diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_utils/aws/waiters.py b/lib/ansible/module_utils/aws/waiters.py
index 8ba873ab64e..47e1eeb3673 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_utils/aws/waiters.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_utils/aws/waiters.py
@@ -151,6 +151,19 @@ ec2_data = {
                 },
             ]
         },
+        "VpnGatewayDetached": {
+            "delay": 5,
+            "maxAttempts": 40,
+            "operation": "DescribeVpnGateways",
+            "acceptors": [
+                {
+                    "matcher": "path",
+                    "expected": True,
+                    "argument": "VpnGateways[0].State == 'available'",
+                    "state": "success"
+                },
+            ]
+        },
     }
 }
 
@@ -317,6 +330,12 @@ waiters_by_name = {
         core_waiter.NormalizedOperationMethod(
             ec2.describe_vpn_gateways
         )),
+    ('EC2', 'vpn_gateway_detached'): lambda ec2: core_waiter.Waiter(
+        'vpn_gateway_detached',
+        ec2_model('VpnGatewayDetached'),
+        core_waiter.NormalizedOperationMethod(
+            ec2.describe_vpn_gateways
+        )),
     ('WAF', 'change_token_in_sync'): lambda waf: core_waiter.Waiter(
         'change_token_in_sync',
         waf_model('ChangeTokenInSync'),
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/amazon/ec2_vpc_vgw.py b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/amazon/ec2_vpc_vgw.py
index 7b18cf77774..0b8905188b7 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/amazon/ec2_vpc_vgw.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/amazon/ec2_vpc_vgw.py
@@ -171,7 +171,13 @@ def attach_vgw(client, module, vpn_gateway_id):
     params['VpcId'] = module.params.get('vpc_id')
 
     try:
-        response = AWSRetry.jittered_backoff()(client.attach_vpn_gateway)(VpnGatewayId=vpn_gateway_id, VpcId=params['VpcId'])
+        # Immediately after a detachment, the EC2 API sometimes will report the VpnGateways[0].State
+        # as available several seconds before actually permitting a new attachment.
+        # So we catch and retry that error.  See https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/53185
+        response = AWSRetry.jittered_backoff(retries=5,
+                                             catch_extra_error_codes=['InvalidParameterValue']
+                                             )(client.attach_vpn_gateway)(VpnGatewayId=vpn_gateway_id,
+                                                                          VpcId=params['VpcId'])
     except botocore.exceptions.ClientError as e:
         module.fail_json(msg=to_native(e), exception=traceback.format_exc())
 
@@ -400,7 +406,7 @@ def ensure_vgw_present(client, module):
                     # detach the existing vpc from the virtual gateway
                     vpc_to_detach = current_vpc_attachments[0]['VpcId']
                     detach_vgw(client, module, vpn_gateway_id, vpc_to_detach)
-                    time.sleep(5)
+                    get_waiter(client, 'vpn_gateway_detached').wait(VpnGatewayIds=[vpn_gateway_id])
                     attached_vgw = attach_vgw(client, module, vpn_gateway_id)
                     changed = True
             else:
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/ec2_vpc_vgw/aliases b/test/integration/targets/ec2_vpc_vgw/aliases
index 2a75a89a47a..6e3860bee23 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/ec2_vpc_vgw/aliases
+++ b/test/integration/targets/ec2_vpc_vgw/aliases
@@ -1,3 +1,2 @@
 cloud/aws
 shippable/aws/group2
-disabled