diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/85254-apt-version-comparison-bugfix.yaml b/changelogs/fragments/85254-apt-version-comparison-bugfix.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..49b7d1260ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/85254-apt-version-comparison-bugfix.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - apt - Stop the >= operator from being ignored for packages that are not already installed (https://github.com/ansible/ansible/pull/85254)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/apt.py b/lib/ansible/modules/apt.py
index 97452f03106..705616bef00 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/apt.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/apt.py
@@ -516,10 +516,13 @@ def package_best_match(pkgname, version_cmp, version, release, cache):
     pkgver = policy.get_candidate_ver(pkg)
     if not pkgver:
         return None
+    # Check if the available version matches the requested version
     if version_cmp == "=" and not fnmatch.fnmatch(pkgver.ver_str, version):
         # Even though we put in a pin policy, it can be ignored if there is no
         # possible candidate.
         return None
+    if version_cmp == ">=" and not apt_pkg.version_compare(pkgver.ver_str, version) >= 0:
+        return None
     return pkgver.ver_str
 
 
@@ -591,19 +594,17 @@ def package_status(m, pkgname, version_cmp, version, default_release, cache, sta
         except AttributeError:
             installed_version = pkg.installedVersion
 
+        # Check if the installed version already matches the requested version
         if version_cmp == "=":
-            # check if the version is matched as well
             version_is_installed = fnmatch.fnmatch(installed_version, version)
-            if version_best and installed_version != version_best and fnmatch.fnmatch(version_best, version):
-                version_installable = version_best
         elif version_cmp == ">=":
             version_is_installed = apt_pkg.version_compare(installed_version, version) >= 0
-            if version_best and installed_version != version_best and apt_pkg.version_compare(version_best, version) >= 0:
-                version_installable = version_best
         else:
             version_is_installed = True
-            if version_best and installed_version != version_best:
-                version_installable = version_best
+
+        # Check if a better version is available
+        if version_best and installed_version != version_best:
+            version_installable = version_best
     else:
         version_installable = version_best
 
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/apt/tasks/apt.yml b/test/integration/targets/apt/tasks/apt.yml
index d0762344505..8dad838547b 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/apt/tasks/apt.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/apt/tasks/apt.yml
@@ -221,6 +221,146 @@
 - name: uninstall hello with apt
   apt: pkg=hello state=absent purge=yes
 
+### Get the most recent version string of the hello package
+### (It will be used in the subsequent tests)
+- name: Search the apt cache for the hello package
+  shell: apt-cache policy hello | grep Candidate | awk '{print $2}'
+  register: apt_cache_result
+
+- name: Store the latest hello package version string
+  set_fact:
+    hello_version_current: "{{ apt_cache_result.stdout_lines[0] }}"
+
+### Install an exact package version with =
+- name: Install an exact version of the hello package
+  apt:
+    name: "hello={{ hello_version_current }}"
+    state: present
+  register: apt_result
+
+- name: Check hello version install with dpkg
+  shell: dpkg-query -l hello
+  failed_when: no
+  register: dpkg_result
+
+- name: Verify installation of hello
+  assert:
+    that:
+        - "apt_result.changed"
+        - "dpkg_result.rc == 0"
+
+- name: Check hello version
+  shell: dpkg -s hello | grep Version | awk '{print $2}'
+  register: hello_version_installed
+
+- name: Check that the latest version was installed
+  assert:
+    that:
+    - hello_version_installed.stdout_lines[0] == hello_version_current
+
+- name: Uninstall hello with apt
+  apt:
+    name: hello
+    state: absent
+    purge: yes
+
+### Installing an unavailable package version with = must fail
+- name: Try to install an unavailable version of the hello package
+  apt:
+    name: "hello=10"
+    state: present
+  register: apt_result
+  ignore_errors: true
+
+- name: Check hello version install with dpkg
+  shell: dpkg-query -l hello
+  failed_when: no
+  register: dpkg_result
+
+- name: Verify installation of hello
+  assert:
+    that:
+        - apt_result is failed
+        - "not apt_result.changed"
+        - "dpkg_result.rc != 0"
+
+### Install the latest package version with >=
+- name: Install the most recent version of a package with the >= operator
+  apt:
+    name: "hello>={{ hello_version_current }}"
+    state: present
+  register: apt_result
+
+- name: Check hello version install with dpkg
+  shell: dpkg-query -l hello
+  failed_when: no
+  register: dpkg_result
+
+- name: Verify installation of hello
+  assert:
+    that:
+        - "apt_result.changed"
+        - "dpkg_result.rc == 0"
+
+- name: Check hello version
+  shell: dpkg -s hello | grep Version | awk '{print $2}'
+  register: hello_version_installed
+
+- name: Check that the latest version was installed
+  assert:
+    that:
+    - hello_version_installed.stdout_lines[0] == hello_version_current
+
+- name: Uninstall hello with apt
+  apt:
+    name: hello
+    state: absent
+    purge: yes
+
+### Install a more recent package version with >=
+- name: Install some version of a package with the >= operator
+  apt:
+    name: "hello>=1"
+    state: present
+  register: apt_result
+
+- name: Check hello version install with dpkg
+  shell: dpkg-query -l hello
+  failed_when: no
+  register: dpkg_result
+
+- name: Verify installation of hello
+  assert:
+    that:
+        - "apt_result.changed"
+        - "dpkg_result.rc == 0"
+
+- name: Uninstall hello with apt
+  apt:
+    name: hello
+    state: absent
+    purge: yes
+
+### Installing an unavailable package version with >= must fail
+- name: Try to install an unavailable package version with the >= operator
+  apt:
+    name: "hello>=10"
+    state: present
+  register: apt_result
+  ignore_errors: true
+
+- name: Check hello version install with dpkg
+  shell: dpkg-query -l hello
+  failed_when: no
+  register: dpkg_result
+
+- name: Verify installation of hello
+  assert:
+    that:
+        - apt_result is failed
+        - "not apt_result.changed"
+        - "dpkg_result.rc != 0"
+
 # INSTALL WITHOUT REMOVALS
 - name: Install hello, that conflicts with hello-traditional
   apt:
@@ -235,7 +375,6 @@
 - name: verify installation of hello
   assert:
     that:
-        - "apt_result.changed"
         - "dpkg_result.rc == 0"
 
 - name: Try installing hello-traditional, that conflicts with hello
@@ -375,6 +514,11 @@
       - libslang2-dev
 
 # # https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/38995
+- name: Make sure that at least one build dependency is missing
+  apt:
+    name: build-essential
+    state: absent
+
 - name: build-dep for a package
   apt:
     name: tree