diff --git a/cmd/podman/machine/set.go b/cmd/podman/machine/set.go
index f1b5944ec0..e1c1072fa7 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/machine/set.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/machine/set.go
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@
 package machine
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
-
 	"github.com/containers/common/pkg/completion"
 	"github.com/containers/common/pkg/strongunits"
 	"github.com/containers/podman/v5/cmd/podman/registry"
@@ -90,10 +88,6 @@ func init() {
 }
 
 func setMachine(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-	var (
-		err error
-	)
-
 	vmName := defaultMachineName
 	if len(args) > 0 && len(args[0]) > 0 {
 		vmName = args[0]
@@ -113,20 +107,14 @@ func setMachine(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		setOpts.Rootful = &setFlags.Rootful
 	}
 	if cmd.Flags().Changed("cpus") {
-		mc.Resources.CPUs = setFlags.CPUs
-		setOpts.CPUs = &mc.Resources.CPUs
+		setOpts.CPUs = &setFlags.CPUs
 	}
 	if cmd.Flags().Changed("memory") {
-		mc.Resources.Memory = strongunits.MiB(setFlags.Memory)
-		setOpts.Memory = &mc.Resources.Memory
+		newMemory := strongunits.MiB(setFlags.Memory)
+		setOpts.Memory = &newMemory
 	}
 	if cmd.Flags().Changed("disk-size") {
 		newDiskSizeGB := strongunits.GiB(setFlags.DiskSize)
-		if newDiskSizeGB <= mc.Resources.DiskSize {
-			return fmt.Errorf("new disk size must be larger than %d GB", mc.Resources.DiskSize)
-		}
-		mc.Resources.DiskSize = newDiskSizeGB
-
 		setOpts.DiskSize = &newDiskSizeGB
 	}
 	if cmd.Flags().Changed("user-mode-networking") {
diff --git a/pkg/machine/shim/host.go b/pkg/machine/shim/host.go
index 787607943a..836b84cf1a 100644
--- a/pkg/machine/shim/host.go
+++ b/pkg/machine/shim/host.go
@@ -485,6 +485,25 @@ func Set(mc *vmconfigs.MachineConfig, mp vmconfigs.VMProvider, opts machineDefin
 	mc.Lock()
 	defer mc.Unlock()
 
+	if err := mc.Refresh(); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("reload config: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	if opts.CPUs != nil {
+		mc.Resources.CPUs = *opts.CPUs
+	}
+
+	if opts.Memory != nil {
+		mc.Resources.Memory = *opts.Memory
+	}
+
+	if opts.DiskSize != nil {
+		if *opts.DiskSize <= mc.Resources.DiskSize {
+			return fmt.Errorf("new disk size must be larger than %d GB", mc.Resources.DiskSize)
+		}
+		mc.Resources.DiskSize = *opts.DiskSize
+	}
+
 	if err := mp.SetProviderAttrs(mc, opts); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}