diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/78748-fix-known-hosts-wrong-changed-status.yaml b/changelogs/fragments/78748-fix-known-hosts-wrong-changed-status.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..514c8cf18a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/78748-fix-known-hosts-wrong-changed-status.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - known_hosts - do not return changed status when a non-existing key is removed (https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/78598)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/known_hosts.py b/lib/ansible/modules/known_hosts.py
index ff3bf34a470..b0c888807c3 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/known_hosts.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/known_hosts.py
@@ -143,6 +143,12 @@ def enforce_state(module, params):
 
     params['diff'] = compute_diff(path, found_line, replace_or_add, state, key)
 
+    # check if we are trying to remove a non matching key,
+    # in that case return with no change to the host
+    if state == 'absent' and not found_line and key:
+        params['changed'] = False
+        return params
+
     # We will change state if found==True & state!="present"
     # or found==False & state=="present"
     # i.e found XOR (state=="present")
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/known_hosts/defaults/main.yml b/test/integration/targets/known_hosts/defaults/main.yml
index eb0a4ba3714..b1b56ac74b2 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/known_hosts/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/known_hosts/defaults/main.yml
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
 ---
 example_org_rsa_key: >
   example.org ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EAAAADAQABAAAAglyZmHHWskQ9wkh8LYbIqzvg99/oloneH7BaZ02ripJUy/2Zynv4tgUfm9fdXvAb1XXCEuTRnts9FBer87+voU0FPRgx3CfY9Sgr0FspUjnm4lqs53FIab1psddAaS7/F7lrnjl6VqBtPwMRQZG7qlml5uogGJwYJHxX0PGtsdoTJsM=
+
+example_org_ed25519_key: >
+  example.org ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIIzlnSq5ESxLgW0avvPk3j7zLV59hcAPkxrMNdnZMKP2
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/known_hosts/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/targets/known_hosts/tasks/main.yml
index 67f0e5a6793..dc00dedd871 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/known_hosts/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/known_hosts/tasks/main.yml
@@ -96,6 +96,37 @@
     - 'result.diff.before == result.diff.after'
     - 'known_hosts.stdout == known_hosts_v2.stdout'
 
+# https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/78598
+# test removing nonexistent host key when the other keys exist for the host
+- name: remove different key
+  known_hosts: 
+    name: example.org
+    key: "{{ example_org_ed25519_key }}"
+    state: absent
+    path: "{{remote_tmp_dir}}/known_hosts"
+  register: result
+
+- name: remove nonexistent key with check mode
+  known_hosts:
+    name: example.org
+    key: "{{ example_org_ed25519_key }}"
+    state: absent
+    path: "{{remote_tmp_dir}}/known_hosts"
+  check_mode: yes
+  register: check_mode_result
+
+- name: get the file content
+  command: "cat {{remote_tmp_dir}}/known_hosts"
+  register: known_hosts_different_key_removal
+
+- name: assert that no changes happened
+  assert:
+    that:
+    - 'result is not changed'
+    - 'check_mode_result is not changed'
+    - 'result.diff.before == result.diff.after'
+    - 'known_hosts_v2.stdout == known_hosts_different_key_removal.stdout'
+
 # test removal
 
 - name: remove the host in check mode
@@ -129,6 +160,7 @@
 - name: assert that the key was removed and ordering preserved
   assert:
     that:
+    - 'diff is changed'
     - 'result is changed'
     - '"example.org" not in known_hosts_v3.stdout'
     - 'known_hosts_v3.stdout_lines[0].startswith("example.com")'