diff --git a/tests/fixtures/config/job-output/git/common-config/playbooks/job-output-missing-role.yaml b/tests/fixtures/config/job-output/git/common-config/playbooks/job-output-missing-role.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..24ac04c4fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/config/job-output/git/common-config/playbooks/job-output-missing-role.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+- hosts: all
+  roles:
+    - not_existing
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/config/job-output/git/common-config/zuul.yaml b/tests/fixtures/config/job-output/git/common-config/zuul.yaml
index 9373038b32..5b44347b2e 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/config/job-output/git/common-config/zuul.yaml
+++ b/tests/fixtures/config/job-output/git/common-config/zuul.yaml
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@
     run: playbooks/job-output.yaml
     post-run: playbooks/job-output-failure-post.yaml
 
+- job:
+    name: job-output-missing-role
+    run: playbooks/job-output-missing-role.yaml
+
 - project:
     name: org/project
     check:
@@ -37,3 +41,9 @@
     check:
       jobs:
         - job-output-failure
+
+- project:
+    name: org/project3
+    check:
+      jobs:
+        - job-output-missing-role
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/config/job-output/git/org_project3/README b/tests/fixtures/config/job-output/git/org_project3/README
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9daeafb986
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/config/job-output/git/org_project3/README
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+test
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/config/job-output/main.yaml b/tests/fixtures/config/job-output/main.yaml
index 14b382fe08..7eacee534d 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/config/job-output/main.yaml
+++ b/tests/fixtures/config/job-output/main.yaml
@@ -7,3 +7,4 @@
         untrusted-projects:
           - org/project
           - org/project2
+          - org/project3
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_v3.py b/tests/unit/test_v3.py
index 7da8ebc9c4..3622be446e 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_v3.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_v3.py
@@ -4073,6 +4073,23 @@ class TestJobOutput(AnsibleZuulTestCase):
                       self._get_file(self.history[0],
                                      'work/logs/job-output.txt'))
 
+    def test_job_output_missing_role(self):
+        # Verify that ansible errors such as missing roles are part of the
+        # buildlog.
+
+        self.executor_server.keep_jobdir = True
+        A = self.fake_gerrit.addFakeChange('org/project3', 'master', 'A')
+        self.fake_gerrit.addEvent(A.getPatchsetCreatedEvent(1))
+        self.waitUntilSettled()
+        self.assertHistory([
+            dict(name='job-output-missing-role', result='FAILURE',
+                 changes='1,1'),
+        ], ordered=False)
+
+        job_output = self._get_file(self.history[0],
+                                    'work/logs/job-output.txt')
+        self.assertIn('the role \'not_existing\' was not found', job_output)
+
     def test_job_output_failure_log(self):
         logger = logging.getLogger('zuul.AnsibleJob')
         output = io.StringIO()
diff --git a/zuul/executor/server.py b/zuul/executor/server.py
index 823b7ad9f7..8e243d6696 100644
--- a/zuul/executor/server.py
+++ b/zuul/executor/server.py
@@ -1800,12 +1800,16 @@ class AnsibleJob(object):
             # Received abort request.
             return (self.RESULT_ABORTED, None)
         elif ret == 1:
-            if syntax_buffer[0].startswith(b'ERROR!'):
-                with open(self.jobdir.job_output_file, 'a') as job_output:
-                    for line in syntax_buffer:
-                        job_output.write("{now} | {line}\n".format(
-                            now=datetime.datetime.now(),
-                            line=line.decode('utf-8').rstrip()))
+            with open(self.jobdir.job_output_file, 'a') as job_output:
+                found_marker = False
+                for line in syntax_buffer:
+                    if line.startswith(b'ERROR!'):
+                        found_marker = True
+                    if not found_marker:
+                        continue
+                    job_output.write("{now} | {line}\n".format(
+                        now=datetime.datetime.now(),
+                        line=line.decode('utf-8').rstrip()))
         elif ret == 4:
             # Ansible could not parse the yaml.
             self.log.debug("Ansible parse error")