diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/237_replace_inverse_ec2_aws_filter.yaml b/changelogs/fragments/237_replace_inverse_ec2_aws_filter.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5f1b32d81d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/237_replace_inverse_ec2_aws_filter.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+---
+minor_changes:
+- aws_ec2 module - Replace inverse aws instance-state-name filters !terminated, !shutting-down in favor of postive filters pending, running, stopping, stopped. Issue 235. (https://github.com/ansible-collections/amazon.aws/pull/237)
diff --git a/plugins/modules/ec2.py b/plugins/modules/ec2.py
index 40adad7f52d..990a7e69be5 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/ec2.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/ec2.py
@@ -1416,7 +1416,7 @@ def startstop_instances(module, ec2, instance_ids, state, instance_tags):
         for key, value in instance_tags.items():
             filters["tag:" + key] = value
 
-    filters['instance-state-name'] = ["!terminated", "!shutting-down"]
+    filters['instance-state-name'] = ["pending", "running", "stopping", "stopped"]
 
     if module.params.get('id'):
         filters['client-token'] = module.params['id']
diff --git a/tests/integration/targets/ec2/tasks/main.yml b/tests/integration/targets/ec2/tasks/main.yml
index b0ff9bf01e8..624ddbb7aea 100644
--- a/tests/integration/targets/ec2/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/tests/integration/targets/ec2/tasks/main.yml
@@ -136,6 +136,18 @@
           - (result.instances|length) == 1
           - "result.instances[0].state.name == 'running'"
 
+    - name: test second instance is stopped
+      ec2:
+        instance_ids: "{{ test_instance_2.instance_ids }}"
+        state: stopped
+        wait: yes
+      register: result
+
+    - name: assert second instance is stopped
+      assert:
+        that:
+          - "result.instances[0].state == 'stopped'"
+
     # ========================================================
 
   always: