diff --git a/.changes/unreleased/Fixes-20240323-122018.yaml b/.changes/unreleased/Fixes-20240323-122018.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a165511283c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/unreleased/Fixes-20240323-122018.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+kind: Fixes
+body: Make `args` variable to be un-modified by `dbt.invoke(args)`
+time: 2024-03-23T12:20:18.170948-06:00
+custom:
+  Author: dbeatty10
+  Issue: 8938 9787
diff --git a/core/dbt/cli/main.py b/core/dbt/cli/main.py
index 6677233bda7..deff7d8d341 100644
--- a/core/dbt/cli/main.py
+++ b/core/dbt/cli/main.py
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ def __init__(
 
     def invoke(self, args: List[str], **kwargs) -> dbtRunnerResult:
         try:
-            dbt_ctx = cli.make_context(cli.name, args)
+            dbt_ctx = cli.make_context(cli.name, args.copy())
             dbt_ctx.obj = {
                 "manifest": self.manifest,
                 "callbacks": self.callbacks,
diff --git a/tests/functional/dbt_runner/test_dbt_runner.py b/tests/functional/dbt_runner/test_dbt_runner.py
index b0375b1f730..c332490e2d7 100644
--- a/tests/functional/dbt_runner/test_dbt_runner.py
+++ b/tests/functional/dbt_runner/test_dbt_runner.py
@@ -94,6 +94,12 @@ def test_pass_in_manifest(self, project, dbt):
         assert result.success
         assert len(FACTORY.adapters) == 1
 
+    def test_pass_in_args_variable(self, dbt):
+        args = ["--log-format", "text"]
+        args_before = args.copy()
+        dbt.invoke(args)
+        assert args == args_before
+
 
 class TestDbtRunnerQueryComments:
     @pytest.fixture(scope="class")
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_cli_flags.py b/tests/unit/test_cli_flags.py
index 7c605c2eab0..6bf9d692e0e 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_cli_flags.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_cli_flags.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ class TestFlags:
     def make_dbt_context(
         self, context_name: str, args: List[str], parent: Optional[click.Context] = None
     ) -> click.Context:
-        ctx = cli.make_context(context_name, args, parent)
+        ctx = cli.make_context(context_name, args.copy(), parent)
         return ctx
 
     @pytest.fixture(scope="class")
@@ -29,6 +29,13 @@ def run_context(self) -> click.Context:
     def project_flags(self) -> ProjectFlags:
         return ProjectFlags()
 
+    def test_cli_args_unmodified(self):
+        args = ["--target", "my_target"]
+        args_before = args.copy()
+        self.make_dbt_context("context", args)
+
+        assert args == args_before
+
     def test_which(self, run_context):
         flags = Flags(run_context)
         assert flags.WHICH == "run"