diff --git a/pkg/crc/preflight/preflight_checks_common.go b/pkg/crc/preflight/preflight_checks_common.go
index 63d26112ad..6d7e62d63b 100644
--- a/pkg/crc/preflight/preflight_checks_common.go
+++ b/pkg/crc/preflight/preflight_checks_common.go
@@ -155,3 +155,32 @@ func removeAllLogs() error {
 func removeCRCHostEntriesFromKnownHosts() error {
 	return ssh.RemoveCRCHostEntriesFromKnownHosts()
 }
+
+func checkPodmanInOcBinDir() error {
+	podmanBinPath := filepath.Join(constants.CrcOcBinDir, constants.PodmanRemoteExecutableName)
+	if crcos.FileExists(podmanBinPath) {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Found podman executable: %s", podmanBinPath)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func fixPodmanInOcBinDir() error {
+	podmanBinPath := filepath.Join(constants.CrcOcBinDir, constants.PodmanRemoteExecutableName)
+	if crcos.FileExists(podmanBinPath) {
+		logging.Debugf("Removing podman binary at: %s", podmanBinPath)
+		return os.Remove(podmanBinPath)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func removePodmanFromOcBinDirCheck() Check {
+	return Check{
+		configKeySuffix:  "check-podman-in-ocbindir",
+		checkDescription: fmt.Sprintf("Check if Podman binary exists in: %s", constants.CrcOcBinDir),
+		check:            checkPodmanInOcBinDir,
+		fixDescription:   fmt.Sprintf("Removing Podman binary from: %s", constants.CrcOcBinDir),
+		fix:              fixPodmanInOcBinDir,
+
+		labels: None,
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/crc/preflight/preflight_darwin.go b/pkg/crc/preflight/preflight_darwin.go
index b4d963d11c..05b419eb23 100644
--- a/pkg/crc/preflight/preflight_darwin.go
+++ b/pkg/crc/preflight/preflight_darwin.go
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ func getChecks(_ network.Mode, bundlePath string, preset crcpreset.Preset, enabl
 	checks = append(checks, nonWinPreflightChecks...)
 	checks = append(checks, genericPreflightChecks(preset)...)
 	checks = append(checks, memoryCheck(preset))
+	checks = append(checks, removePodmanFromOcBinDirCheck())
 	checks = append(checks, genericCleanupChecks...)
 	checks = append(checks, vfkitPreflightChecks...)
 	checks = append(checks, resolverPreflightChecks...)
diff --git a/pkg/crc/preflight/preflight_linux.go b/pkg/crc/preflight/preflight_linux.go
index 1a010337b3..46c7100d39 100644
--- a/pkg/crc/preflight/preflight_linux.go
+++ b/pkg/crc/preflight/preflight_linux.go
@@ -368,6 +368,7 @@ func getChecks(distro *linux.OsRelease, bundlePath string, preset crcpreset.Pres
 	checks = append(checks, wsl2PreflightCheck)
 	checks = append(checks, genericPreflightChecks(preset)...)
 	checks = append(checks, memoryCheck(preset))
+	checks = append(checks, removePodmanFromOcBinDirCheck())
 	checks = append(checks, genericCleanupChecks...)
 	checks = append(checks, libvirtPreflightChecks(distro)...)
 	checks = append(checks, ubuntuPreflightChecks...)
diff --git a/pkg/crc/preflight/preflight_linux_test.go b/pkg/crc/preflight/preflight_linux_test.go
index 21de2ccfc8..0eb2db015e 100644
--- a/pkg/crc/preflight/preflight_linux_test.go
+++ b/pkg/crc/preflight/preflight_linux_test.go
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ var checkListForDistros = []checkListForDistro{
 			{check: checkSupportedCPUArch},
 			{check: checkCrcSymlink},
 			{configKeySuffix: "check-ram"},
+			{check: checkPodmanInOcBinDir},
 			{cleanup: removeCRCMachinesDir},
 			{cleanup: removeAllLogs},
 			{cleanup: cluster.ForgetPullSecret},
@@ -109,6 +110,7 @@ var checkListForDistros = []checkListForDistro{
 			{check: checkSupportedCPUArch},
 			{check: checkCrcSymlink},
 			{configKeySuffix: "check-ram"},
+			{check: checkPodmanInOcBinDir},
 			{cleanup: removeCRCMachinesDir},
 			{cleanup: removeAllLogs},
 			{cleanup: cluster.ForgetPullSecret},
@@ -147,6 +149,7 @@ var checkListForDistros = []checkListForDistro{
 			{check: checkSupportedCPUArch},
 			{check: checkCrcSymlink},
 			{configKeySuffix: "check-ram"},
+			{check: checkPodmanInOcBinDir},
 			{cleanup: removeCRCMachinesDir},
 			{cleanup: removeAllLogs},
 			{cleanup: cluster.ForgetPullSecret},
@@ -179,6 +182,7 @@ var checkListForDistros = []checkListForDistro{
 			{check: checkSupportedCPUArch},
 			{check: checkCrcSymlink},
 			{configKeySuffix: "check-ram"},
+			{check: checkPodmanInOcBinDir},
 			{cleanup: removeCRCMachinesDir},
 			{cleanup: removeAllLogs},
 			{cleanup: cluster.ForgetPullSecret},
@@ -218,6 +222,7 @@ var checkListForDistros = []checkListForDistro{
 			{check: checkSupportedCPUArch},
 			{check: checkCrcSymlink},
 			{configKeySuffix: "check-ram"},
+			{check: checkPodmanInOcBinDir},
 			{cleanup: removeCRCMachinesDir},
 			{cleanup: removeAllLogs},
 			{cleanup: cluster.ForgetPullSecret},
@@ -256,6 +261,7 @@ var checkListForDistros = []checkListForDistro{
 			{check: checkSupportedCPUArch},
 			{check: checkCrcSymlink},
 			{configKeySuffix: "check-ram"},
+			{check: checkPodmanInOcBinDir},
 			{cleanup: removeCRCMachinesDir},
 			{cleanup: removeAllLogs},
 			{cleanup: cluster.ForgetPullSecret},
@@ -288,6 +294,7 @@ var checkListForDistros = []checkListForDistro{
 			{check: checkSupportedCPUArch},
 			{check: checkCrcSymlink},
 			{configKeySuffix: "check-ram"},
+			{check: checkPodmanInOcBinDir},
 			{cleanup: removeCRCMachinesDir},
 			{cleanup: removeAllLogs},
 			{cleanup: cluster.ForgetPullSecret},
@@ -327,6 +334,7 @@ var checkListForDistros = []checkListForDistro{
 			{check: checkSupportedCPUArch},
 			{check: checkCrcSymlink},
 			{configKeySuffix: "check-ram"},
+			{check: checkPodmanInOcBinDir},
 			{cleanup: removeCRCMachinesDir},
 			{cleanup: removeAllLogs},
 			{cleanup: cluster.ForgetPullSecret},
@@ -365,6 +373,7 @@ var checkListForDistros = []checkListForDistro{
 			{check: checkSupportedCPUArch},
 			{check: checkCrcSymlink},
 			{configKeySuffix: "check-ram"},
+			{check: checkPodmanInOcBinDir},
 			{cleanup: removeCRCMachinesDir},
 			{cleanup: removeAllLogs},
 			{cleanup: cluster.ForgetPullSecret},
@@ -397,6 +406,7 @@ var checkListForDistros = []checkListForDistro{
 			{check: checkSupportedCPUArch},
 			{check: checkCrcSymlink},
 			{configKeySuffix: "check-ram"},
+			{check: checkPodmanInOcBinDir},
 			{cleanup: removeCRCMachinesDir},
 			{cleanup: removeAllLogs},
 			{cleanup: cluster.ForgetPullSecret},
@@ -437,6 +447,7 @@ var checkListForDistros = []checkListForDistro{
 			{check: checkSupportedCPUArch},
 			{check: checkCrcSymlink},
 			{configKeySuffix: "check-ram"},
+			{check: checkPodmanInOcBinDir},
 			{cleanup: removeCRCMachinesDir},
 			{cleanup: removeAllLogs},
 			{cleanup: cluster.ForgetPullSecret},
@@ -476,6 +487,7 @@ var checkListForDistros = []checkListForDistro{
 			{check: checkSupportedCPUArch},
 			{check: checkCrcSymlink},
 			{configKeySuffix: "check-ram"},
+			{check: checkPodmanInOcBinDir},
 			{cleanup: removeCRCMachinesDir},
 			{cleanup: removeAllLogs},
 			{cleanup: cluster.ForgetPullSecret},
diff --git a/pkg/crc/preflight/preflight_windows.go b/pkg/crc/preflight/preflight_windows.go
index b6e96c40c7..7d39c4a9ad 100644
--- a/pkg/crc/preflight/preflight_windows.go
+++ b/pkg/crc/preflight/preflight_windows.go
@@ -212,6 +212,7 @@ func getAllPreflightChecks() []Check {
 func getChecks(bundlePath string, preset crcpreset.Preset, enableBundleQuayFallback bool) []Check {
 	checks := []Check{}
 	checks = append(checks, memoryCheck(preset))
+	checks = append(checks, removePodmanFromOcBinDirCheck())
 	checks = append(checks, hypervPreflightChecks...)
 	checks = append(checks, crcUsersGroupExistsCheck)
 	checks = append(checks, userPartOfCrcUsersAndHypervAdminsGroupCheck)
diff --git a/pkg/crc/preflight/preflight_windows_test.go b/pkg/crc/preflight/preflight_windows_test.go
index 603222d6ac..b0b7834d79 100644
--- a/pkg/crc/preflight/preflight_windows_test.go
+++ b/pkg/crc/preflight/preflight_windows_test.go
@@ -13,13 +13,13 @@ import (
 func TestCountConfigurationOptions(t *testing.T) {
 	cfg := config.New(config.NewEmptyInMemoryStorage(), config.NewEmptyInMemorySecretStorage())
 	RegisterSettings(cfg)
-	assert.Len(t, cfg.AllConfigs(), 15)
+	assert.Len(t, cfg.AllConfigs(), 16)
 }
 
 func TestCountPreflights(t *testing.T) {
-	assert.Len(t, getPreflightChecks(false, network.SystemNetworkingMode, constants.GetDefaultBundlePath(preset.OpenShift), preset.OpenShift, false), 23)
-	assert.Len(t, getPreflightChecks(true, network.SystemNetworkingMode, constants.GetDefaultBundlePath(preset.OpenShift), preset.OpenShift, false), 23)
+	assert.Len(t, getPreflightChecks(false, network.SystemNetworkingMode, constants.GetDefaultBundlePath(preset.OpenShift), preset.OpenShift, false), 24)
+	assert.Len(t, getPreflightChecks(true, network.SystemNetworkingMode, constants.GetDefaultBundlePath(preset.OpenShift), preset.OpenShift, false), 24)
 
-	assert.Len(t, getPreflightChecks(false, network.UserNetworkingMode, constants.GetDefaultBundlePath(preset.OpenShift), preset.OpenShift, false), 22)
-	assert.Len(t, getPreflightChecks(true, network.UserNetworkingMode, constants.GetDefaultBundlePath(preset.OpenShift), preset.OpenShift, false), 22)
+	assert.Len(t, getPreflightChecks(false, network.UserNetworkingMode, constants.GetDefaultBundlePath(preset.OpenShift), preset.OpenShift, false), 23)
+	assert.Len(t, getPreflightChecks(true, network.UserNetworkingMode, constants.GetDefaultBundlePath(preset.OpenShift), preset.OpenShift, false), 23)
 }