diff --git a/plugins/modules/cronvar.py b/plugins/modules/cronvar.py
index e1acedc81d..93b75a33ad 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/cronvar.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/cronvar.py
@@ -135,6 +135,9 @@ class CronVar(object):
                 self.cron_file = cron_file
             else:
                 self.cron_file = os.path.join('/etc/cron.d', cron_file)
+            parent_dir = os.path.dirname(cron_file) 
+            if not os.path.isdir(parent_dir):
+                module.fail_json(msg=f"Parent directory '{parent_dir}' does not exist for cron_file: '{cron_file}'")
         else:
             self.cron_file = None
 
diff --git a/tests/integration/targets/cronvar/tasks/main.yml b/tests/integration/targets/cronvar/tasks/main.yml
index 73ec41abca..4770b093c3 100644
--- a/tests/integration/targets/cronvar/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/tests/integration/targets/cronvar/tasks/main.yml
@@ -122,3 +122,19 @@
       - custom_varcheck1.stdout == '1'
       - custom_varcheck2.stdout == '1'
       - custom_varcheck3.stdout == '0'
+
+- name: Attempt to add cron variable to non-existent parent directory
+  cronvar:
+    name: NOPARENT_VAR
+    value: noparentval
+    cron_file:  /nonexistent/foo
+    user: root
+  register: invalid_directory_cronvar_result
+  ignore_errors: true
+
+- name: Assert that the cronvar task failed due to invalid directory
+  ansible.builtin.assert:
+    that:
+      - invalid_directory_cronvar_result is failed
+      - >-
+       "Parent directory '/nonexistent' does not exist for cron_file: '/nonexistent/foo'" == invalid_directory_cronvar_result.msg