diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/replace-rc-return-values.yml b/changelogs/fragments/replace-rc-return-values.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b4e42ef1ada
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/replace-rc-return-values.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+- replace - Always return ``rc`` to ensure return values are consistent - https://github.com/ansible/ansible/pull/71963
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/replace.py b/lib/ansible/modules/replace.py
index 164fac35a2e..6dfd6779274 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/replace.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/replace.py
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ def main():
     params = module.params
     path = params['path']
     encoding = params['encoding']
-    res_args = dict()
+    res_args = dict(rc=0)
 
     params['after'] = to_text(params['after'], errors='surrogate_or_strict', nonstring='passthru')
     params['before'] = to_text(params['before'], errors='surrogate_or_strict', nonstring='passthru')
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/callback_default/callback_default.out.result_format_yaml_lossy_verbose.stdout b/test/integration/targets/callback_default/callback_default.out.result_format_yaml_lossy_verbose.stdout
index 2ac8ba7105b..806841b0c5e 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/callback_default/callback_default.out.result_format_yaml_lossy_verbose.stdout
+++ b/test/integration/targets/callback_default/callback_default.out.result_format_yaml_lossy_verbose.stdout
@@ -180,11 +180,13 @@ TASK [replace] *****************************************************************
 changed: [testhost] => 
     changed: true
     msg: 1 replacements made
+    rc: 0
 
 TASK [replace] *****************************************************************
 ok: [testhost] => 
     changed: false
     msg: 1 replacements made
+    rc: 0
 
 RUNNING HANDLER [Test handler 1] ***********************************************
 changed: [testhost] => 
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/callback_default/callback_default.out.result_format_yaml_verbose.stdout b/test/integration/targets/callback_default/callback_default.out.result_format_yaml_verbose.stdout
index 674fb043152..b5017d7a713 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/callback_default/callback_default.out.result_format_yaml_verbose.stdout
+++ b/test/integration/targets/callback_default/callback_default.out.result_format_yaml_verbose.stdout
@@ -187,11 +187,13 @@ TASK [replace] *****************************************************************
 changed: [testhost] => 
     changed: true
     msg: 1 replacements made
+    rc: 0
 
 TASK [replace] *****************************************************************
 ok: [testhost] => 
     changed: false
     msg: 1 replacements made
+    rc: 0
 
 RUNNING HANDLER [Test handler 1] ***********************************************
 changed: [testhost] =>