diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/54044-fix-include_task-no-file-traceback.yml b/changelogs/fragments/54044-fix-include_task-no-file-traceback.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..74457ae95d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/54044-fix-include_task-no-file-traceback.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - include_task - Fixed an unexpected exception if no file was given to include.
diff --git a/lib/ansible/playbook/task_include.py b/lib/ansible/playbook/task_include.py
index 9296e656d4c..4eb705ae2f5 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/playbook/task_include.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/playbook/task_include.py
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ class TaskInclude(Task):
             raise AnsibleParserError('Invalid options for %s: %s' % (task.action, ','.join(list(bad_opts))), obj=data)
 
         if not task.args.get('_raw_params'):
-            task.args['_raw_params'] = task.args.pop('file')
+            task.args['_raw_params'] = task.args.pop('file', None)
 
         apply_attrs = task.args.get('apply', {})
         if apply_attrs and task.action != 'include_tasks':
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/include_import/tasks/test_include_tasks.yml b/test/integration/targets/include_import/tasks/test_include_tasks.yml
index ebe2273e896..7b769139c6b 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/include_import/tasks/test_include_tasks.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/include_import/tasks/test_include_tasks.yml
@@ -42,3 +42,13 @@
 
     - name: include_tasks + action
       action: include_tasks tasks1.yml
+
+    - name: test fail as expected without file
+      include_tasks:
+      ignore_errors: yes
+      register: res
+
+    - name: verify fail as expected without file
+      assert:
+        that:
+          - res.msg == 'No include file was specified to the include'