diff --git a/mock_ssh_test.go b/mock_ssh_test.go
index 6f11142..e0b6e04 100644
--- a/mock_ssh_test.go
+++ b/mock_ssh_test.go
@@ -1318,9 +1318,9 @@ func moduleAuthorizedKeyWithClient(_ *Executor, client sshRunner, args map[strin
 	authKeysPath := joinPath(home, ".ssh", "authorized_keys")
 
 	if state == "absent" {
-		// Remove key
-		escapedKey := replaceAll(key, "/", "\\/")
-		cmd := sprintf("sed -i '/%s/d' %q 2>/dev/null || true", escapedKey[:40], authKeysPath)
+		// Remove the exact key line when present.
+		cmd := sprintf("if [ -f %q ]; then sed -i '\\|^%s$|d' %q; fi",
+			authKeysPath, sedExactLinePattern(key), authKeysPath)
 		_, _, _, _ = client.Run(context.Background(), cmd)
 		return &TaskResult{Changed: true}, nil
 	}
@@ -1331,7 +1331,7 @@ func moduleAuthorizedKeyWithClient(_ *Executor, client sshRunner, args map[strin
 
 	// Add key if not present
 	cmd := sprintf("grep -qF %q %q 2>/dev/null || echo %q >> %q",
-		key[:40], authKeysPath, key, authKeysPath)
+		key, authKeysPath, key, authKeysPath)
 	stdout, stderr, rc, err := client.Run(context.Background(), cmd)
 	if err != nil || rc != 0 {
 		return &TaskResult{Failed: true, Msg: stderr, Stdout: stdout, RC: rc}, nil
diff --git a/modules.go b/modules.go
index aef3b81..848974d 100644
--- a/modules.go
+++ b/modules.go
@@ -2585,9 +2585,9 @@ func (e *Executor) moduleAuthorizedKey(ctx context.Context, client sshExecutorCl
 	authKeysPath := joinPath(home, ".ssh", "authorized_keys")
 
 	if state == "absent" {
-		// Remove key
-		escapedKey := replaceAll(key, "/", "\\/")
-		cmd := sprintf("sed -i '/%s/d' %q 2>/dev/null || true", escapedKey[:40], authKeysPath)
+		// Remove the exact key line when present.
+		cmd := sprintf("if [ -f %q ]; then sed -i '\\|^%s$|d' %q; fi",
+			authKeysPath, sedExactLinePattern(key), authKeysPath)
 		_, _, _, _ = client.Run(ctx, cmd)
 		return &TaskResult{Changed: true}, nil
 	}
@@ -2596,9 +2596,9 @@ func (e *Executor) moduleAuthorizedKey(ctx context.Context, client sshExecutorCl
 	_, _, _, _ = client.Run(ctx, sprintf("mkdir -p %q && chmod 700 %q && chown %s:%s %q",
 		pathDir(authKeysPath), pathDir(authKeysPath), user, user, pathDir(authKeysPath)))
 
-	// Add key if not present
+	// Add the key if it is not already present.
 	cmd := sprintf("grep -qF %q %q 2>/dev/null || echo %q >> %q",
-		key[:40], authKeysPath, key, authKeysPath)
+		key, authKeysPath, key, authKeysPath)
 	stdout, stderr, rc, err := client.Run(ctx, cmd)
 	if err != nil || rc != 0 {
 		return &TaskResult{Failed: true, Msg: stderr, Stdout: stdout, RC: rc}, nil
@@ -2611,6 +2611,11 @@ func (e *Executor) moduleAuthorizedKey(ctx context.Context, client sshExecutorCl
 	return &TaskResult{Changed: true}, nil
 }
 
+func sedExactLinePattern(value string) string {
+	pattern := regexp.QuoteMeta(value)
+	return replaceAll(pattern, "|", "\\|")
+}
+
 func (e *Executor) moduleDockerCompose(ctx context.Context, client sshExecutorClient, args map[string]any) (*TaskResult, error) {
 	projectSrc := getStringArg(args, "project_src", "")
 	state := getStringArg(args, "state", "present")
diff --git a/modules_adv_test.go b/modules_adv_test.go
index bf33f7f..2b5170a 100644
--- a/modules_adv_test.go
+++ b/modules_adv_test.go
@@ -354,6 +354,25 @@ func TestModulesAdv_ModuleAuthorizedKey_Good_AddKey(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.True(t, mock.containsSubstring("authorized_keys"))
 }
 
+func TestModulesAdv_ModuleAuthorizedKey_Good_ShortKeyDoesNotPanic(t *testing.T) {
+	e, mock := newTestExecutorWithMock("host1")
+	testKey := "ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAA short@host"
+	mock.expectCommand(`getent passwd deploy`, "/home/deploy", "", 0)
+	mock.expectCommand(`mkdir -p`, "", "", 0)
+	mock.expectCommand(`grep -qF.*echo`, "", "", 0)
+	mock.expectCommand(`chmod 600`, "", "", 0)
+
+	result, err := moduleAuthorizedKeyWithClient(e, mock, map[string]any{
+		"user": "deploy",
+		"key":  testKey,
+	})
+
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.True(t, result.Changed)
+	assert.False(t, result.Failed)
+	assert.True(t, mock.hasExecuted(`grep -qF`))
+}
+
 func TestModulesAdv_ModuleAuthorizedKey_Good_RemoveKey(t *testing.T) {
 	e, mock := newTestExecutorWithMock("host1")
 	testKey := "ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EAAAADAQABAAABgQDcT... user@host"