diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/47313-vmware_utils-handle_requests_import_error.yaml b/changelogs/fragments/47313-vmware_utils-handle_requests_import_error.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..86130243685
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/47313-vmware_utils-handle_requests_import_error.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+- Avoid misleading PyVmomi error if requests import fails in vmware module utils.
diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_utils/vmware.py b/lib/ansible/module_utils/vmware.py
index 52b6d1ca474..093d44ca141 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_utils/vmware.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_utils/vmware.py
@@ -15,6 +15,11 @@ from random import randint
 try:
     # requests is required for exception handling of the ConnectionError
     import requests
+    HAS_REQUESTS = True
+except ImportError:
+    HAS_REQUESTS = False
+
+try:
     from pyVim import connect
     from pyVmomi import vim, vmodl
     HAS_PYVMOMI = True
@@ -764,6 +769,10 @@ class PyVmomi(object):
         """
         Constructor
         """
+        if not HAS_REQUESTS:
+            self.module.fail_json(msg="Unable to find 'requests' Python library which is required."
+                                      " Please install using 'pip install requests'")
+
         if not HAS_PYVMOMI:
             module.fail_json(msg='PyVmomi Python module required. Install using "pip install PyVmomi"')