diff --git a/examples/playbooks/transform-no-free-form.transformed.yml b/examples/playbooks/transform-no-free-form.transformed.yml
index d7666259bc..d9e238e249 100644
--- a/examples/playbooks/transform-no-free-form.transformed.yml
+++ b/examples/playbooks/transform-no-free-form.transformed.yml
@@ -13,3 +13,7 @@
       args:
         executable: /bin/bash
       changed_when: false
+
+    - name: Example task with usage for '=' as module params
+      ansible.builtin.debug:
+        msg: "'Hello there world'"
diff --git a/examples/playbooks/transform-no-free-form.yml b/examples/playbooks/transform-no-free-form.yml
index 1a706e9ed1..54cb266b12 100644
--- a/examples/playbooks/transform-no-free-form.yml
+++ b/examples/playbooks/transform-no-free-form.yml
@@ -9,3 +9,6 @@
     - name: Use raw to echo
       ansible.builtin.raw: executable=/bin/bash echo foo # <-- don't use executable=
       changed_when: false
+
+    - name: Example task with usage for '=' as module params
+      ansible.builtin.debug: msg='Hello there world'
diff --git a/src/ansiblelint/rules/no_free_form.py b/src/ansiblelint/rules/no_free_form.py
index 7d6faa8cee..60cb1e9f99 100644
--- a/src/ansiblelint/rules/no_free_form.py
+++ b/src/ansiblelint/rules/no_free_form.py
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ def filter_values(
                 if filter_key not in val:
                     return True
 
-                [k, v] = val.split("=")
+                [k, v] = val.split(filter_key)
                 filter_dict[k] = v
                 return False
 
@@ -121,14 +121,18 @@ def filter_values(
                     k, v = task.popitem(False)
                     # identify module as key and process its value
                     if len(k.split(".")) == 3 and isinstance(v, str):
-                        # Filter the module options and command
-                        module_opts["cmd"] = " ".join(
-                            [
-                                item
-                                for item in v.split(" ")
-                                if filter_values(item, "=", module_opts)
-                            ],
-                        )
+                        # if it is a message
+                        if "msg" in v:
+                            filter_values(v, "=", module_opts)
+                        else:
+                            # Filter the module options and command
+                            module_opts["cmd"] = " ".join(
+                                [
+                                    item
+                                    for item in v.split(" ")
+                                    if filter_values(item, "=", module_opts)
+                                ],
+                            )
 
                         sorted_module_opts = {}
                         for key in sorted(
@@ -152,7 +156,7 @@ def filter_values(
                             [
                                 item
                                 for item in v.split(" ")
-                                if filter_values(item, "executable=", exec_key_val)
+                                if filter_values(item, "=", exec_key_val)
                             ],
                         )
                         task["args"] = exec_key_val
diff --git a/test/test_transformer.py b/test/test_transformer.py
index 2be1c09073..1dd5b47b37 100644
--- a/test/test_transformer.py
+++ b/test/test_transformer.py
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ def fixture_runner_result(
         ),
         pytest.param(
             "examples/playbooks/transform-no-free-form.yml",
-            2,
+            3,
             True,
             True,
             id="no_free_form_transform",