diff --git a/lib/ansible/constants.py b/lib/ansible/constants.py
index 8ebc4d5742..3d985d0f3d 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/constants.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/constants.py
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ RETRY_FILES_SAVE_PATH          = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'retry_files_save_path'
 DEFAULT_NULL_REPRESENTATION    = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'null_representation', 'ANSIBLE_NULL_REPRESENTATION', None, isnone=True)
 
 # CONNECTION RELATED
-ANSIBLE_SSH_ARGS               = get_config(p, 'ssh_connection', 'ssh_args', 'ANSIBLE_SSH_ARGS', None)
+ANSIBLE_SSH_ARGS               = get_config(p, 'ssh_connection', 'ssh_args', 'ANSIBLE_SSH_ARGS', '-o ControlMaster=auto -o ControlPersist=60s')
 ANSIBLE_SSH_CONTROL_PATH       = get_config(p, 'ssh_connection', 'control_path', 'ANSIBLE_SSH_CONTROL_PATH', "%(directory)s/ansible-ssh-%%h-%%p-%%r")
 ANSIBLE_SSH_PIPELINING         = get_config(p, 'ssh_connection', 'pipelining', 'ANSIBLE_SSH_PIPELINING', False, boolean=True)
 ANSIBLE_SSH_RETRIES            = get_config(p, 'ssh_connection', 'retries', 'ANSIBLE_SSH_RETRIES', 0, integer=True)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/ssh.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/ssh.py
index 85eb22bbcd..10e96ae039 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/ssh.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/ssh.py
@@ -150,18 +150,11 @@ class Connection(ConnectionBase):
             # Older versions of ssh (e.g. in RHEL 6) don't accept sftp -q.
             self._command += ['-q']
 
-        # Next, we add [ssh_connection]ssh_args from ansible.cfg, or the default
-        # Control* settings.
+        # Next, we add [ssh_connection]ssh_args from ansible.cfg.
 
         if self._play_context.ssh_args:
             args = self._split_args(self._play_context.ssh_args)
             self._add_args("ansible.cfg set ssh_args", args)
-        else:
-            args = (
-                "-o", "ControlMaster=auto",
-                "-o", "ControlPersist=60s"
-            )
-            self._add_args("default arguments", args)
 
         # Now we add various arguments controlled by configuration file settings
         # (e.g. host_key_checking) or inventory variables (ansible_ssh_port) or