diff --git a/plugins/module_utils/_keycloak.py b/plugins/module_utils/_keycloak.py
index 0cbef872a4..f80cabae44 100644
--- a/plugins/module_utils/_keycloak.py
+++ b/plugins/module_utils/_keycloak.py
@@ -1085,24 +1085,33 @@ class KeycloakAPI:
         except Exception as e:
             self.fail_request(e, msg=f"Could not fetch effective rolemappings for user {uid}, realm {realm}: {e}")
 
-    def get_realm_users(self, realm: str = "master") -> dict[str, t.Any] | None:
+    def get_realm_users(self, realm: str = "master") -> list[dict[str, t.Any]]:
         """Obtain list of users from the realm
 
         :param realm: realm id
         :return: list of user representations
         """
-        return self._get_users(username=None, realm=realm)
+        users_url = URL_USERS.format(url=self.baseurl, realm=realm)
+        try:
+            return self._request_and_deserialize(users_url, method="GET")
+        except ValueError as e:
+            self.module.fail_json(
+                msg=f"API returned incorrect JSON when trying to obtain the users for realm {realm}: {e}"
+            )
+        except Exception as e:
+            self.fail_request(e, msg=f"Could not obtain the users for realm {realm}: {e}")
 
-    def _get_users(self, username, realm: str = "master"):
-        """Get the user with the given username or all users if username=None"""
+    def get_user_by_username(self, username: str, realm: str = "master") -> dict[str, t.Any] | None:
+        """Fetch a keycloak user within a realm based on its username.
+        
+        If the username is not found, None is returned.
+        :param username: Username of the user to fetch.
+        :param realm: Realm in which the user resides; default 'master'"""
         users_url = URL_USERS.format(url=self.baseurl, realm=realm)
         if username is not None:
             users_url += f"?username={quote(username, safe='')}&exact=true"
         try:
             users = self._request_and_deserialize(users_url, method="GET")
-            if username is None:
-                return users
-
             for user in users:
                 if user["username"] == username:
                     return user
@@ -1114,14 +1123,6 @@ class KeycloakAPI:
         except Exception as e:
             self.fail_request(e, msg=f"Could not obtain the user for realm {realm} and username {username}: {e}")
 
-    def get_user_by_username(self, username, realm: str = "master"):
-        """Fetch a keycloak user within a realm based on its username.
-
-        If the user does not exist, None is returned.
-        :param username: Username of the user to fetch.
-        :param realm: Realm in which the user resides; default 'master'
-        """
-        return self._get_users(username=username, realm=realm)
 
     def get_service_account_user_by_client_id(self, client_id, realm: str = "master"):
         """Fetch a keycloak service account user within a realm based on its client_id.