diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/164-fix-xml-element-comparison-util.yml b/changelogs/fragments/164-fix-xml-element-comparison-util.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b84fa7f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/164-fix-xml-element-comparison-util.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+---
+minor_changes:
+  - plugins.module_utils.xml_utils:elements_equal - Fix element content comparison behaviour
diff --git a/plugins/module_utils/xml_utils.py b/plugins/module_utils/xml_utils.py
index d3a80d42..ed8570e4 100644
--- a/plugins/module_utils/xml_utils.py
+++ b/plugins/module_utils/xml_utils.py
@@ -187,17 +187,6 @@ def etree_to_dict(input_etree: Element) -> dict:
     return {input_etree.tag: result}
 
 
-def _is_whitespace_or_none(text) -> bool:
-    """
-    Checks if a given string is a string of whitespace characters or None.
-    Args:
-        text: the string to perform the check on.
-    Returns:
-        bool: True if the 'text' string is None or a whitespace string.
-    """
-    return text is None or text.strip() == ""
-
-
 def elements_equal(e1, e2) -> bool:
     """
     Compare two XML elements for equality.
@@ -216,10 +205,13 @@ def elements_equal(e1, e2) -> bool:
     if len(e1) == 0 and len(e2) == 0:
         # 1. Check if texts are exactly the same (ignoring whitespaces and None)
         # 2. or check if one text is '1' and the other is None with no children
+        e1_text: Optional[str] = "" if e1.text is None else str(e1.text).strip()
+        e2_text: Optional[str] = "" if e2.text is None else str(e2.text).strip()
+
         return (
-            (_is_whitespace_or_none(e1.text) == _is_whitespace_or_none(e2.text))
-            or (e1.text == "1" and not e2.text and not e2)
-            or (e2.text == "1" and not e1.text and not e1)
+            e1_text == e2_text
+            or (e1_text == "1" and e2_text == "")
+            or (e2_text == "1" and e1_text == "")
         )
 
     # Tags have children
diff --git a/tests/unit/plugins/module_utils/test_xml_utils.py b/tests/unit/plugins/module_utils/test_xml_utils.py
index 47dba969..49c5ff47 100644
--- a/tests/unit/plugins/module_utils/test_xml_utils.py
+++ b/tests/unit/plugins/module_utils/test_xml_utils.py
@@ -415,6 +415,21 @@ def test_elements_equal_without_children_whitespace_matches():
     assert xml_utils.elements_equal(e1, e2)
 
 
+def test_elements_equal_str_num_and_int():
+    """
+    Test that elements_equal function considers a string number equal to an integer number
+
+    eg:
+    <test/> == <test>   </test>
+    """
+    e1 = Element("test")
+    e1.text = 1
+    e2 = Element("test")
+    e2.text = "1"
+
+    assert xml_utils.elements_equal(e1, e2)
+
+
 def test_elements_equal_without_children_none_and_1():
     """
     Tests elements_equal function matches a boolean flag "1" the same as an empty element.
@@ -433,6 +448,7 @@ def test_elements_equal_without_children_none_and_1():
 def test_elements_equal_with_children():
     """
     Tests elements_equal function matches recursively equal elements.
+    Elements having children with the same content should be equal.
     """
     e1 = Element("test")
     e1c1 = Element("child_1")
@@ -440,10 +456,34 @@ def test_elements_equal_with_children():
     e1c2 = Element("child_2")
     e1c2.text = "some_text_as_well"
     e1.extend([e1c1, e1c2])
+
     e2 = Element("test")
     e2c1 = Element("child_1")
     e2c1.text = "some_text     \n"
     e2c2 = Element("child_2")
-    e2c2.text = "\n   some_text     \n"
+    e2c2.text = "\n   some_text_as_well     \n"
     e2.extend([e2c1, e2c2])
+
     assert xml_utils.elements_equal(e1, e2)
+
+
+def test_elements_not_equal_with_children():
+    """
+    Tests elements_equal function checks elements recursively.
+    Elements having children with different content should not be equal.
+    """
+    e1 = Element("test")
+    e1c1 = Element("child_1")
+    e1c1.text = "some_text"
+    e1c2 = Element("child_2")
+    e1c2.text = "some_text_as_well"
+    e1.extend([e1c1, e1c2])
+
+    e2 = Element("test")
+    e2c1 = Element("child_1")
+    e2c1.text = "some_text     \n"
+    e2c2 = Element("child_2")
+    e2c2.text = "\n   wrong_text     \n"
+    e2.extend([e2c1, e2c2])
+
+    assert not xml_utils.elements_equal(e1, e2)