diff --git a/salt/runner.py b/salt/runner.py
index e1b7dc2726..636cce82dc 100644
--- a/salt/runner.py
+++ b/salt/runner.py
@@ -91,31 +91,12 @@ class RunnerClient(mixins.SyncClientMixin, mixins.AsyncClientMixin, object):
                 'kwarg must be formatted as a dictionary'
             )
         arglist = salt.utils.args.parse_input(arg)
-        def _append_kwarg(arglist, kwarg):
-            '''
-            Append the kwarg dict to the arglist
-            '''
+
+        # if you were passed kwarg, add it to arglist
+        if kwarg:
             kwarg['__kwarg__'] = True
             arglist.append(kwarg)
 
-        if kwarg:
-            try:
-                if isinstance(arglist[-1], dict) \
-                    and '__kwarg__' in arglist[-1]:
-                    for key, val in six.iteritems(kwarg):
-                        if key in arglist[-1]:
-                            log.warning(
-                                'Overriding keyword argument {0!r}'.format(key)
-                            )
-                        arglist[-1][key] = val
-                else:
-                    # No kwargs yet present in arglist
-                    _append_kwarg(arglist, kwarg)
-            except IndexError:
-                # arglist is empty, just append
-                _append_kwarg(arglist, kwarg)
-
-        self._verify_fun(fun)
         args, kwargs = salt.minion.load_args_and_kwargs(
             self.functions[fun], arglist, pub_data
         )
@@ -230,9 +211,9 @@ class Runner(RunnerClient):
         else:
             try:
                 low = {'fun': self.opts['fun']}
-                arglist = salt.utils.args.parse_input(self.opts['arg'])
                 args, kwargs = salt.minion.load_args_and_kwargs(
-                    self.functions[low['fun']], arglist
+                    self.functions[low['fun']],
+                    salt.utils.args.parse_input(self.opts['arg']),
                 )
                 low['args'] = args
                 low.update(kwargs)