diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/atomic_image_absent.yml b/changelogs/fragments/atomic_image_absent.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c9b7f4d1618
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/atomic_image_absent.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+    - Run command in absent state in atomic_image module.
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/atomic/atomic_image.py b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/atomic/atomic_image.py
index d072ab8e48c..1e59f96ad6c 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/atomic/atomic_image.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/atomic/atomic_image.py
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ def core(module):
                 module.exit_json(msg=(out + out_run), changed=changed)
         elif state == 'absent':
             args = ['atomic', 'images', 'delete', "--storage=%s" % backend, image]
+            rc, out, err = module.run_command(args, check_rc=False)
             if rc < 0:
                 module.fail_json(rc=rc, msg=err)
             else: