventory.get_variables(host, vault_password=self.vault_pass)
+                if 'ansible_ssh_user' in host_vars:
+                    thisuser = host_vars['ansible_ssh_user']
+            except Exception, e:
+                # the hostname was not found in the inventory, so
+                # we just ignore this and try the next method
+                pass
 
         if thisuser is None and self.remote_user:
             # user defined by play/runner