diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/become_none.yml b/changelogs/fragments/become_none.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..15f4af63dcb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/become_none.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+    - Do not assume None is equal as connection and become tools can have different unspecified defaults.
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/__init__.py
index f633c5c2293..3e0fdf8024b 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/__init__.py
@@ -1035,9 +1035,11 @@ class ActionBase(with_metaclass(ABCMeta, object)):
             display.debug("_low_level_execute_command(): changing cwd to %s for this command" % chdir)
             cmd = self._connection._shell.append_command('cd %s' % chdir, cmd)
 
-        if (sudoable and self._connection.transport != 'network_cli' and self._connection.become and
-                (C.BECOME_ALLOW_SAME_USER or
-                 self.get_become_option('become_user') != self._get_remote_user())):
+        ruser = self._get_remote_user()
+        buser = self.get_become_option('become_user')
+        if (sudoable and self._connection.become and  # if sudoable and have become
+                self._connection.transport != 'network_cli' and  # if not using network_cli
+                (C.BECOME_ALLOW_SAME_USER or (buser != ruser or not any((ruser, buser))))):  # if we allow same user PE or users are different and either is set
             display.debug("_low_level_execute_command(): using become for this command")
             cmd = self._connection.become.build_become_command(cmd, self._connection._shell)