diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_utils/eos.py b/lib/ansible/module_utils/eos.py
index 5d067b9ee10231..33597a782c7fe4 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_utils/eos.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_utils/eos.py
@@ -194,16 +194,15 @@ def config(self):
         return self._config
 
     def _load_params(self):
-        params = super(NetworkModule, self)._load_params()
-        provider = params.get('provider') or dict()
+        super(NetworkModule, self)._load_params()
+        provider = self.params.get('provider') or dict()
         for key, value in provider.items():
             if key in NET_COMMON_ARGS:
-                if params.get(key) is None and value is not None:
-                    params[key] = value
+                if self.params.get(key) is None and value is not None:
+                    self.params[key] = value
         for key, env_var in NET_ENV_ARGS.items():
-            if params.get(key) is None and env_var in os.environ:
-                params[key] = os.environ[env_var]
-        return params
+            if self.params.get(key) is None and env_var in os.environ:
+                self.params[key] = os.environ[env_var]
 
     def connect(self):
         try:
diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_utils/ios.py b/lib/ansible/module_utils/ios.py
index a8a6345d589e6f..acb2b352a5ce10 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_utils/ios.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_utils/ios.py
@@ -109,12 +109,12 @@ def config(self):
         return self._config
 
     def _load_params(self):
-        params = super(NetworkModule, self)._load_params()
-        provider = params.get('provider') or dict()
+        super(NetworkModule, self)._load_params()
+        provider = self.params.get('provider') or dict()
         for key, value in provider.items():
             if key in NET_COMMON_ARGS.keys():
-                params[key] = value
-        return params
+                if self.params.get(key) is None and value is not None:
+                    self.params[key] = value
 
     def connect(self):
         try:
diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_utils/iosxr.py b/lib/ansible/module_utils/iosxr.py
index 76c644f7834f65..94b1604035454d 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_utils/iosxr.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_utils/iosxr.py
@@ -99,12 +99,12 @@ def config(self):
         return self._config
 
     def _load_params(self):
-        params = super(NetworkModule, self)._load_params()
-        provider = params.get('provider') or dict()
+        super(NetworkModule, self)._load_params()
+        provider = self.params.get('provider') or dict()
         for key, value in provider.items():
             if key in NET_COMMON_ARGS.keys():
-                params[key] = value
-        return params
+                if self.params.get(key) is None and value is not None:
+                    self.params[key] = value
 
     def connect(self):
         try:
diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_utils/junos.py b/lib/ansible/module_utils/junos.py
index be1a9b8c23dc8c..735f9a22dd3c63 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_utils/junos.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_utils/junos.py
@@ -76,12 +76,12 @@ def config(self):
         return self._config
 
     def _load_params(self):
-        params = super(NetworkModule, self)._load_params()
-        provider = params.get('provider') or dict()
+        super(NetworkModule, self)._load_params()
+        provider = self.params.get('provider') or dict()
         for key, value in provider.items():
             if key in NET_COMMON_ARGS.keys():
-                params[key] = value
-        return params
+                if self.params.get(key) is None and value is not None:
+                    self.params[key] = value
 
     def connect(self):
         self.connection = Cli(self)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_utils/nxos.py b/lib/ansible/module_utils/nxos.py
index 7b90ce8dd1f31e..9c38c13c056098 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_utils/nxos.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_utils/nxos.py
@@ -197,13 +197,12 @@ def config(self):
         return self._config
 
     def _load_params(self):
-        params = super(NetworkModule, self)._load_params()
-        provider = params.get('provider') or dict()
+        super(NetworkModule, self)._load_params()
+        provider = self.params.get('provider') or dict()
         for key, value in provider.items():
             if key in NET_COMMON_ARGS.keys():
-                if not params.get(key) and value is not None:
-                    params[key] = value
-        return params
+                if self.params.get(key) is None and value is not None:
+                    self.params[key] = value
 
     def connect(self):
         if self.params['transport'] == 'nxapi':
diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_utils/openswitch.py b/lib/ansible/module_utils/openswitch.py
index e4596712df83f0..fc9f8e988fe032 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_utils/openswitch.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_utils/openswitch.py
@@ -176,12 +176,12 @@ def config(self):
         return self._config
 
     def _load_params(self):
-        params = super(NetworkModule, self)._load_params()
-        provider = params.get('provider') or dict()
+        super(NetworkModule, self)._load_params()
+        provider = self.params.get('provider') or dict()
         for key, value in provider.items():
             if key in NET_COMMON_ARGS.keys():
-                params[key] = value
-        return params
+                if self.params.get(key) is None and value is not None:
+                    self.params[key] = value
 
     def connect(self):
         if self.params['transport'] == 'rest':