diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/5933-linting.yml b/changelogs/fragments/5933-linting.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d0c46542bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/5933-linting.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - "terraform and timezone - slight refactoring to avoid linter reporting potentially undefined variables (https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.general/pull/5933)."
diff --git a/plugins/modules/gconftool2.py b/plugins/modules/gconftool2.py
index a3ac8bb8f1..788aed3423 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/gconftool2.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/gconftool2.py
@@ -88,8 +88,8 @@ from ansible_collections.community.general.plugins.module_utils.gconftool2 impor
 
 
 class GConftool(StateModuleHelper):
-    change_params = 'value',
-    diff_params = 'value',
+    change_params = ('value', )
+    diff_params = ('value', )
     output_params = ('key', 'value_type')
     facts_params = ('key', 'value_type')
     facts_name = 'gconftool2'
diff --git a/plugins/modules/pritunl_org.py b/plugins/modules/pritunl_org.py
index 75c3564f24..4a6a8a3444 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/pritunl_org.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/pritunl_org.py
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ def main():
                 required=False, choices=["present", "absent"], default="present"
             ),
         )
-    ),
+    )
 
     module = AnsibleModule(argument_spec=argument_spec)
 
diff --git a/plugins/modules/pritunl_org_info.py b/plugins/modules/pritunl_org_info.py
index 7f3974e0e5..979e29b5a0 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/pritunl_org_info.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/pritunl_org_info.py
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ def main():
         dict(
             organization=dict(required=False, type="str", default=None, aliases=["org"])
         )
-    ),
+    )
 
     module = AnsibleModule(argument_spec=argument_spec, supports_check_mode=True)
 
diff --git a/plugins/modules/pritunl_user.py b/plugins/modules/pritunl_user.py
index 817d6fb3f6..f3feb94eed 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/pritunl_user.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/pritunl_user.py
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ def main():
             user_gravatar=dict(required=False, type="bool", default=None),
             user_mac_addresses=dict(required=False, type="list", elements="str", default=None),
         )
-    ),
+    )
 
     module = AnsibleModule(argument_spec=argument_spec)
 
diff --git a/plugins/modules/pritunl_user_info.py b/plugins/modules/pritunl_user_info.py
index d4c68ca6e0..7b0399061f 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/pritunl_user_info.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/pritunl_user_info.py
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ def main():
                 default="client",
             ),
         )
-    ),
+    )
 
     module = AnsibleModule(argument_spec=argument_spec, supports_check_mode=True)
 
diff --git a/plugins/modules/terraform.py b/plugins/modules/terraform.py
index b6b09b0eb2..9d1cc2ed02 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/terraform.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/terraform.py
@@ -628,9 +628,9 @@ def main():
 
     outputs_command = [command[0], 'output', '-no-color', '-json'] + _state_args(state_file)
     rc, outputs_text, outputs_err = module.run_command(outputs_command, cwd=project_path)
+    outputs = {}
     if rc == 1:
         module.warn("Could not get Terraform outputs. This usually means none have been defined.\nstdout: {0}\nstderr: {1}".format(outputs_text, outputs_err))
-        outputs = {}
     elif rc != 0:
         module.fail_json(
             msg="Failure when getting Terraform outputs. "
diff --git a/plugins/modules/timezone.py b/plugins/modules/timezone.py
index 9e89462089..20404d3a79 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/timezone.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/timezone.py
@@ -356,6 +356,7 @@ class NosystemdTimezone(Timezone):
     def __init__(self, module):
         super(NosystemdTimezone, self).__init__(module)
         # Validate given timezone
+        planned_tz = ''
         if 'name' in self.value:
             tzfile = self._verify_timezone()
             planned_tz = self.value['name']['planned']
diff --git a/plugins/modules/xfconf.py b/plugins/modules/xfconf.py
index c231a47484..7c16cf6ca8 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/xfconf.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/xfconf.py
@@ -169,8 +169,8 @@ from ansible_collections.community.general.plugins.module_utils.xfconf import xf
 
 
 class XFConfProperty(StateModuleHelper):
-    change_params = 'value',
-    diff_params = 'value',
+    change_params = ('value', )
+    diff_params = ('value', )
     output_params = ('property', 'channel', 'value')
     facts_params = ('property', 'channel', 'value')
     module = dict(