diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/4421-zypper_package_version_handling_fix.yml b/changelogs/fragments/4421-zypper_package_version_handling_fix.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..eacdf84beb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/4421-zypper_package_version_handling_fix.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - zypper - fixed bug that caused zypper to always report [ok] and do nothing on ``state=present`` when all packages in ``name`` had a version specification (https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.general/issues/4371, https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.general/pull/4421).
diff --git a/plugins/modules/packaging/os/zypper.py b/plugins/modules/packaging/os/zypper.py
index 43bba6404c..ab49051b17 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/packaging/os/zypper.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/packaging/os/zypper.py
@@ -427,7 +427,9 @@ def package_present(m, name, want_latest):
         # if a version is given leave the package in to let zypper handle the version
         # resolution
         packageswithoutversion = [p for p in packages if not p.version]
-        prerun_state = get_installed_state(m, packageswithoutversion)
+        prerun_state = {}
+        if packageswithoutversion:
+            prerun_state = get_installed_state(m, packageswithoutversion)
         # generate lists of packages to install or remove
         packages = [p for p in packages if p.shouldinstall != (p.name in prerun_state)]