diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/66398-pamd_fix-attributeerror-when-removing-first-line.yml b/changelogs/fragments/66398-pamd_fix-attributeerror-when-removing-first-line.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a8d3012e163
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/66398-pamd_fix-attributeerror-when-removing-first-line.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+- "pamd - Bugfix for attribute error when removing the first or last line"
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/system/pamd.py b/lib/ansible/modules/system/pamd.py
index 0d8e32b5aea..50da1fcf9e9 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/system/pamd.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/system/pamd.py
@@ -351,6 +351,8 @@ class PamdRule(PamdLine):
     valid_control_actions = ['ignore', 'bad', 'die', 'ok', 'done', 'reset']
 
     def __init__(self, rule_type, rule_control, rule_path, rule_args=None):
+        self.prev = None
+        self.next = None
         self._control = None
         self._args = None
         self.rule_type = rule_type
@@ -478,7 +480,8 @@ class PamdService(object):
             if current_line.matches(rule_type, rule_control, rule_path):
                 if current_line.prev is not None:
                     current_line.prev.next = current_line.next
-                    current_line.next.prev = current_line.prev
+                    if current_line.next is not None:
+                        current_line.next.prev = current_line.prev
                 else:
                     self._head = current_line.next
                     current_line.next.prev = None
diff --git a/test/units/modules/system/test_pamd.py b/test/units/modules/system/test_pamd.py
index 35d4cb1c3af..93c1d08ad4d 100644
--- a/test/units/modules/system/test_pamd.py
+++ b/test/units/modules/system/test_pamd.py
@@ -134,6 +134,12 @@ session    required pam_unix.so"""
         auth       required pam_env.so
 """
 
+        self.no_header_system_auth_string = """auth       required pam_env.so
+auth       sufficient pam_unix.so nullok try_first_pass
+auth       requisite pam_succeed_if.so uid
+auth       required pam_deny.so
+"""
+
         self.pamd = PamdService(self.system_auth_string)
 
     def test_properly_parsed(self):
@@ -353,3 +359,14 @@ session    required pam_unix.so"""
         self.assertFalse(self.pamd.remove('account', 'required', 'pam_unix.so'))
         test_rule = PamdRule('account', 'required', 'pam_unix.so')
         self.assertNotIn(str(test_rule), str(self.pamd))
+
+    def test_remove_first_rule(self):
+        no_header_service = PamdService(self.no_header_system_auth_string)
+        self.assertTrue(no_header_service.remove('auth', 'required', 'pam_env.so'))
+        test_rule = PamdRule('auth', 'required', 'pam_env.so')
+        self.assertNotIn(str(test_rule), str(no_header_service))
+
+    def test_remove_last_rule(self):
+        self.assertTrue(self.pamd.remove('session', 'required', 'pam_unix.so'))
+        test_rule = PamdRule('session', 'required', 'pam_unix.so')
+        self.assertNotIn(str(test_rule), str(self.pamd))