diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/user-restore-disabled-account.yaml b/changelogs/fragments/user-restore-disabled-account.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5c73bd92487
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/user-restore-disabled-account.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - user - remove warning when creating a disabled account with '!' or '*' in the password field (https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/46334)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/system/user.py b/lib/ansible/modules/system/user.py
index 385194ed150..d19a56d2f53 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/system/user.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/system/user.py
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ options:
         description:
             - Optionally set the user's password to this crypted value.
             - On macOS systems, this value has to be cleartext. Beware of security issues.
+            - To create a disabled account or Linux systems, set this to C('!') or C('*').
             - See U(https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/faq.html#how-do-i-generate-crypted-passwords-for-the-user-module)
               for details on various ways to generate these password values.
     state:
@@ -448,32 +449,37 @@ class User(object):
             self.ssh_file = os.path.join('.ssh', 'id_%s' % self.ssh_type)
 
     def check_password_encrypted(self):
-        # darwin need cleartext password, so no check
+        # Darwin needs cleartext password, so skip validation
         if self.module.params['password'] and self.platform != 'Darwin':
             maybe_invalid = False
-            # : for delimiter, * for disable user, ! for lock user
-            # these characters are invalid in the password
-            if any(char in self.module.params['password'] for char in ':*!'):
-                maybe_invalid = True
-            if '$' not in self.module.params['password']:
-                maybe_invalid = True
+
+            # Allow setting the password to * or ! in order to disable the account
+            if self.module.params['password'] in set(['*', '!']):
+                maybe_invalid = False
             else:
-                fields = self.module.params['password'].split("$")
-                if len(fields) >= 3:
-                    # contains character outside the crypto constraint
-                    if bool(_HASH_RE.search(fields[-1])):
-                        maybe_invalid = True
-                    # md5
-                    if fields[1] == '1' and len(fields[-1]) != 22:
-                        maybe_invalid = True
-                    # sha256
-                    if fields[1] == '5' and len(fields[-1]) != 43:
-                        maybe_invalid = True
-                    # sha512
-                    if fields[1] == '6' and len(fields[-1]) != 86:
-                        maybe_invalid = True
-                else:
+                # : for delimiter, * for disable user, ! for lock user
+                # these characters are invalid in the password
+                if any(char in self.module.params['password'] for char in ':*!'):
+                    maybe_invalid = True
+                if '$' not in self.module.params['password']:
                     maybe_invalid = True
+                else:
+                    fields = self.module.params['password'].split("$")
+                    if len(fields) >= 3:
+                        # contains character outside the crypto constraint
+                        if bool(_HASH_RE.search(fields[-1])):
+                            maybe_invalid = True
+                        # md5
+                        if fields[1] == '1' and len(fields[-1]) != 22:
+                            maybe_invalid = True
+                        # sha256
+                        if fields[1] == '5' and len(fields[-1]) != 43:
+                            maybe_invalid = True
+                        # sha512
+                        if fields[1] == '6' and len(fields[-1]) != 86:
+                            maybe_invalid = True
+                    else:
+                        maybe_invalid = True
             if maybe_invalid:
                 self.module.warn("The input password appears not to have been hashed. "
                                  "The 'password' argument must be encrypted for this module to work properly.")
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/user/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/targets/user/tasks/main.yml
index d001cbdc484..248bf823591 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/user/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/user/tasks/main.yml
@@ -101,6 +101,24 @@
     - name: there should be a warning complains about the character set of password
       assert:
         that: "'warnings' in test_user_encrypt2"
+
+    - name: change password to '!'
+      user:
+        name: ansibulluser
+        password: '!'
+      register: test_user_encrypt3
+
+    - name: change password to '*'
+      user:
+        name: ansibulluser
+        password: '*'
+      register: test_user_encrypt4
+
+    - name: there should be no warnings when setting the password to '!' and '*'
+      assert:
+        that:
+          - "'warnings' not in test_user_encrypt3"
+          - "'warnings' not in test_user_encrypt4"
   when: ansible_system != 'Darwin'
 
 
@@ -314,6 +332,8 @@
   timezone:
     name: America/Denver
   register: original_timezone
+  tags:
+    - timezone
 
 - name: Change system timezone to make sure expiration comparison works properly
   block:
@@ -333,6 +353,8 @@
     - name: Restore original timezone - {{ original_timezone.diff.before.name }}
       timezone:
         name: "{{ original_timezone.diff.before.name }}"
+      tags:
+        - timezone
 
 
 - name: Unexpire user