diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/21003-uri-return-content.yml b/changelogs/fragments/21003-uri-return-content.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ebdd1f3a65f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/21003-uri-return-content.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+bugfixes:
+- uri - Don't return the body even if it failed
+  (https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/21003)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/uri.py b/lib/ansible/modules/uri.py
index fec84d83203..21d5bec8689 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/uri.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/uri.py
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ options:
   return_content:
     description:
       - Whether or not to return the body of the response as a "content" key in
-        the dictionary result.
+        the dictionary result no matter it succeeded or failed.
       - Independently of this option, if the reported Content-type is "application/json", then the JSON is
         always loaded into a key called C(json) in the dictionary results.
     type: bool
@@ -739,7 +739,10 @@ def main():
 
     if resp['status'] not in status_code:
         uresp['msg'] = 'Status code was %s and not %s: %s' % (resp['status'], status_code, uresp.get('msg', ''))
-        module.fail_json(content=u_content, **uresp)
+        if return_content:
+            module.fail_json(content=u_content, **uresp)
+        else:
+            module.fail_json(**uresp)
     elif return_content:
         module.exit_json(content=u_content, **uresp)
     else:
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/uri/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/targets/uri/tasks/main.yml
index de41e0117cd..409607af32b 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/uri/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/uri/tasks/main.yml
@@ -595,3 +595,6 @@
 
 - name: Check unexpected failures
   import_tasks: unexpected-failures.yml
+
+- name: Check return-content
+  import_tasks: return-content.yml
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/uri/tasks/return-content.yml b/test/integration/targets/uri/tasks/return-content.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5a9b97e6411
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/targets/uri/tasks/return-content.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+- name: Test when return_content is yes
+  uri:
+    url: https://{{ httpbin_host }}/get
+    return_content: yes
+  register: result
+
+- name: Assert content exists when return_content is yes and request succeeds
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - result is successful
+      - "'content' in result"
+
+- name: Test when return_content is yes
+  uri:
+    url: http://does/not/exist
+    return_content: yes
+  register: result
+  ignore_errors: true
+
+- name: Assert content exists when return_content is yes and request fails
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - result is failed
+      - "'content' in result"
+
+- name: Test when return_content is no
+  uri:
+    url: https://{{ httpbin_host }}/get
+    return_content: no
+  register: result
+
+- name: Assert content does not exist when return_content is no and request succeeds
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - result is successful
+      - "'content' not in result"
+
+- name: Test when return_content is no
+  uri:
+    url: http://does/not/exist
+    return_content: no
+  register: result
+  ignore_errors: true
+
+- name: Assert content does not exist when return_content is no and request fails
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - result is failed
+      - "'content' not in result"
\ No newline at end of file