diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/get-url-fix-idempotency.yaml b/changelogs/fragments/get-url-fix-idempotency.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c09c6d8acda
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/get-url-fix-idempotency.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+- get_url - Don't re-download files unnecessarily when force=no (https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/45491)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/net_tools/basics/get_url.py b/lib/ansible/modules/net_tools/basics/get_url.py
index cab1c1ed391..26d17904c5f 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/net_tools/basics/get_url.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/net_tools/basics/get_url.py
@@ -482,18 +482,20 @@ def main():
         if not force and checksum != '':
             destination_checksum = module.digest_from_file(dest, algorithm)
 
-            if checksum == destination_checksum:
-                # Not forcing redownload, unless checksum does not match
-                # allow file attribute changes
-                module.params['path'] = dest
-                file_args = module.load_file_common_arguments(module.params)
-                file_args['path'] = dest
-                result['changed'] = module.set_fs_attributes_if_different(file_args, False)
-                if result['changed']:
-                    module.exit_json(msg="file already exists but file attributes changed", **result)
-                module.exit_json(msg="file already exists", **result)
-
-            checksum_mismatch = True
+            if checksum != destination_checksum:
+                checksum_mismatch = True
+
+        # Not forcing redownload, unless checksum does not match
+        if not force and not checksum_mismatch:
+            # Not forcing redownload, unless checksum does not match
+            # allow file attribute changes
+            module.params['path'] = dest
+            file_args = module.load_file_common_arguments(module.params)
+            file_args['path'] = dest
+            result['changed'] = module.set_fs_attributes_if_different(file_args, False)
+            if result['changed']:
+                module.exit_json(msg="file already exists but file attributes changed", **result)
+            module.exit_json(msg="file already exists", **result)
 
         # If the file already exists, prepare the last modified time for the
         # request.
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/get_url/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/targets/get_url/tasks/main.yml
index dc1644cfcc3..170b080713f 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/get_url/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/get_url/tasks/main.yml
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@
 # https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/29614
 - name: Change mode on an already downloaded file and specify checksum
   get_url:
-    url: 'https://{{ httpbin_host }}/'
+    url: 'https://{{ httpbin_host }}/get'
     dest: '{{ output_dir }}/test'
     checksum: 'sha256:7036ede810fad2b5d2e7547ec703cae8da61edbba43c23f9d7203a0239b765c4.'
     mode: '0775'
@@ -257,6 +257,17 @@
       - result is changed
       - "stat_result.stat.mode == '0775'"
 
+- name: Get a file that already exists
+  get_url:
+    url: 'https://{{ httpbin_host }}/get'
+    dest: '{{ output_dir }}/test'
+  register: result
+
+- name: Assert that we didn't re-download unnecessarily
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - result is not changed
+
 # https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/27617
 
 - name: set role facts