diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-core.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-core.yml
index 34aabc73..1d8a7691 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-core.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-core.yml
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         python-version: ["3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]
+        container-engine: ["docker", "podman"]
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - name: Set up Python
@@ -25,8 +26,33 @@ jobs:
         run: poetry install --all-extras
       - name: Run twine check
         run: poetry build && poetry run twine check dist/*.tar.gz
+
+      - name: Update podman to 5.x
+        if: ${{ matrix.container-engine == 'podman' }}
+        run: |
+          echo "ubuntu version from kubic repository to install podman we need (v5)"
+          ubuntu_version='22.04'
+          echo "Add unstable kubic repo into list of available sources and get the repo key"
+          sudo sh -c "echo 'deb https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/devel:/kubic:/libcontainers:/unstable/xUbuntu_${ubuntu_version}/ /' > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/devel:kubic:libcontainers:unstable.list"
+          curl -L "https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/devel:/kubic:/libcontainers:/unstable/xUbuntu_${ubuntu_version}/Release.key" | sudo apt-key add -
+          echo "Updating all dependencies..."
+          sudo apt-get update -qq
+          echo "install necessary dependencies for criu package which is not part of ${ubuntu_version}"
+          sudo apt-get install --allow-unauthenticated -qq libprotobuf32t64 python3-protobuf libnet1
+          echo "install criu manually from static location"
+          curl -sLO http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/universe/c/criu/criu_3.16.1-2_amd64.deb && sudo dpkg -i criu_3.16.1-2_amd64.deb
+          echo "installing/update podman package..."
+          sudo apt-get -qq -y install --allow-unauthenticated podman || { echo "Start fallback steps for podman nightly installation from a static mirror" && \
+            sudo sh -c "echo 'deb http://ftp.lysator.liu.se/pub/opensuse/repositories/devel:/kubic:/libcontainers:/unstable/xUbuntu_${ubuntu_version}/ /' > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/devel:kubic:libcontainers:unstable.list" && \
+            curl -L "http://ftp.lysator.liu.se/pub/opensuse/repositories/devel:/kubic:/libcontainers:/unstable/xUbuntu_${ubuntu_version}/Release.key" | sudo apt-key add - && \
+            sudo apt-get --allow-insecure-repositories update && \
+            sudo apt-get --allow-unauthenticated -y install podman; }
+          podman version
+
       - name: Set up Docker
+        if: ${{ matrix.container-engine == 'docker' }}
         uses: docker/setup-docker-action@v4
+
       - name: Run tests
         run: make core/tests
       - name: Rename coverage file