diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/ensure_local_user_correctness.yml b/changelogs/fragments/ensure_local_user_correctness.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..913b1095e21e2b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/ensure_local_user_correctness.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - ensure 'local' connection always has the correct default user for actions to consume.
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/local.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/local.py
index c3e7683a66c195..2ababb061af418 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/local.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/connection/local.py
@@ -44,13 +44,14 @@ def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
 
         super(Connection, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
         self.cwd = None
+        self.default_user = getpass.getuser()
 
     def _connect(self):
         ''' connect to the local host; nothing to do here '''
 
         # Because we haven't made any remote connection we're running as
         # the local user, rather than as whatever is configured in remote_user.
-        self._play_context.remote_user = getpass.getuser()
+        self._play_context.remote_user = self.default_user
 
         if not self._connected:
             display.vvv(u"ESTABLISH LOCAL CONNECTION FOR USER: {0}".format(self._play_context.remote_user), host=self._play_context.remote_addr)
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/delegate_to/delegate_local_from_root.yml b/test/integration/targets/delegate_to/delegate_local_from_root.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..c9be4ff2337bd4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/targets/delegate_to/delegate_local_from_root.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+- name: handle case from issue 72541
+  hosts: testhost
+  gather_facts: false
+  remote_user: root
+  tasks:
+  - name: ensure we copy w/o errors due to remote user not being overriden
+    copy:
+      src: testfile
+      dest: "{{ playbook_dir }}"
+    delegate_to: localhost
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/delegate_to/files/testfile b/test/integration/targets/delegate_to/files/testfile
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..492bafce648f85
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/targets/delegate_to/files/testfile
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+nothing special
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/delegate_to/runme.sh b/test/integration/targets/delegate_to/runme.sh
index 72d3215318cf3e..0ec570b44cdfc1 100755
--- a/test/integration/targets/delegate_to/runme.sh
+++ b/test/integration/targets/delegate_to/runme.sh
@@ -72,4 +72,5 @@ ln -s python secondpython
 ansible-playbook verify_interpreter.yml -i inventory_interpreters -v "$@"
 ansible-playbook discovery_applied.yml -i inventory -v "$@"
 ansible-playbook resolve_vars.yml -i inventory -v "$@"
-ansible-playbook test_delegate_to_lookup_context.yml -i inventory -v "$@"
\ No newline at end of file
+ansible-playbook test_delegate_to_lookup_context.yml -i inventory -v "$@"
+ansible-playbook delegate_local_from_root.yml -i inventory -v "$@" -e 'ansible_user=root'