diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/2722-zypper_repository-fix_idempotency_on_adding_repo_with_releasever.yml b/changelogs/fragments/2722-zypper_repository-fix_idempotency_on_adding_repo_with_releasever.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..faada2e9bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/2722-zypper_repository-fix_idempotency_on_adding_repo_with_releasever.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+bugfixes:
+  - zypper_repository - fix idempotency on adding repository with
+    ``$releasever`` and ``$basearch`` variables
+    (https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.general/issues/1985).
diff --git a/plugins/modules/packaging/os/zypper_repository.py b/plugins/modules/packaging/os/zypper_repository.py
index f1d85376f5..608675528d 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/packaging/os/zypper_repository.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/packaging/os/zypper_repository.py
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ def _parse_repos(module):
         module.fail_json(msg='Failed to execute "%s"' % " ".join(cmd), rc=rc, stdout=stdout, stderr=stderr)
 
 
-def _repo_changes(realrepo, repocmp):
+def _repo_changes(module, realrepo, repocmp):
     "Check whether the 2 given repos have different settings."
     for k in repocmp:
         if repocmp[k] and k not in realrepo:
@@ -186,6 +186,16 @@ def _repo_changes(realrepo, repocmp):
             valold = str(repocmp[k] or "")
             valnew = v or ""
             if k == "url":
+                if '$releasever' in valold or '$releasever' in valnew:
+                    cmd = ['rpm', '-q', '--qf', '%{version}', '-f', '/etc/os-release']
+                    rc, stdout, stderr = module.run_command(cmd, check_rc=True)
+                    valnew = valnew.replace('$releasever', stdout)
+                    valold = valold.replace('$releasever', stdout)
+                if '$basearch' in valold or '$basearch' in valnew:
+                    cmd = ['rpm', '-q', '--qf', '%{arch}', '-f', '/etc/os-release']
+                    rc, stdout, stderr = module.run_command(cmd, check_rc=True)
+                    valnew = valnew.replace('$basearch', stdout)
+                    valold = valold.replace('$basearch', stdout)
                 valold, valnew = valold.rstrip("/"), valnew.rstrip("/")
             if valold != valnew:
                 return True
@@ -215,7 +225,7 @@ def repo_exists(module, repodata, overwrite_multiple):
         return (False, False, None)
     elif len(repos) == 1:
         # Found an existing repo, look for changes
-        has_changes = _repo_changes(repos[0], repodata)
+        has_changes = _repo_changes(module, repos[0], repodata)
         return (True, has_changes, repos)
     elif len(repos) >= 2:
         if overwrite_multiple:
diff --git a/tests/integration/targets/zypper_repository/tasks/zypper_repository.yml b/tests/integration/targets/zypper_repository/tasks/zypper_repository.yml
index 0290fa4da2..4490ddca7d 100644
--- a/tests/integration/targets/zypper_repository/tasks/zypper_repository.yml
+++ b/tests/integration/targets/zypper_repository/tasks/zypper_repository.yml
@@ -125,3 +125,61 @@
     priority: 100
     auto_import_keys: true
     state: "present"
+
+- name: add a repo by releasever
+  community.general.zypper_repository:
+    name: releaseverrepo
+    repo: http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/devel:/languages:/ruby/openSUSE_Leap_$releasever/
+    state: present
+  register: add_repo
+
+- name: add a repo by releasever again
+  community.general.zypper_repository:
+    name: releaseverrepo
+    repo: http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/devel:/languages:/ruby/openSUSE_Leap_$releasever/
+    state: present
+  register: add_repo_again
+
+- assert:
+    that:
+      - add_repo is changed
+      - add_repo_again is not changed
+
+- name: remove added repo
+  community.general.zypper_repository:
+    repo: http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/devel:/languages:/ruby/openSUSE_Leap_{{ ansible_distribution_version }}/
+    state: absent
+  register: remove_repo
+
+- assert:
+    that:
+      - remove_repo is changed
+
+- name: add a repo by basearch
+  community.general.zypper_repository:
+    name: basearchrepo
+    repo: https://packagecloud.io/netdata/netdata/opensuse/13.2/$basearch
+    state: present
+  register: add_repo
+
+- name: add a repo by basearch again
+  community.general.zypper_repository:
+    name: basearchrepo
+    repo: https://packagecloud.io/netdata/netdata/opensuse/13.2/$basearch
+    state: present
+  register: add_repo_again
+
+- assert:
+    that:
+      - add_repo is changed
+      - add_repo_again is not changed
+
+- name: remove added repo
+  community.general.zypper_repository:
+    repo: https://packagecloud.io/netdata/netdata/opensuse/13.2/x86_64
+    state: absent
+  register: remove_repo
+
+- assert:
+    that:
+      - remove_repo is changed