diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/72322-wait-for-handle-errors.yml b/changelogs/fragments/72322-wait-for-handle-errors.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d32940fa234
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/72322-wait-for-handle-errors.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - wait_for - catch and ignore errors when getting active connections with psutil (https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/72322)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/wait_for.py b/lib/ansible/modules/wait_for.py
index 26287f02fd8..f87e46f0c57 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/wait_for.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/wait_for.py
@@ -289,10 +289,14 @@ class TCPConnectionInfo(object):
     def get_active_connections_count(self):
         active_connections = 0
         for p in psutil.process_iter():
-            if hasattr(p, 'get_connections'):
-                connections = p.get_connections(kind='inet')
-            else:
-                connections = p.connections(kind='inet')
+            try:
+                if hasattr(p, 'get_connections'):
+                    connections = p.get_connections(kind='inet')
+                else:
+                    connections = p.connections(kind='inet')
+            except psutil.Error:
+                # Process is Zombie or other error state
+                continue
             for conn in connections:
                 if conn.status not in self.module.params['active_connection_states']:
                     continue
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/wait_for/files/zombie.py b/test/integration/targets/wait_for/files/zombie.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..913074eb909
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/targets/wait_for/files/zombie.py
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+from __future__ import absolute_import, division, print_function
+__metaclass__ = type
+
+import os
+import sys
+import time
+
+child_pid = os.fork()
+
+if child_pid > 0:
+    time.sleep(60)
+else:
+    sys.exit()
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/wait_for/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/targets/wait_for/tasks/main.yml
index 5522030551b..67e077868ed 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/wait_for/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/wait_for/tasks/main.yml
@@ -153,6 +153,16 @@
     name: psutil
   when: ansible_system != 'Linux'
 
+- name: Copy zombie.py
+  copy:
+    src: zombie.py
+    dest: "{{ output_dir }}"
+
+- name: Create zombie process
+  shell: "{{ ansible_python.executable }} {{ output_dir }}/zombie"
+  async: 90
+  poll: 0
+
 - name: test wait for port drained
   wait_for:
     port: "{{ http_port }}"