diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/52825-docker_swarm-detection-check-mode.yaml b/changelogs/fragments/52825-docker_swarm-detection-check-mode.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2c57d9a921
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/52825-docker_swarm-detection-check-mode.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+bugfixes:
+- "docker_swarm - improve Swarm detection."
+- "docker_swarm - properly implement check mode (it did apply changes)."
diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_utils/docker/swarm.py b/lib/ansible/module_utils/docker/swarm.py
index c3ca30c3c1..5e9cfd4ace 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_utils/docker/swarm.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_utils/docker/swarm.py
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ class AnsibleDockerSwarmClient(AnsibleDockerClient):
                 swarm_info = json.loads(json_str)
                 if swarm_info['Swarm']['NodeID']:
                     return True
+                if swarm_info['Swarm']['LocalNodeState'] in ('active', 'pending', 'locked'):
+                    return True
             return False
         else:
             try:
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/docker/docker_swarm.py b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/docker/docker_swarm.py
index 2ae13671ad..5c8a07a54c 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/docker/docker_swarm.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/docker/docker_swarm.py
@@ -308,6 +308,7 @@ class SwarmManager(DockerBaseClass):
         self.client = client
         self.results = results
         self.check_mode = self.client.check_mode
+        self.swarm_info = {}
 
         self.parameters = TaskParameters(client)
 
@@ -346,17 +347,18 @@ class SwarmManager(DockerBaseClass):
             self.__update_swarm()
             return
 
-        try:
-            self.client.init_swarm(
-                advertise_addr=self.parameters.advertise_addr, listen_addr=self.parameters.listen_addr,
-                force_new_cluster=self.parameters.force_new_cluster, swarm_spec=self.parameters.spec)
-        except APIError as exc:
-            self.client.fail("Can not create a new Swarm Cluster: %s" % to_native(exc))
+        if not self.check_mode:
+            try:
+                self.client.init_swarm(
+                    advertise_addr=self.parameters.advertise_addr, listen_addr=self.parameters.listen_addr,
+                    force_new_cluster=self.parameters.force_new_cluster, swarm_spec=self.parameters.spec)
+            except APIError as exc:
+                self.client.fail("Can not create a new Swarm Cluster: %s" % to_native(exc))
 
         self.__isSwarmManager()
-        self.results['actions'].append("New Swarm cluster created: %s" % (self.swarm_info['ID']))
+        self.results['actions'].append("New Swarm cluster created: %s" % (self.swarm_info.get('ID')))
         self.results['changed'] = True
-        self.results['swarm_facts'] = {u'JoinTokens': self.swarm_info['JoinTokens']}
+        self.results['swarm_facts'] = {u'JoinTokens': self.swarm_info.get('JoinTokens')}
 
     def __update_spec(self, spec):
         if (self.parameters.node_cert_expiry is None):
@@ -406,9 +408,10 @@ class SwarmManager(DockerBaseClass):
                 self.results['actions'].append("No modification")
                 self.results['changed'] = False
                 return
-            self.client.update_swarm(
-                version=version, swarm_spec=new_spec, rotate_worker_token=self.parameters.rotate_worker_token,
-                rotate_manager_token=self.parameters.rotate_manager_token)
+            if not self.check_mode:
+                self.client.update_swarm(
+                    version=version, swarm_spec=new_spec, rotate_worker_token=self.parameters.rotate_worker_token,
+                    rotate_manager_token=self.parameters.rotate_manager_token)
         except APIError as exc:
             self.client.fail("Can not update a Swarm Cluster: %s" % to_native(exc))
             return
@@ -424,18 +427,21 @@ class SwarmManager(DockerBaseClass):
             self.swarm_info = json.loads(json_str)
             if self.swarm_info['Swarm']['NodeID']:
                 return True
+            if self.swarm_info['Swarm']['LocalNodeState'] in ('active', 'pending', 'locked'):
+                return True
         return False
 
     def join(self):
         if self.__isSwarmNode():
             self.results['actions'].append("This node is already part of a swarm.")
             return
-        try:
-            self.client.join_swarm(
-                remote_addrs=self.parameters.remote_addrs, join_token=self.parameters.join_token, listen_addr=self.parameters.listen_addr,
-                advertise_addr=self.parameters.advertise_addr)
-        except APIError as exc:
-            self.client.fail("Can not join the Swarm Cluster: %s" % to_native(exc))
+        if not self.check_mode:
+            try:
+                self.client.join_swarm(
+                    remote_addrs=self.parameters.remote_addrs, join_token=self.parameters.join_token, listen_addr=self.parameters.listen_addr,
+                    advertise_addr=self.parameters.advertise_addr)
+            except APIError as exc:
+                self.client.fail("Can not join the Swarm Cluster: %s" % to_native(exc))
         self.results['actions'].append("New node is added to swarm cluster")
         self.results['changed'] = True
 
@@ -443,10 +449,11 @@ class SwarmManager(DockerBaseClass):
         if not(self.__isSwarmNode()):
             self.results['actions'].append("This node is not part of a swarm.")
             return
-        try:
-            self.client.leave_swarm(force=self.parameters.force)
-        except APIError as exc:
-            self.client.fail("This node can not leave the Swarm Cluster: %s" % to_native(exc))
+        if not self.check_mode:
+            try:
+                self.client.leave_swarm(force=self.parameters.force)
+            except APIError as exc:
+                self.client.fail("This node can not leave the Swarm Cluster: %s" % to_native(exc))
         self.results['actions'].append("Node has left the swarm cluster")
         self.results['changed'] = True
 
@@ -479,10 +486,11 @@ class SwarmManager(DockerBaseClass):
         if not(status_down):
             self.client.fail("Can not remove the node. The status node is ready and not down.")
 
-        try:
-            self.client.remove_node(node_id=self.parameters.node_id, force=self.parameters.force)
-        except APIError as exc:
-            self.client.fail("Can not remove the node from the Swarm Cluster: %s" % to_native(exc))
+        if not self.check_mode:
+            try:
+                self.client.remove_node(node_id=self.parameters.node_id, force=self.parameters.force)
+            except APIError as exc:
+                self.client.fail("Can not remove the node from the Swarm Cluster: %s" % to_native(exc))
         self.results['actions'].append("Node is removed from swarm cluster.")
         self.results['changed'] = True
 
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/docker_config/tasks/test_docker_config.yml b/test/integration/targets/docker_config/tasks/test_docker_config.yml
index d448200493..ded7eab488 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/docker_config/tasks/test_docker_config.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/docker_config/tasks/test_docker_config.yml
@@ -1,10 +1,14 @@
 ---
 - block:
+  - shell: "docker info --format '{% raw %}{{json .}}{% endraw %}' | python -m json.tool"
+
   - name: Make sure we're not already using Docker swarm
     docker_swarm:
       state: absent
       force: true
 
+  - shell: "docker info --format '{% raw %}{{json .}}{% endraw %}' | python -m json.tool"
+
   - name: Create a Swarm cluster
     docker_swarm:
       state: present
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/docker_swarm/tasks/test_swarm.yml b/test/integration/targets/docker_swarm/tasks/test_swarm.yml
index f683de239f..73d6737997 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/docker_swarm/tasks/test_swarm.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/docker_swarm/tasks/test_swarm.yml
@@ -29,30 +29,73 @@
          - 'output.failed'
          - 'output.msg == "state is remove but all of the following are missing: node_id"'
 
+  - name: Create a Swarm cluster (check mode)
+    docker_swarm:
+      state: present
+    check_mode: yes
+    register: output_1
+
   - name: Create a Swarm cluster
     docker_swarm:
       state: present
-    register: output
+    register: output_2
+
+  - name: Create a Swarm cluster (idempotent)
+    docker_swarm:
+      state: present
+    register: output_3
+
+  - name: Create a Swarm cluster (idempotent, check mode)
+    docker_swarm:
+      state: present
+    check_mode: yes
+    register: output_4
 
   - name: assert changed when create a new swarm cluster
     assert:
       that:
-         - 'output.changed'
-         - 'output.actions[0] | regex_search("New Swarm cluster created: ")'
-         - 'output.swarm_facts.JoinTokens.Manager'
-         - 'output.swarm_facts.JoinTokens.Worker'
+         - 'output_1 is changed'
+         - 'output_2 is changed'
+         - 'output_2.actions[0] | regex_search("New Swarm cluster created: ")'
+         - 'output_2.swarm_facts.JoinTokens.Manager'
+         - 'output_2.swarm_facts.JoinTokens.Worker'
+         - 'output_3 is not changed'
+         - 'output_4 is not changed'
+
+  - name: Remove a Swarm cluster (check mode)
+    docker_swarm:
+      state: absent
+      force: true
+    check_mode: yes
+    register: output_1
 
   - name: Remove a Swarm cluster
     docker_swarm:
       state: absent
       force: true
-    register: output
+    register: output_2
+
+  - name: Remove a Swarm cluster (idempotent)
+    docker_swarm:
+      state: absent
+      force: true
+    register: output_3
+
+  - name: Remove a Swarm cluster (idempotent, check mode)
+    docker_swarm:
+      state: absent
+      force: true
+    check_mode: yes
+    register: output_4
 
   - name: assert changed when remove a swarm cluster
     assert:
       that:
-         - 'output.changed'
-         - 'output.actions[0] == "Node has left the swarm cluster"'
+         - 'output_1 is changed'
+         - 'output_2 is changed'
+         - 'output_2.actions[0] == "Node has left the swarm cluster"'
+         - 'output_3 is not changed'
+         - 'output_4 is not changed'
 
   always:
   - name: Cleanup