diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/user_action_fix.yml b/changelogs/fragments/user_action_fix.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..64ee997d688
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/user_action_fix.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - user module now avoids changing ownership of files symlinked in provided home dir skeleton
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/user.py b/lib/ansible/modules/user.py
index a9fd393925d..27e2d0d235a 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/user.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/user.py
@@ -1375,7 +1375,9 @@ class User(object):
                 for d in dirs:
                     os.chown(os.path.join(root, d), uid, gid)
                 for f in files:
-                    os.chown(os.path.join(root, f), uid, gid)
+                    full_path = os.path.join(root, f)
+                    if not os.path.islink(full_path):
+                        os.chown(full_path, uid, gid)
         except OSError as e:
             self.module.exit_json(failed=True, msg="%s" % to_native(e))
 
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/user/files/skel/.ssh/known_hosts b/test/integration/targets/user/files/skel/.ssh/known_hosts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f5b72a218e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/targets/user/files/skel/.ssh/known_hosts
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+test file, not real ssh hosts file
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/user/tasks/test_create_user_home.yml b/test/integration/targets/user/tasks/test_create_user_home.yml
index 5561a2f5249..8c7728f5dce 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/user/tasks/test_create_user_home.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/user/tasks/test_create_user_home.yml
@@ -137,7 +137,8 @@
 
 - name: Create user home directory with /dev/null as skeleton, https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/75063
   # create_homedir is mostly used by linux, rest of OSs take care of it themselves via -k option (which fails this task)
-  when: ansible_system == 'Linux'  
+  # OS X actuall breaks since it does not implement getpwnam()
+  when: ansible_system == 'Linux'
   block:
     - name: "Create user home directory with /dev/null as skeleton"
       user:
@@ -152,3 +153,69 @@
         name: withskeleton
         state: absent
         remove: yes
+
+- name: Create user home directory with skel that contains symlinks
+  tags: symlink_home
+  when: ansible_system == 'Linux'
+  become: True
+  vars:
+    flag: '{{tempdir.path}}/root_flag.conf'
+  block:
+    - name: make tempdir for skel
+      tempfile: state=directory
+      register: tempdir
+
+    - name: create flag file
+      file: path={{flag}} owner=root state=touch
+
+    - name: copy skell to target
+      copy:
+        dest: '{{tempdir.path}}/skel'
+        src: files/skel
+      register: skel
+
+    - name: create the bad symlink
+      file:
+        src: '{{flag}}'
+        dest: '{{tempdir.path}}/skel/should_not_change_own'
+        state: link
+
+    - name: "Create user home directory with skeleton"
+      user:
+        name: withskeleton
+        state: present
+        skeleton: "{{tempdir.path}}/skel"
+        createhome: yes
+        home: /home/missing/withskeleton
+      register: create_user_with_skeleton_symlink
+
+    - name: Check flag
+      stat: path={{flag}}
+      register: test_flag
+
+    - name: ensure we didn't change owner for flag
+      assert:
+        that:
+          - test_flag.stat.uid != create_user_with_skeleton_symlink.uid
+
+  always:
+    - name: "Remove test user"
+      user:
+        name: withskeleton
+        state: absent
+        remove: yes
+
+    - name: get files to delete
+      find: path="{{tempdir.path}}"
+      register: remove
+      when:
+        - tempdir is defined
+        - tempdir is success
+
+    - name: "Remove temp files"
+      file:
+        path: '{{item}}'
+        state: absent
+      loop: "{{remove.files|default([])}}"
+      when:
+        - remove is success