diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/20250417-rds_instance-retention.yml b/changelogs/fragments/20250417-rds_instance-retention.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6efccc2b61e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/20250417-rds_instance-retention.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - rds_instance - Allow modifying the ``backup_retention_period`` option. When it was set, the value provided was ignored (https://github.com/ansible-collections/amazon.aws/pull/2579).
diff --git a/plugins/modules/rds_instance.py b/plugins/modules/rds_instance.py
index 27cbd4766ce..717151993b3 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/rds_instance.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/rds_instance.py
@@ -1187,6 +1187,10 @@ def get_options_with_changing_values(client, module: AnsibleAWSModule, parameter
         ):
             parameters.pop("NewDBInstanceIdentifier")
 
+    backup_retention_period = module.params.get("backup_retention_period")
+    if instance.get("BackupRetentionPeriod") != backup_retention_period:
+        parameters["BackupRetentionPeriod"] = backup_retention_period
+
     if parameters:
         parameters["DBInstanceIdentifier"] = instance_id
         if apply_immediately is not None:
diff --git a/tests/integration/targets/rds_instance_complex/tasks/main.yml b/tests/integration/targets/rds_instance_complex/tasks/main.yml
index a7b8f330f6c..74e4c71b717 100644
--- a/tests/integration/targets/rds_instance_complex/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/tests/integration/targets/rds_instance_complex/tasks/main.yml
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@
         that:
           - result.changed
           - result.db_instance_identifier == instance_id
+          - '"backup_retention_period" in result'
+          - result.backup_retention_period | int == 0'
 
     - name: Add IAM roles to mariab (should fail - iam roles not supported for mariadb)
       amazon.aws.rds_instance:
@@ -130,6 +132,8 @@
           - '"port" in result.pending_modified_values or result.endpoint.port == 1150'
           - '"db_instance_class" in result.pending_modified_values or result.db_instance_class == modified_db_instance_class'
           - '"monitoring_interval" in result.pending_modified_values or result.monitoring_interval == monitoring_interval'
+          - '"backup_retention_period" in result'
+          - result.backup_retention_period | int == 0'
 
     - name: Idempotence modifying several pending attributes - check_mode
       amazon.aws.rds_instance:
@@ -179,6 +183,8 @@
           - '"max_allocated_storage" in result.pending_modified_values or result.max_allocated_storage == 150'
           - '"port" in result.pending_modified_values or result.endpoint.port == 1150'
           - '"db_instance_class" in result.pending_modified_values or result.db_instance_class == modified_db_instance_class'
+          - '"backup_retention_period" in result'
+          - result.backup_retention_period | int == 0'
 
   always:
     - name: Delete the instance