diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/53491-uri-dont-write-file-after-failure.yaml b/changelogs/fragments/53491-uri-dont-write-file-after-failure.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f1ffdb986fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/53491-uri-dont-write-file-after-failure.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - uri - do not write the file after failure (https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/53491)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/net_tools/basics/uri.py b/lib/ansible/modules/net_tools/basics/uri.py
index c538db84ce5..a0b6b1c0382 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/net_tools/basics/uri.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/net_tools/basics/uri.py
@@ -599,12 +599,11 @@ def main():
                               dict_headers, socket_timeout)
     resp['elapsed'] = (datetime.datetime.utcnow() - start).seconds
     resp['status'] = int(resp['status'])
+    resp['changed'] = False
 
     # Write the file out if requested
     if dest is not None:
-        if resp['status'] == 304:
-            resp['changed'] = False
-        else:
+        if resp['status'] in status_code and resp['status'] != 304:
             write_file(module, url, dest, content, resp)
             # allow file attribute changes
             resp['changed'] = True
@@ -613,8 +612,6 @@ def main():
             file_args['path'] = dest
             resp['changed'] = module.set_fs_attributes_if_different(file_args, resp['changed'])
         resp['path'] = dest
-    else:
-        resp['changed'] = False
 
     # Transmogrify the headers, replacing '-' with '_', since variables don't
     # work with dashes.
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/uri/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/targets/uri/tasks/main.yml
index 3458fc437f8..9b8c23a27ca 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/uri/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/uri/tasks/main.yml
@@ -514,6 +514,31 @@
     that:
       - result.json.json[0] == 'JSON Test Pattern pass1'
 
+- name: Create a testing file
+  copy:
+    content: "content"
+    dest: "{{ output_dir }}/output"
+
+- name: Download a file from non existing location
+  uri:
+    url: http://does/not/exist
+    dest: "{{ output_dir }}/output"
+  ignore_errors: yes
+
+- name: Save testing file's output
+  command: "cat {{ output_dir }}/output"
+  register: file_out
+
+- name: Test the testing file was not overwritten
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - "'content' in file_out.stdout"
+
+- name: Clean up
+  file:
+    dest: "{{ output_dir }}/output"
+    state: absent
+
 - name: Test follow_redirects=none
   import_tasks: redirect-none.yml