diff --git a/cmd/podman/containers/attach.go b/cmd/podman/containers/attach.go
index 52adb1fcb719..3b69154d17e8 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/containers/attach.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/containers/attach.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package containers
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"os"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/containers/podman/v4/cmd/podman/common"
 	"github.com/containers/podman/v4/cmd/podman/registry"
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@ func attach(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 
 	var name string
 	if len(args) > 0 {
-		name = args[0]
+		name = strings.TrimPrefix(args[0], "/")
 	}
 	attachOpts.Stdin = os.Stdin
 	if attachOpts.NoStdin {
diff --git a/cmd/podman/containers/checkpoint.go b/cmd/podman/containers/checkpoint.go
index 4350e5586d3d..b52dca15bcf9 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/containers/checkpoint.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/containers/checkpoint.go
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ func init() {
 
 func checkpoint(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	var errs utils.OutputErrors
+	args = utils.RemoveSlash(args)
 	podmanStart := time.Now()
 	if cmd.Flags().Changed("compress") {
 		if checkpointOptions.Export == "" {
diff --git a/cmd/podman/containers/commit.go b/cmd/podman/containers/commit.go
index 77f74395ec56..fa0621a4cc55 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/containers/commit.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/containers/commit.go
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ func init() {
 }
 
 func commit(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-	container := args[0]
+	container := strings.TrimPrefix(args[0], "/")
 	if len(args) == 2 {
 		commitOptions.ImageName = args[1]
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/podman/containers/exec.go b/cmd/podman/containers/exec.go
index cbd09085234d..1440c9374827 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/containers/exec.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/containers/exec.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/containers/common/pkg/completion"
 	"github.com/containers/podman/v4/cmd/podman/common"
@@ -112,7 +113,7 @@ func exec(_ *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	execOpts.Cmd = args
 	if !execOpts.Latest {
 		execOpts.Cmd = args[1:]
-		nameOrID = args[0]
+		nameOrID = strings.TrimPrefix(args[0], "/")
 	}
 	// Validate given environment variables
 	execOpts.Envs = make(map[string]string)
diff --git a/cmd/podman/containers/exists.go b/cmd/podman/containers/exists.go
index 69f9b85cdc62..11d1f35040c6 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/containers/exists.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/containers/exists.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package containers
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/containers/podman/v4/cmd/podman/common"
 	"github.com/containers/podman/v4/cmd/podman/registry"
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ func exists(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	options := entities.ContainerExistsOptions{
 		External: external,
 	}
-	response, err := registry.ContainerEngine().ContainerExists(context.Background(), args[0], options)
+	response, err := registry.ContainerEngine().ContainerExists(context.Background(), strings.TrimPrefix(args[0], "/"), options)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/podman/containers/export.go b/cmd/podman/containers/export.go
index 96f7c8644f9d..c3ddef39bde1 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/containers/export.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/containers/export.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"os"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/containers/common/pkg/completion"
 	"github.com/containers/podman/v4/cmd/podman/common"
@@ -87,5 +88,5 @@ func export(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		defer file.Close()
 		exportOpts.Output = file
 	}
-	return registry.ContainerEngine().ContainerExport(context.Background(), args[0], exportOpts)
+	return registry.ContainerEngine().ContainerExport(context.Background(), strings.TrimPrefix(args[0], "/"), exportOpts)
 }
diff --git a/cmd/podman/containers/init.go b/cmd/podman/containers/init.go
index 8f53dca4512b..d782382cfc7a 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/containers/init.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/containers/init.go
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ func init() {
 
 func initContainer(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	var errs utils.OutputErrors
+	args = utils.RemoveSlash(args)
 	report, err := registry.ContainerEngine().ContainerInit(registry.GetContext(), args, initOptions)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/cmd/podman/containers/kill.go b/cmd/podman/containers/kill.go
index 3c9bf6b719d7..49983f42289c 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/containers/kill.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/containers/kill.go
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ func kill(_ *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		err  error
 		errs utils.OutputErrors
 	)
+	args = utils.RemoveSlash(args)
 	// Check if the signalString provided by the user is valid
 	// Invalid signals will return err
 	sig, err := signal.ParseSignalNameOrNumber(killOptions.Signal)
diff --git a/cmd/podman/containers/logs.go b/cmd/podman/containers/logs.go
index e285a24d8e57..206928107303 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/containers/logs.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/containers/logs.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containers/common/pkg/completion"
 	"github.com/containers/podman/v4/cmd/podman/common"
 	"github.com/containers/podman/v4/cmd/podman/registry"
+	"github.com/containers/podman/v4/cmd/podman/utils"
 	"github.com/containers/podman/v4/cmd/podman/validate"
 	"github.com/containers/podman/v4/pkg/domain/entities"
 	"github.com/containers/podman/v4/pkg/util"
@@ -122,6 +123,7 @@ func logsFlags(cmd *cobra.Command) {
 }
 
 func logs(_ *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+	args = utils.RemoveSlash(args)
 	if logsOptions.SinceRaw != "" {
 		// parse time, error out if something is wrong
 		since, err := util.ParseInputTime(logsOptions.SinceRaw, true)
diff --git a/cmd/podman/containers/mount.go b/cmd/podman/containers/mount.go
index a1f0b0cf3832..a60cb4e77683 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/containers/mount.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/containers/mount.go
@@ -85,6 +85,8 @@ func mount(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	if len(args) > 0 && mountOpts.Latest {
 		return errors.New("--latest and containers cannot be used together")
 	}
+	args = utils.RemoveSlash(args)
+
 	reports, err := registry.ContainerEngine().ContainerMount(registry.GetContext(), args, mountOpts)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/cmd/podman/containers/pause.go b/cmd/podman/containers/pause.go
index ea5dd3a0cc77..3dd65859580d 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/containers/pause.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/containers/pause.go
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ func pause(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	var (
 		errs utils.OutputErrors
 	)
+	args = utils.RemoveSlash(args)
 
 	for _, cidFile := range pauseCidFiles {
 		content, err := os.ReadFile(cidFile)
diff --git a/cmd/podman/containers/port.go b/cmd/podman/containers/port.go
index 74bfdf5c614a..42077214d84d 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/containers/port.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/containers/port.go
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func port(_ *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return errors.New("you must supply a running container name or id")
 	}
 	if !portOpts.Latest && len(args) >= 1 {
-		container = args[0]
+		container = strings.TrimPrefix(args[0], "/")
 	}
 	port := ""
 	if len(args) > 2 {
diff --git a/cmd/podman/containers/prune.go b/cmd/podman/containers/prune.go
index 100bf52c6624..e90bd500f9ff 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/containers/prune.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/containers/prune.go
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ func init() {
 	_ = pruneCommand.RegisterFlagCompletionFunc(filterFlagName, common.AutocompletePruneFilters)
 }
 
-func prune(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+func prune(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 	var (
 		pruneOptions = entities.ContainerPruneOptions{}
 		err          error
diff --git a/cmd/podman/containers/rename.go b/cmd/podman/containers/rename.go
index d78492ae45c0..78a1608922d7 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/containers/rename.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/containers/rename.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/containers/podman/v4/cmd/podman/common"
 	"github.com/containers/podman/v4/cmd/podman/registry"
+	"github.com/containers/podman/v4/cmd/podman/utils"
 	"github.com/containers/podman/v4/pkg/domain/entities"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@ func rename(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	if len(args) > 2 {
 		return errors.New("must provide at least two arguments to rename")
 	}
+	args = utils.RemoveSlash(args)
 	renameOpts := entities.ContainerRenameOptions{
 		NewName: args[1],
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/podman/containers/restart.go b/cmd/podman/containers/restart.go
index db2759f0b401..b4886575a2da 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/containers/restart.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/containers/restart.go
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ func restart(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	var (
 		errs utils.OutputErrors
 	)
+	args = utils.RemoveSlash(args)
 
 	if cmd.Flag("time").Changed {
 		restartOpts.Timeout = &restartTimeout
diff --git a/cmd/podman/containers/restore.go b/cmd/podman/containers/restore.go
index d094ac246986..f399324c00a4 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/containers/restore.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/containers/restore.go
@@ -96,6 +96,8 @@ func restore(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		e    error
 		errs utils.OutputErrors
 	)
+	args = utils.RemoveSlash(args)
+
 	podmanStart := time.Now()
 	if rootless.IsRootless() {
 		return fmt.Errorf("restoring a container requires root")
diff --git a/cmd/podman/containers/rm.go b/cmd/podman/containers/rm.go
index 41d209332109..fcd9935fc6a8 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/containers/rm.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/containers/rm.go
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ func rm(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		rmOptions.Depend = true
 	}
 
-	return removeContainers(args, rmOptions, true)
+	return removeContainers(utils.RemoveSlash(args), rmOptions, true)
 }
 
 // removeContainers will remove the specified containers (names or IDs).
diff --git a/cmd/podman/containers/runlabel.go b/cmd/podman/containers/runlabel.go
index 6410e3f1cd62..00f64ec0b9fa 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/containers/runlabel.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/containers/runlabel.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package containers
 import (
 	"context"
 	"os"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/containers/common/pkg/auth"
 	"github.com/containers/common/pkg/completion"
@@ -95,5 +96,5 @@ func runlabel(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
-	return registry.ContainerEngine().ContainerRunlabel(context.Background(), args[0], args[1], args[2:], runlabelOptions.ContainerRunlabelOptions)
+	return registry.ContainerEngine().ContainerRunlabel(context.Background(), strings.TrimPrefix(args[0], "/"), args[1], args[2:], runlabelOptions.ContainerRunlabelOptions)
 }
diff --git a/cmd/podman/containers/start.go b/cmd/podman/containers/start.go
index 061f0953d3eb..b67a5ae547d1 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/containers/start.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/containers/start.go
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ func start(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		startOptions.Stdout = os.Stdout
 	}
 
-	containers := args
+	containers := utils.RemoveSlash(args)
 	for _, f := range filters {
 		split := strings.SplitN(f, "=", 2)
 		if len(split) < 2 {
diff --git a/cmd/podman/containers/stats.go b/cmd/podman/containers/stats.go
index f29bbf34c52b..79b549a1d835 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/containers/stats.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/containers/stats.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containers/common/pkg/report"
 	"github.com/containers/podman/v4/cmd/podman/common"
 	"github.com/containers/podman/v4/cmd/podman/registry"
+	putils "github.com/containers/podman/v4/cmd/podman/utils"
 	"github.com/containers/podman/v4/cmd/podman/validate"
 	"github.com/containers/podman/v4/libpod/define"
 	"github.com/containers/podman/v4/pkg/domain/entities"
@@ -120,6 +121,7 @@ func stats(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		Stream:   !statsOptions.NoStream,
 		Interval: statsOptions.Interval,
 	}
+	args = putils.RemoveSlash(args)
 	statsChan, err := registry.ContainerEngine().ContainerStats(registry.Context(), args, opts)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/cmd/podman/containers/stop.go b/cmd/podman/containers/stop.go
index a1e3a0c464f4..a03f681fbe47 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/containers/stop.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/containers/stop.go
@@ -101,6 +101,8 @@ func stop(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	var (
 		errs utils.OutputErrors
 	)
+	args = utils.RemoveSlash(args)
+
 	if cmd.Flag("time").Changed {
 		stopOptions.Timeout = &stopTimeout
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/podman/containers/top.go b/cmd/podman/containers/top.go
index 9340acd9a45e..659c74c2687a 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/containers/top.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/containers/top.go
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ func top(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	if topOptions.Latest {
 		topOptions.Descriptors = args
 	} else {
-		topOptions.NameOrID = args[0]
+		topOptions.NameOrID = strings.TrimPrefix(args[0], "/")
 		topOptions.Descriptors = args[1:]
 	}
 
diff --git a/cmd/podman/containers/unmount.go b/cmd/podman/containers/unmount.go
index 6869de2e2f3c..c16ab7d01bc5 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/containers/unmount.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/containers/unmount.go
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ func init() {
 
 func unmount(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	var errs utils.OutputErrors
+	args = utils.RemoveSlash(args)
 	reports, err := registry.ContainerEngine().ContainerUnmount(registry.GetContext(), args, unmountOpts)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/cmd/podman/containers/unpause.go b/cmd/podman/containers/unpause.go
index fea05ee22738..00f22944728b 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/containers/unpause.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/containers/unpause.go
@@ -91,6 +91,8 @@ func unpause(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	var (
 		errs utils.OutputErrors
 	)
+	args = utils.RemoveSlash(args)
+
 	if rootless.IsRootless() && !registry.IsRemote() {
 		cgroupv2, _ := cgroups.IsCgroup2UnifiedMode()
 		if !cgroupv2 {
diff --git a/cmd/podman/containers/update.go b/cmd/podman/containers/update.go
index 33aa25f8e5eb..5992a8ec724f 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/containers/update.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/containers/update.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package containers
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/containers/podman/v4/cmd/podman/common"
 	"github.com/containers/podman/v4/cmd/podman/registry"
@@ -71,7 +72,7 @@ func update(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	}
 
 	opts := &entities.ContainerUpdateOptions{
-		NameOrID: args[0],
+		NameOrID: strings.TrimPrefix(args[0], "/"),
 		Specgen:  s,
 	}
 	rep, err := registry.ContainerEngine().ContainerUpdate(context.Background(), opts)
diff --git a/cmd/podman/containers/wait.go b/cmd/podman/containers/wait.go
index f34e1a18a487..0b6a5dc5f106 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/containers/wait.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/containers/wait.go
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ func wait(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		err  error
 		errs utils.OutputErrors
 	)
+	args = utils.RemoveSlash(args)
 	if waitOptions.Interval, err = time.ParseDuration(waitInterval); err != nil {
 		var err1 error
 		if waitOptions.Interval, err1 = time.ParseDuration(waitInterval + "ms"); err1 != nil {
diff --git a/cmd/podman/utils/utils.go b/cmd/podman/utils/utils.go
index 8063f4309e08..4fa16914cc95 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/utils/utils.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/utils/utils.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/containers/podman/v4/cmd/podman/registry"
 	"github.com/containers/podman/v4/libpod/define"
@@ -139,3 +140,11 @@ func IsCheckpointImage(ctx context.Context, namesOrIDs []string) (bool, error) {
 	}
 	return true, nil
 }
+
+func RemoveSlash(input []string) []string {
+	output := make([]string, 0, len(input))
+	for _, in := range input {
+		output = append(output, strings.TrimPrefix(in, "/"))
+	}
+	return output
+}
diff --git a/libpod/options.go b/libpod/options.go
index 2f81d9358a36..373cf5aada4e 100644
--- a/libpod/options.go
+++ b/libpod/options.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"net"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
 	"syscall"
 
 	"github.com/containers/buildah/pkg/parse"
@@ -776,6 +777,7 @@ func WithName(name string) CtrCreateOption {
 			return define.ErrCtrFinalized
 		}
 
+		name = strings.TrimPrefix(name, "/")
 		// Check the name against a regex
 		if !define.NameRegex.MatchString(name) {
 			return define.RegexError
diff --git a/libpod/runtime_ctr.go b/libpod/runtime_ctr.go
index f8e74c3df166..f44a01f0f79a 100644
--- a/libpod/runtime_ctr.go
+++ b/libpod/runtime_ctr.go
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ func (r *Runtime) RenameContainer(ctx context.Context, ctr *Container, newName s
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	newName = strings.TrimPrefix(newName, "/")
 	if newName == "" || !define.NameRegex.MatchString(newName) {
 		return nil, define.RegexError
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/domain/filters/containers.go b/pkg/domain/filters/containers.go
index 67f727fd838a..99b11f048f8f 100644
--- a/pkg/domain/filters/containers.go
+++ b/pkg/domain/filters/containers.go
@@ -30,7 +30,11 @@ func GenerateContainerFilterFuncs(filter string, filterValues []string, r *libpo
 	case "name":
 		// we only have to match one name
 		return func(c *libpod.Container) bool {
-			return util.StringMatchRegexSlice(c.Name(), filterValues)
+			var filters []string
+			for _, f := range filterValues {
+				filters = append(filters, strings.ReplaceAll(f, "/", ""))
+			}
+			return util.StringMatchRegexSlice(c.Name(), filters)
 		}, nil
 	case "exited":
 		var exitCodes []int32
diff --git a/test/system/030-run.bats b/test/system/030-run.bats
index 171008393982..3866a8201890 100644
--- a/test/system/030-run.bats
+++ b/test/system/030-run.bats
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ echo $rand        |   0 | $rand
     run_podman 1 image exists $NONLOCAL_IMAGE
 
     # Run a container, without --rm; this should block subsequent --rmi
-    run_podman run --name keepme $NONLOCAL_IMAGE /bin/true
+    run_podman run --name /keepme $NONLOCAL_IMAGE /bin/true
     run_podman image exists $NONLOCAL_IMAGE
 
     # Now try running with --rmi : it should succeed, but not remove the image
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ echo $rand        |   0 | $rand
     run_podman image exists $NONLOCAL_IMAGE
 
     # Remove the stray container, and run one more time with --rmi.
-    run_podman rm keepme
+    run_podman rm /keepme
     run_podman run --rmi --rm $NONLOCAL_IMAGE /bin/true
     run_podman 1 image exists $NONLOCAL_IMAGE
 }
@@ -964,4 +964,14 @@ EOF
     CONTAINERS_CONF="$containersconf" run_podman 1 run --rm --read-only-tmpfs=false $IMAGE touch /tmp/testro
 }
 
+@test "podman run bad --name" {
+    randomname=$(random_string 30)
+    run_podman 125 create --name "$randomname/bad" $IMAGE
+    run_podman create --name "/$randomname" $IMAGE
+    run_podman ps -a --filter name="^/$randomname$" --format '{{ .Names }}'
+    is $output "$randomname" "Should be able to find container by name"
+    run_podman rm "/$randomname"
+    run_podman 125 create --name "$randomname/" $IMAGE
+}
+
 # vim: filetype=sh