diff --git a/.changelog/17065.txt b/.changelog/17065.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e56413e24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/17065.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+```release-note:improvement
+connect: Auto detect when to use podman for connect sidecar proxies
+```
diff --git a/nomad/job_endpoint_hook_connect.go b/nomad/job_endpoint_hook_connect.go
index 6cf3667c3..cb7bd72b6 100644
--- a/nomad/job_endpoint_hook_connect.go
+++ b/nomad/job_endpoint_hook_connect.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/hashicorp/go-set"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/client/taskenv"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/helper/envoy"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/helper/pointer"
@@ -36,6 +37,10 @@ func connectSidecarResources() *structs.Resources {
 
 // connectSidecarDriverConfig is the driver configuration used by the injected
 // connect proxy sidecar task.
+//
+// Note: must be compatible with both docker and podman. One could imagine passing
+// in the driver name in the future and switching on that if we need specific
+// configs.
 func connectSidecarDriverConfig() map[string]interface{} {
 	return map[string]interface{}{
 		"image": envoy.SidecarConfigVar,
@@ -230,6 +235,23 @@ func injectPort(group *structs.TaskGroup, label string) {
 	})
 }
 
+// groupConnectGuessTaskDriver will scan the tasks in g and try to decide which
+// task driver to use for the default sidecar proxy task definition.
+//
+// If there is at least one podman task and zero docker tasks, use podman.
+// Otherwise default to docker.
+//
+// If the sidecar_task block is set, that takes precedence and this does not apply.
+func groupConnectGuessTaskDriver(g *structs.TaskGroup) string {
+	drivers := set.FromFunc(g.Tasks, func(t *structs.Task) string {
+		return t.Driver
+	})
+	if drivers.Contains("podman") && !drivers.Contains("docker") {
+		return "podman"
+	}
+	return "docker"
+}
+
 func groupConnectHook(job *structs.Job, g *structs.TaskGroup) error {
 	// Create an environment interpolator with what we have at submission time.
 	// This should only be used to interpolate connect service names which are
@@ -254,7 +276,8 @@ func groupConnectHook(job *structs.Job, g *structs.TaskGroup) error {
 
 			// If the task doesn't already exist, create a new one and add it to the job
 			if task == nil {
-				task = newConnectSidecarTask(service.Name)
+				driver := groupConnectGuessTaskDriver(g)
+				task = newConnectSidecarTask(service.Name, driver)
 
 				// If there happens to be a task defined with the same name
 				// append an UUID fragment to the task name
@@ -477,12 +500,12 @@ func newConnectGatewayTask(prefix, service string, netHost, customizedTls bool)
 	}
 }
 
-func newConnectSidecarTask(service string) *structs.Task {
+func newConnectSidecarTask(service, driver string) *structs.Task {
 	return &structs.Task{
 		// Name is used in container name so must start with '[A-Za-z0-9]'
 		Name:          fmt.Sprintf("%s-%s", structs.ConnectProxyPrefix, service),
 		Kind:          structs.NewTaskKind(structs.ConnectProxyPrefix, service),
-		Driver:        "docker",
+		Driver:        driver,
 		Config:        connectSidecarDriverConfig(),
 		ShutdownDelay: 5 * time.Second,
 		LogConfig: &structs.LogConfig{
diff --git a/nomad/job_endpoint_hook_connect_test.go b/nomad/job_endpoint_hook_connect_test.go
index 8481946f3..0b1209beb 100644
--- a/nomad/job_endpoint_hook_connect_test.go
+++ b/nomad/job_endpoint_hook_connect_test.go
@@ -9,10 +9,12 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/ci"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/helper"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/helper/pointer"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/helper/testlog"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/nomad/mock"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/nomad/structs"
+	"github.com/shoenig/test/must"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
@@ -57,6 +59,68 @@ func TestJobEndpointConnect_isSidecarForService(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestJobEndpointConnect_groupConnectGuessTaskDriver(t *testing.T) {
+	ci.Parallel(t)
+
+	cases := []struct {
+		name    string
+		drivers []string
+		exp     string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:    "none",
+			drivers: nil,
+			exp:     "docker",
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "neither",
+			drivers: []string{"exec", "raw_exec", "rkt"},
+			exp:     "docker",
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "docker only",
+			drivers: []string{"docker"},
+			exp:     "docker",
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "podman only",
+			drivers: []string{"podman"},
+			exp:     "podman",
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "mix with docker",
+			drivers: []string{"podman", "docker", "exec"},
+			exp:     "docker",
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "mix without docker",
+			drivers: []string{"exec", "podman", "raw_exec"},
+			exp:     "podman",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range cases {
+		tasks := helper.ConvertSlice(tc.drivers, func(driver string) *structs.Task {
+			return &structs.Task{Driver: driver}
+		})
+		tg := &structs.TaskGroup{Tasks: tasks}
+		result := groupConnectGuessTaskDriver(tg)
+		must.Eq(t, tc.exp, result)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestJobEndpointConnect_newConnectSidecarTask(t *testing.T) {
+	ci.Parallel(t)
+
+	task := newConnectSidecarTask("redis", "podman")
+	must.Eq(t, "connect-proxy-redis", task.Name)
+	must.Eq(t, "podman", task.Driver)
+
+	task2 := newConnectSidecarTask("db", "docker")
+	must.Eq(t, "connect-proxy-db", task2.Name)
+	must.Eq(t, "docker", task2.Driver)
+}
+
 func TestJobEndpointConnect_groupConnectHook(t *testing.T) {
 	ci.Parallel(t)
 
@@ -90,8 +154,8 @@ func TestJobEndpointConnect_groupConnectHook(t *testing.T) {
 	// Expected tasks
 	tgExp := job.TaskGroups[0].Copy()
 	tgExp.Tasks = []*structs.Task{
-		newConnectSidecarTask("backend"),
-		newConnectSidecarTask("admin"),
+		newConnectSidecarTask("backend", "docker"),
+		newConnectSidecarTask("admin", "docker"),
 	}
 	tgExp.Services[0].Name = "backend"
 	tgExp.Services[1].Name = "admin"