diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/10400-sysrc.yml b/changelogs/fragments/10400-sysrc.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ac5d5a5f3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/10400-sysrc.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - "sysrc - use ``shlex`` to improve parsing of ``sysrc -e -a`` output (https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.general/issues/10394, https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.general/pull/10400)."
diff --git a/plugins/modules/sysrc.py b/plugins/modules/sysrc.py
index dad379d1c0..1202883c23 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/sysrc.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/sysrc.py
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ changed:
 """
 
 from ansible.module_utils.basic import AnsibleModule
+from shlex import split
 import re
 
 
@@ -130,11 +131,12 @@ class Sysrc(object):
         Use this dictionary to preform the tests.
         """
         (rc, out, err) = self.run_sysrc('-e', '-a')
-        conf = dict([i.split('=', 1) for i in out.splitlines()])
+        conf = dict((part.split('=', 1) for part in split(out, comments=True)))
+
         if self.value is None:
             return self.name in conf
         else:
-            return self.name in conf and conf[self.name] == '"%s"' % self.value
+            return conf.get(self.name) == self.value
 
     def contains(self):
         (rc, out, err) = self.run_sysrc('-n', self.name)
diff --git a/tests/integration/targets/sysrc/files/10394.conf b/tests/integration/targets/sysrc/files/10394.conf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5e5c3f5c5d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/targets/sysrc/files/10394.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# Copyright (c) Ansible Project
+# GNU General Public License v3.0+ (see LICENSES/GPL-3.0-or-later.txt or https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.txt)
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
+k1="v1"
+jail_list="
+  foo
+  bar"
diff --git a/tests/integration/targets/sysrc/tasks/main.yml b/tests/integration/targets/sysrc/tasks/main.yml
index 549a1b8387..c5c249e7cd 100644
--- a/tests/integration/targets/sysrc/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/tests/integration/targets/sysrc/tasks/main.yml
@@ -369,14 +369,67 @@
               - "value_2 == sysrc_equals_sign_2.value"
               - "value_2 == conf.spamd_flags"
 
+    ##
+    ## sysrc - #10004 state=absent when using default settings will report `changed=true`
+    ##
+    - name: Test that a key from /etc/defaults/rc.conf is not used to mark changed
+      sysrc:
+        name: dumpdev
+        state: absent
+        path: /tmp/10004.conf
+      register: sysrc_10004_absent
+
+    - name: Ensure that the defaults are not consulted
+      assert:
+        that:
+          - not sysrc_10004_absent.changed
+
+    - name: Test that a delimited key from /etc/defaults/rc.conf is not used to mark changed
+      sysrc:
+        name: rc_conf_files
+        state: value_absent
+        path: /tmp/10004.conf
+      register: sysrc_10004_value_absent
+
+    - name: Ensure that the default is not consulted
+      assert:
+        that:
+          - not sysrc_10004_value_absent.changed
+
+    ##
+    ## sysrc - #10394 Ensure that files with multi-line values work
+    ##
+    - name: Copy 10394.conf
+      copy:
+        src: 10394.conf
+        dest: /tmp/10394.conf
+
+    - name: Change value for k1
+      sysrc:
+        name: k1
+        value: v2
+        path: /tmp/10394.conf
+      register: sysrc_10394_changed
+
+    - name: Get file content
+      shell: "cat /tmp/10394.conf"
+      register: sysrc_10394_content
+
+    - name: Ensure sysrc changed k1 from v1 to v2
+      assert:
+        that:
+          - sysrc_10394_changed.changed
+          - >
+            'k1="v2"' in sysrc_10394_content.stdout_lines
+
   always:
 
     - name: Restore /etc/rc.conf
       copy:
-        content: "{{ cached_etc_rcconf_content }}"
+        content: "{{ cached_etc_rcconf_content.stdout }}"
         dest: /etc/rc.conf
 
     - name: Restore /boot/loader.conf
       copy:
-        content: "{{ cached_boot_loaderconf_content }}"
+        content: "{{ cached_boot_loaderconf_content.stdout }}"
         dest: /boot/loader.conf