diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/12339-composer.yml b/changelogs/fragments/12339-composer.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f7b9a750ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/12339-composer.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - "composer - restore compatibility with older compose versions when using ``working_dir`` (https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.general/issues/12293, https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.general/pull/12339)."
diff --git a/plugins/modules/composer.py b/plugins/modules/composer.py
index 4191e68a61..15625216f8 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/composer.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/composer.py
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ def composer_command(module, command, arguments=None, options=None):
         working_dir_option = []
     else:
         global_arg = []
-        working_dir_option = ["--working-dir", module.params["working_dir"]]
+        working_dir_option = [f"--working-dir={module.params['working_dir']}"]
 
     if module.params["executable"] is None:
         php_path = module.get_bin_path("php", True, ["/usr/local/bin"])
diff --git a/tests/unit/plugins/modules/test_composer.yaml b/tests/unit/plugins/modules/test_composer.yaml
index b71cc4083f..7a65cf9eb3 100644
--- a/tests/unit/plugins/modules/test_composer.yaml
+++ b/tests/unit/plugins/modules/test_composer.yaml
@@ -5,24 +5,24 @@
 ---
 anchors:
   help_install: &help_install
-    command: ["/testbin/php", "/testbin/composer", "--working-dir", "/var/www/foo", "help", "install", "--no-interaction", "--format=json"]
+    command: ["/testbin/php", "/testbin/composer", "--working-dir=/var/www/foo", "help", "install", "--no-interaction", "--format=json"]
     rc: 0
     out: |
       {"definition": {"options": ["a", "b", "c"]}}
     err: ''
   help_create_project: &help_create_project
-    command: ["/testbin/php", "/testbin/composer", "--working-dir", "/var/www/foo", "help", "create-project", "--no-interaction", "--format=json"]
+    command: ["/testbin/php", "/testbin/composer", "--working-dir=/var/www/foo", "help", "create-project", "--no-interaction", "--format=json"]
     rc: 0
     out: |
       {"definition": {"options": ["a", "b", "c"]}}
     err: ''
   run_create_project: &run_create_project
-    command: ["/testbin/php", "/testbin/composer", "--working-dir", "/var/www/foo", "create-project", "vendor/package"]
+    command: ["/testbin/php", "/testbin/composer", "--working-dir=/var/www/foo", "create-project", "vendor/package"]
     rc: 0
     out: ''
     err: ''
   help_config: &help_config
-    command: ["/testbin/php", "/testbin/composer", "--working-dir", "/var/www/foo", "help", "config", "--no-interaction", "--format=json"]
+    command: ["/testbin/php", "/testbin/composer", "--working-dir=/var/www/foo", "help", "config", "--no-interaction", "--format=json"]
     rc: 0
     out: |
       {"definition": {"options": ["a", "b", "c"]}}
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ test_cases:
     mocks:
       run_command:
         - *help_install
-        - command: ["/testbin/php", "/testbin/composer", "--working-dir", "/var/www/foo", "install"]
+        - command: ["/testbin/php", "/testbin/composer", "--working-dir=/var/www/foo", "install"]
           rc: 0
           out: ''
           err: ''
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ test_cases:
         return_values: ["hash1", "hash2", "hash1", "hash2"]
       run_command:
         - *help_config
-        - command: ["/testbin/php", "/testbin/composer", "--working-dir", "/var/www/foo", "config", "setting-key", "setting-value"]
+        - command: ["/testbin/php", "/testbin/composer", "--working-dir=/var/www/foo", "config", "setting-key", "setting-value"]
           rc: 0
           out: ''
           err: ''
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ test_cases:
         return_values: ["hash1", "hash2", "hash1_changed", "hash2"]
       run_command:
         - *help_config
-        - command: ["/testbin/php", "/testbin/composer", "--working-dir", "/var/www/foo", "config", "setting-key", "setting-value"]
+        - command: ["/testbin/php", "/testbin/composer", "--working-dir=/var/www/foo", "config", "setting-key", "setting-value"]
           rc: 0
           out: ''
           err: ''