diff --git a/awx_collection/plugins/lookup/tower_api.py b/awx_collection/plugins/lookup/tower_api.py
index 76b32be60a..a10d9c4c8e 100644
--- a/awx_collection/plugins/lookup/tower_api.py
+++ b/awx_collection/plugins/lookup/tower_api.py
@@ -72,6 +72,10 @@ EXAMPLES = """
   set_fact:
     tower_settings: "{{ lookup('awx.awx.tower_api', 'settings/ui') }}"
 
+- name: Load the UI settings specifying the connection info
+  set_fact:
+    tower_settings: "{{ lookup('awx.awx.tower_api', 'settings/ui' host='tower.example.com', username='admin', password=my_pass_var, verify_ssl=False) }}"
+
 - name: Report the usernames of all users with admin privs
   debug:
     msg: "Admin users: {{ query('awx.awx.tower_api', 'users', query_params={ 'is_superuser': true }) | map(attribute='username') | join(', ') }}"
@@ -131,6 +135,8 @@ class LookupModule(LookupBase):
         if len(terms) != 1:
             raise AnsibleError('You must pass exactly one endpoint to query')
 
+        self.set_options(direct=kwargs)
+
         # Defer processing of params to logic shared with the modules
         module_params = {}
         for plugin_param, module_param in TowerAPIModule.short_params.items():
@@ -144,8 +150,6 @@ class LookupModule(LookupBase):
             error_callback=self.handle_error, warn_callback=self.warn_callback
         )
 
-        self.set_options(direct=kwargs)
-
         response = module.get_endpoint(terms[0], data=self.get_option('query_params', {}))
 
         if 'status_code' not in response:
diff --git a/awx_collection/tests/integration/targets/tower_lookup_api_plugin/tasks/main.yml b/awx_collection/tests/integration/targets/tower_lookup_api_plugin/tasks/main.yml
index 9f29b0d9ab..9f5d42ac20 100644
--- a/awx_collection/tests/integration/targets/tower_lookup_api_plugin/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/awx_collection/tests/integration/targets/tower_lookup_api_plugin/tasks/main.yml
@@ -32,6 +32,16 @@
   register: user_creation_results
 
 - block:
+    - name: Specify the connection params
+      debug:
+        msg: "{{ query(plugin_name, 'ping', host='DNE://junk.com', username='john', password='not_legit', verify_ssl=True) }}"
+      register: results
+      ignore_errors: true
+
+    - assert:
+        that:
+          - "'DNE' in results.msg"
+
     - name: Create our hosts
       tower_host:
         name: "{{ item }}"