diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/apt_virtual_fix.yml b/changelogs/fragments/apt_virtual_fix.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5aa79a7083f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/apt_virtual_fix.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - apt module now correctly handles virtual packages.
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/apt.py b/lib/ansible/modules/apt.py
index 70e28eb0a48..121eff935c3 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/apt.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/apt.py
@@ -510,17 +510,20 @@ def package_status(m, pkgname, version_cmp, version, default_release, cache, sta
             try:
                 provided_packages = cache.get_providing_packages(pkgname)
                 if provided_packages:
-                    is_installed = False
-                    version_installable = None
-                    version_ok = False
-                    # when virtual package providing only one package, look up status of target package
+                    # When this is a virtual package satisfied by only
+                    # one installed package, return the status of the target
+                    # package to avoid requesting re-install
                     if cache.is_virtual_package(pkgname) and len(provided_packages) == 1:
                         package = provided_packages[0]
-                        installed, version_ok, version_installable, has_files = \
+                        installed, installed_version, version_installable, has_files = \
                             package_status(m, package.name, version_cmp, version, default_release, cache, state='install')
                         if installed:
-                            is_installed = True
-                    return is_installed, version_ok, version_installable, False
+                            return installed, installed_version, version_installable, has_files
+
+                    # Otherwise return nothing so apt will sort out
+                    # what package to satisfy this with
+                    return False, False, None, False
+
                 m.fail_json(msg="No package matching '%s' is available" % pkgname)
             except AttributeError:
                 # python-apt version too old to detect virtual packages
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/apt/tasks/apt.yml b/test/integration/targets/apt/tasks/apt.yml
index 816141183d8..5b1a24a3b4f 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/apt/tasks/apt.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/apt/tasks/apt.yml
@@ -507,3 +507,25 @@
     that:
       - "allow_change_held_packages_no_update is not changed"
       - "allow_change_held_packages_hello_version.stdout == allow_change_held_packages_hello_version_again.stdout"
+
+# Virtual package
+- name: Install a virtual package
+  apt:
+    package:
+      - emacs-nox
+      - yaml-mode # <- the virtual package
+    state: latest
+  register: install_virtual_package_result
+
+- name: Check the virtual package install result
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - install_virtual_package_result is changed
+
+- name: Clean up virtual-package install
+  apt:
+    package:
+      - emacs-nox
+      - elpa-yaml-mode
+    state: absent
+    purge: yes