diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/unarchive.yml b/changelogs/fragments/unarchive.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..421497236d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/unarchive.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+---
+bugfixes:
+  - unarchive - force unarchive if symlink target changes (https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/30420).
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/unarchive.py b/lib/ansible/modules/unarchive.py
index 7d83b9fbb2a..82137d261f3 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/unarchive.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/unarchive.py
@@ -282,6 +282,7 @@ MISSING_FILE_RE = re.compile(r': Warning: Cannot stat: No such file or directory
 ZIP_FILE_MODE_RE = re.compile(r'([r-][w-][SsTtx-]){3}')
 INVALID_OWNER_RE = re.compile(r': Invalid owner')
 INVALID_GROUP_RE = re.compile(r': Invalid group')
+SYMLINK_DIFF_RE = re.compile(r': Symlink differs$')
 
 
 def crc32(path, buffer_size):
@@ -879,6 +880,8 @@ class TgzArchive(object):
                 out += line + '\n'
             if INVALID_GROUP_RE.search(line):
                 out += line + '\n'
+            if SYMLINK_DIFF_RE.search(line):
+                out += line + '\n'
         if out:
             unarchived = False
         return dict(unarchived=unarchived, rc=rc, out=out, err=err, cmd=cmd)
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/unarchive/tasks/test_symlink.yml b/test/integration/targets/unarchive/tasks/test_symlink.yml
index fcb728282bf..a511ddde823 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/unarchive/tasks/test_symlink.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/unarchive/tasks/test_symlink.yml
@@ -62,3 +62,65 @@
   file:
     path: '{{ remote_tmp_dir }}/test-unarchive-tar-gz'
     state: absent
+
+- name: Create a destination dir
+  file:
+    path: "{{ remote_tmp_dir }}/test-symlink"
+    state: directory
+
+- name: Create files
+  file:
+    path: "{{ remote_tmp_dir }}/test-symlink/{{ item }}"
+    state: touch
+  loop:
+    - file1
+    - file2
+
+- name: Create a symlink to the file
+  file:
+    path: "{{ remote_tmp_dir }}/test-symlink/link1"
+    src: "{{ remote_tmp_dir }}/test-symlink/file1"
+    state: link
+
+- name: Create archive of symlink
+  shell: tar czvf {{ remote_tmp_dir }}/link1.tar.gz link1 chdir={{ remote_tmp_dir }}/test-symlink
+
+- name: Change target of symlink
+  file:
+    path: "{{ remote_tmp_dir }}/test-symlink/link1"
+    src: "{{ remote_tmp_dir }}/test-symlink/file2"
+    state: link
+
+- name: Unarchive when symlink differs
+  unarchive:
+    src: "{{ remote_tmp_dir }}/link1.tar.gz"
+    dest: "{{ remote_tmp_dir }}/test-symlink"
+    remote_src: yes
+  register: unarchive_13
+
+- name: Assert that unarchive was performed
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - unarchive_13.changed == true
+
+- name: Unarchive when symlink is the same
+  unarchive:
+    src: "{{ remote_tmp_dir }}/link1.tar.gz"
+    dest: "{{ remote_tmp_dir }}/test-symlink"
+    remote_src: yes
+  register: unarchive_13
+
+- name: Assert that unarchive was not performed
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - "unarchive_13.changed == false"
+
+- name: Remove files
+  file:
+    path: "{{ remote_tmp_dir }}/test-symlink/{{ item }}"
+    state: absent
+  with_items:
+    - file1
+    - file2
+    - link1
+    - link1.tar.gz