now correctly aplies add_host passed variables last to override existing vars.

lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/add_host.py

@@ -69,12 +69,6 @@ class ActionModule(object):
             inventory._hosts_cache[new_name] = new_host
             allgroup.add_host(new_host)
 
-        # Add any variables to the new_host
-        for k in args.keys():
-            if not k in [ 'name', 'hostname', 'groupname', 'groups' ]:
-                new_host.set_variable(k, args[k])
-
-
         groupnames = args.get('groupname', args.get('groups', args.get('group', '')))
         # add it to the group if that was specified
         if groupnames:
@@ -100,6 +94,11 @@ class ActionModule(object):
         # actually load host vars
         new_host.vars = inventory.get_host_variables(new_name, update_cached=True, vault_password=inventory._vault_password)
 
+        # Add any passed variables to the new_host
+        for k in args.keys():
+            if not k in [ 'name', 'hostname', 'groupname', 'groups' ]:
+                new_host.set_variable(k, args[k])
+
         result['new_host'] = new_name
 
         # clear pattern caching completely since it's unpredictable what

test/integration/unicode.yml

@@ -44,6 +44,12 @@
 
 - name: 'A play for hosts in group: ĪīĬĭ'
   hosts: 'ĪīĬĭ'
+  gather_facts: false
+  tasks:
+    - debug: var=hostvars[inventory_hostname]
+
+- name: 'A play for hosts in group: ĪīĬĭ'
+  hosts: 'ĪīĬĭ'
   gather_facts: true
   tasks:
     - debug: msg='Unicode is a good thing ™'