diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/10743-monit-handle-unknown-status.yml b/changelogs/fragments/10743-monit-handle-unknown-status.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1c9fbb1101
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/10743-monit-handle-unknown-status.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - monit - fix crash caused by an unknown status value returned from the monit service (https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.general/issues/10742, https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.general/pull/10743).
diff --git a/plugins/modules/monit.py b/plugins/modules/monit.py
index a10967264c..a6df722dd8 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/monit.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/monit.py
@@ -174,7 +174,11 @@ class Monit(object):
             status_val = status_val.split(' | ')[0]
         if ' - ' not in status_val:
             status_val = status_val.replace(' ', '_')
-            return getattr(Status, status_val)
+            try:
+                return getattr(Status, status_val)
+            except AttributeError:
+                self.module.warn("Unknown monit status '%s', treating as execution failed" % status_val)
+                return Status.EXECUTION_FAILED
         else:
             status_val, substatus = status_val.split(' - ')
             action, state = substatus.split()
diff --git a/tests/unit/plugins/modules/test_monit.py b/tests/unit/plugins/modules/test_monit.py
index e50c8e387f..0c854d913d 100644
--- a/tests/unit/plugins/modules/test_monit.py
+++ b/tests/unit/plugins/modules/test_monit.py
@@ -124,9 +124,11 @@ BASIC_OUTPUT_CASES = [
     (TEST_OUTPUT % ('Process', 'processX', 'Not monitored'), monit.Status.NOT_MONITORED),
     (TEST_OUTPUT % ('Process', 'processX', 'Running'), monit.Status.OK),
     (TEST_OUTPUT % ('Process', 'processX', 'Execution failed | Does not exist'), monit.Status.EXECUTION_FAILED),
+    (TEST_OUTPUT % ('Process', 'processX', 'Some Unknown Status'), monit.Status.EXECUTION_FAILED),
 ])
 def test_parse_status(output, expected):
-    status = monit.Monit(None, '', 'processX', 0)._parse_status(output, '')
+    module = mock.MagicMock()
+    status = monit.Monit(module, '', 'processX', 0)._parse_status(output, '')
     assert status == expected