diff --git a/.github/workflows/unit_test.yml b/.github/workflows/unit_test.yml
index 4fb73b76..521f7f32 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/unit_test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/unit_test.yml
@@ -81,7 +81,22 @@ jobs:
           bundler-cache: true
       - name: Update gems
         run: bundle update
-      - name: install podman
-        run: sudo ./script/install_podman.sh
+      - name: Start rootless Podman API service
+        run: |
+          mkdir -p "${HOME}/var/run"
+          podman system service unix://${HOME}/var/run/podman.sock --time=0 &
+          echo $! > $HOME/podman_service.pid
+          # Wait until the socket is ready
+          for i in $(seq 1 20); do
+            if podman --url unix://${HOME}/var/run/podman.sock info >/dev/null 2>&1 ; then
+              echo "Podman socket ready"; break
+            fi
+            echo "Waiting for podman socket…"
+            sleep 1
+          done
+      - name: Point Docker-API at Podman
+        run: |
+          echo "DOCKER_HOST=unix://${HOME}/var/run/podman.sock" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          echo "EXPECT_PODMAN=true" >> $GITHUB_ENV
       - name: spec tests
         run: bundle exec rake
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper.rb b/spec/spec_helper.rb
index 8be80cab..8b8d2f50 100644
--- a/spec/spec_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/spec_helper.rb
@@ -13,6 +13,17 @@
 
 require 'docker'
 
+# Hard-fail the build if we said we expected Podman but did not get it
+if (ENV['EXPECT_PODMAN'] == 'true') && !Docker.podman?
+  warn <<~MSG
+    EXPECT_PODMAN=true was set, but Docker.podman? returned false.
+    Connected engine information:
+    #{Docker.version}
+    Make sure the Podman API socket is running and DOCKER_HOST points to it.
+  MSG
+  exit 1
+end
+
 ENV['DOCKER_API_USER']  ||= 'debbie_docker'
 ENV['DOCKER_API_PASS']  ||= '*************'
 ENV['DOCKER_API_EMAIL'] ||= 'debbie_docker@example.com'