diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/85046-dnf5-history-entries.yml b/changelogs/fragments/85046-dnf5-history-entries.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..917b48d83d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/85046-dnf5-history-entries.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - dnf5 - avoid generating excessive transaction entries in the dnf5 history (https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/85046)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/dnf5.py b/lib/ansible/modules/dnf5.py
index 5df5179fe27..c1a03f0ec62 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/dnf5.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/dnf5.py
@@ -797,7 +797,7 @@ class Dnf5Module(YumDnf):
         if self.module.check_mode:
             if results:
                 msg = "Check mode: No changes made, but would have if not in check mode"
-        else:
+        elif changed:
             transaction.download()
             if not self.download_only:
                 transaction.set_description("ansible dnf5 module")
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/dnf/tasks/repo.yml b/test/integration/targets/dnf/tasks/repo.yml
index 6e1b78252ff..4c758883119 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/dnf/tasks/repo.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/dnf/tasks/repo.yml
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@
       assert:
         that:
             - "'results' in dnf_result"
+
+    - shell: dnf history list | wc -l
+      register: dnf_history_lines_before
     # ============================================================================
     - name: Install dinginessentail-1.0-1 again
       dnf:
@@ -40,6 +43,13 @@
       assert:
         that:
             - "'msg' in dnf_result"
+
+    - shell: dnf history list | wc -l
+      register: dnf_history_lines_after
+
+    - assert:
+        that:
+          - dnf_history_lines_before.stdout == dnf_history_lines_after.stdout
     # ============================================================================
     - name: Install dinginessentail again (noop, module is idempotent)
       dnf: