diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/10689-gem-prevent-soundness-issue.yml b/changelogs/fragments/10689-gem-prevent-soundness-issue.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a55dba1ea1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/10689-gem-prevent-soundness-issue.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - "gem - fix soundness issue when uninstalling default gems on Ubuntu  (https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.general/issues/10451, https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.general/pull/10689)."
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/plugins/modules/gem.py b/plugins/modules/gem.py
index 1ea9c68a948..2a458116c73 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/gem.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/gem.py
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ def uninstall(module):
     if module.params['force']:
         cmd.append('--force')
     cmd.append(module.params['name'])
-    module.run_command(cmd, environ_update=environ, check_rc=True)
+    return module.run_command(cmd, environ_update=environ, check_rc=True)
 
 
 def install(module):
@@ -334,9 +334,21 @@ def main():
             changed = True
     elif module.params['state'] == 'absent':
         if exists(module):
-            uninstall(module)
-            changed = True
-
+            command_output = uninstall(module)
+            if command_output is not None and exists(module):
+                rc, out, err = command_output
+                module.fail_json(
+                    msg=(
+                        "Failed to uninstall gem '%s': it is still present after 'gem uninstall'. "
+                        "This usually happens with default or system gems provided by the OS, "
+                        "which cannot be removed with the gem command."
+                    ) % module.params['name'],
+                    rc=rc,
+                    stdout=out,
+                    stderr=err
+                )
+            else:
+                changed = True
     result = {}
     result['name'] = module.params['name']
     result['state'] = module.params['state']
diff --git a/tests/integration/targets/gem/tasks/main.yml b/tests/integration/targets/gem/tasks/main.yml
index 0c85e564891..73119c20da2 100644
--- a/tests/integration/targets/gem/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/tests/integration/targets/gem/tasks/main.yml
@@ -212,3 +212,18 @@
         that:
           - install_gem_result is changed
           - not gem_bindir_stat.stat.exists
+
+    - name: Attempt to uninstall default gem 'json'
+      community.general.gem:
+        name: json
+        state: absent
+      when: ansible_distribution == "Ubuntu"
+      register: gem_result
+      ignore_errors: true
+
+    - name: Assert gem uninstall failed as expected
+      when: ansible_distribution == "Ubuntu"
+      assert:
+        that:
+          - gem_result is failed
+          - gem_result.msg.startswith("Failed to uninstall gem 'json'")
diff --git a/tests/unit/plugins/modules/test_gem.py b/tests/unit/plugins/modules/test_gem.py
index 78c73be5a6b..3e6df91185b 100644
--- a/tests/unit/plugins/modules/test_gem.py
+++ b/tests/unit/plugins/modules/test_gem.py
@@ -52,7 +52,9 @@ def new(module):
 
     def patch_run_command(self):
         target = 'ansible.module_utils.basic.AnsibleModule.run_command'
-        return self.mocker.patch(target)
+        mock = self.mocker.patch(target)
+        mock.return_value = (0, '', '')
+        return mock
 
     def test_fails_when_user_install_and_install_dir_are_combined(self):
         with set_module_args({
@@ -107,12 +109,11 @@ def test_passes_install_dir_and_gem_home_when_uninstall_gem(self):
 
             run_command = self.patch_run_command()
 
-            with pytest.raises(AnsibleExitJson) as exc:
+            with pytest.raises(AnsibleFailJson) as exc:
                 gem.main()
 
         result = exc.value.args[0]
-
-        assert result['changed']
+        assert result['failed']
         assert run_command.called
 
         assert '--install-dir /opt/dummy' in get_command(run_command)