diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/zuul-return-action-plugin-152443e9183852a9.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/zuul-return-action-plugin-152443e9183852a9.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..13a47f9ab9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/zuul-return-action-plugin-152443e9183852a9.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+upgrade:
+  - |
+    The zuul_return module has been converted to an Ansible action plugin.
+    Job playbooks no longer need to use delegate_to or a localhost only play
+    with this module as action plugin by default run on localhost.
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/config/remote-action-modules/git/org_project/playbooks/zuul_return-good-delegate.yaml b/tests/fixtures/config/remote-action-modules/git/org_project/playbooks/zuul_return-good-delegate.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8a928c695d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/config/remote-action-modules/git/org_project/playbooks/zuul_return-good-delegate.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+- hosts: all
+  tasks:
+    - zuul_return:
+        data:
+          zuul:
+            log_url: http://example.com/test/log/url/
+          child:
+            value1: data-return
+            value2: data-return
+      delegate_to: localhost
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/config/remote-action-modules/git/org_project/playbooks/zuul_return-good.yaml b/tests/fixtures/config/remote-action-modules/git/org_project/playbooks/zuul_return-good.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..54fda7e311
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/config/remote-action-modules/git/org_project/playbooks/zuul_return-good.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+- hosts: all
+  tasks:
+    - zuul_return:
+        data:
+          zuul:
+            log_url: http://example.com/test/log/url/
+          child:
+            value1: data-return
+            value2: data-return
diff --git a/tests/remote/test_remote_action_modules.py b/tests/remote/test_remote_action_modules.py
index 03922dd81b..c8198cbc9e 100644
--- a/tests/remote/test_remote_action_modules.py
+++ b/tests/remote/test_remote_action_modules.py
@@ -97,6 +97,12 @@ class TestActionModules(AnsibleZuulTestCase):
     def test_command_module(self):
         self._run_job('command-good', 'SUCCESS')
 
+    def test_zuul_return_module(self):
+        self._run_job('zuul_return-good', 'SUCCESS')
+
+    def test_zuul_return_module_delegate_to(self):
+        self._run_job('zuul_return-good-delegate', 'SUCCESS')
+
     def test_copy_module(self):
         self._run_job('copy-good', 'SUCCESS')
 
diff --git a/zuul/ansible/library/zuul_return.py b/zuul/ansible/actiongeneral/zuul_return.py
similarity index 71%
rename from zuul/ansible/library/zuul_return.py
rename to zuul/ansible/actiongeneral/zuul_return.py
index 8c177195a8..f6e67a3226 100644
--- a/zuul/ansible/library/zuul_return.py
+++ b/zuul/ansible/actiongeneral/zuul_return.py
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@ import os
 import json
 import tempfile
 
+from ansible.plugins.action import ActionBase
+
+from zuul.ansible import paths
+
 
 def merge_dict(dict_a, dict_b):
     """
@@ -64,25 +68,22 @@ def set_value(path, new_data, new_file):
         raise
 
 
-def main():
-    module = AnsibleModule(
-        argument_spec=dict(
-            path=dict(required=False, type='str'),
-            data=dict(required=False, type='dict'),
-            file=dict(required=False, type='str'),
-        )
-    )
+class ActionModule(ActionBase):
+    def run(self, tmp=None, task_vars=None):
+        if task_vars is None:
+            task_vars = dict()
+        results = super(ActionModule, self).run(tmp, task_vars)
+        del tmp  # tmp no longer has any effect
 
-    p = module.params
-    path = p['path']
-    if not path:
-        path = os.path.join(os.environ['ZUUL_JOBDIR'], 'work',
-                            'results.json')
-    set_value(path, p['data'], p['file'])
-    module.exit_json(changed=True, e=os.environ.copy())
+        path = self._task.args.get('path')
+        if not path:
+            path = os.path.join(os.environ['ZUUL_JOBDIR'], 'work',
+                                'results.json')
 
-from ansible.module_utils.basic import *  # noqa
-from ansible.module_utils.basic import AnsibleModule
+        if not paths._is_safe_path(path, allow_trusted=False):
+            return paths._fail_dict(path)
 
-if __name__ == '__main__':
-    main()
+        set_value(
+            path, self._task.args.get('data'), self._task.args.get('file'))
+
+        return results