diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/5385-search_s-based-_is_value_present.yaml b/changelogs/fragments/5385-search_s-based-_is_value_present.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a3a3ba047c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/5385-search_s-based-_is_value_present.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - ldap_attrs - fix ordering issue by ignoring the ``{x}`` prefix on attribute values (https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.general/issues/977, https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.general/pull/5385).
diff --git a/plugins/modules/net_tools/ldap/ldap_attrs.py b/plugins/modules/net_tools/ldap/ldap_attrs.py
index c357a83087..9ac1421d3a 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/net_tools/ldap/ldap_attrs.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/net_tools/ldap/ldap_attrs.py
@@ -168,6 +168,7 @@ import traceback
 from ansible.module_utils.basic import AnsibleModule, missing_required_lib
 from ansible.module_utils.common.text.converters import to_native, to_bytes
 from ansible_collections.community.general.plugins.module_utils.ldap import LdapGeneric, gen_specs
+
 import re
 
 LDAP_IMP_ERR = None
@@ -261,9 +262,10 @@ class LdapAttrs(LdapGeneric):
     def _is_value_present(self, name, value):
         """ True if the target attribute has the given value. """
         try:
-            is_present = bool(
-                self.connection.compare_s(self.dn, name, value))
-        except ldap.NO_SUCH_ATTRIBUTE:
+            filterstr = "(%s=%s)" % (name, value.decode())
+            dns = self.connection.search_s(self.dn, ldap.SCOPE_BASE, filterstr)
+            is_present = len(dns) == 1
+        except ldap.NO_SUCH_OBJECT:
             is_present = False
 
         return is_present