diff --git a/lib/ansible/parsing/mod_args.py b/lib/ansible/parsing/mod_args.py
index a4704bd8cc..dbe85b0bad 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/parsing/mod_args.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/parsing/mod_args.py
@@ -264,6 +264,8 @@ class ModuleArgsParser:
         if 'action' in self._task_ds:
             # an old school 'action' statement
             thing = self._task_ds['action']
+            action, args = self._normalize_parameters(thing, action=action, additional_args=additional_args)
+
 
         # local_action
         if 'local_action' in self._task_ds:
@@ -272,6 +274,7 @@ class ModuleArgsParser:
                 raise AnsibleParserError("action and local_action are mutually exclusive", obj=self._task_ds)
             thing = self._task_ds.get('local_action', '')
             delegate_to = 'localhost'
+            action, args = self._normalize_parameters(thing, action=action, additional_args=additional_args)
 
         # module: <stuff> is the more new-style invocation
 
@@ -283,9 +286,8 @@ class ModuleArgsParser:
                     raise AnsibleParserError("conflicting action statements", obj=self._task_ds)
                 action = item
                 thing = value
-                #TODO: find out if we should break here? Currently last matching action, break would make it first one
+                action, args = self._normalize_parameters(thing, action=action, additional_args=additional_args)
 
-        action, args = self._normalize_parameters(thing, action=action, additional_args=additional_args)
 
         # if we didn't see any module in the task at all, it's not a task really
         if action is None: