gistfile1.py

diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/core b/lib/ansible/modules/core
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/core
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/core
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit db5668b84c3a19498b843d0bfe34574aef40c193
+Subproject commit db5668b84c3a19498b843d0bfe34574aef40c193-dirty
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/extras b/lib/ansible/modules/extras
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/extras
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/extras
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 110250d344be156387d08ea837f4bcb2c42034b4
+Subproject commit 110250d344be156387d08ea837f4bcb2c42034b4-dirty
diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py
index 19c90ba..bf79d06 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/__init__.py
@@ -682,16 +682,6 @@ class Runner(object):
             if type(items) != list:
                 raise errors.AnsibleError("lookup plugins have to return a list: %r" % items)
 
-            if len(items) and utils.is_list_of_strings(items) and self.module_name in [ 'apt', 'yum', 'pkgng', 'zypper' ]:
-                # hack for apt, yum, and pkgng so that with_items maps back into a single module call
-                use_these_items = []
-                for x in items:
-                    inject['item'] = x
-                    if not self.conditional or utils.check_conditional(self.conditional, self.basedir, inject, fail_on_undefined=self.error_on_undefined_vars):
-                        use_these_items.append(x)
-                inject['item'] = ",".join(use_these_items)
-                items = None
-
         def _safe_template_complex_args(args, inject):
             # Ensure the complex args here are a dictionary, but
             # first template them if they contain a variable
@@ -736,14 +726,43 @@ class Runner(object):
             all_comm_ok = True
             all_changed = False
             all_failed = False
-            results = []
+            templated_args = []
             for x in items:
                 # use a fresh inject for each item
                 this_inject = inject.copy()
                 this_inject['item'] = x
 
-                complex_args = _safe_template_complex_args(self.complex_args, this_inject)
+                templated_args.append(_safe_template_complex_args(self.complex_args, this_inject))
+
+            # hack for apt, yum, and pkgng so that with_items maps back into a single module call
+            # This is significantly faster but we have to be careful not to
+            # overoptimize
+            if self.module_name in ('apt', 'yum', 'pkgng', 'zypper'):
+                # Verify: Do we have to deal with aliases for yum, apt, pkgng,
+                # and zypper's name/pkg parameter?
+                #
+                # Note: have to specify that the parameters are type list in
+                # their modules.  yum and pkgng need changing
+                arg_being_merged = dict(yum='name', apt='package', pkgng='name', zypper='name')
+                merged_args = dict()
+                abm = arg_being_merged[self.module_name]
+                # paranoia: when in separate package manager calls, makes sure
+                # that the order of the calls matches the order in which the
+                # packages were specified.
+                serial = 0
+                for args in templated_args:
+                    temp_args = args.copy()
+                    temp_args[abm] = None
+                    if temp_args in merged_args:
+                        merged_args[temp_args] = (merged_args[temp_args][0],
+                                ','.join(merged_args[temp_args][1], args[abm]))
+                    else:
+                        merged_args[temp_args] = (serial, args)
+                        serial += 1
+                templated_args = [a[1] for a in sorted(merged_args.itervalues())]
 
+            results = []
+            for complex_args in templated_args:
                 result = self._executor_internal_inner(
                      host,
                      self.module_name,