diff --git a/common/docs/containers.conf.5.md b/common/docs/containers.conf.5.md
index 94ce775423..3985e6b2e8 100644
--- a/common/docs/containers.conf.5.md
+++ b/common/docs/containers.conf.5.md
@@ -279,10 +279,21 @@ Options are:
 The `network` table contains settings pertaining to the management of CNI
 plugins.
 
-**cni_plugin_dirs**=["/opt/cni/bin/",]
+**cni_plugin_dirs**=[]
 
 List of paths to directories where CNI plugin binaries are located.
 
+The default list is:
+```
+cni_plugin_dirs = [
+  "/usr/local/libexec/cni",
+  "/usr/libexec/cni",
+  "/usr/local/lib/cni",
+  "/usr/lib/cni",
+  "/opt/cni/bin",
+]
+```
+
 **default_network**="podman"
 
 The network name of the default CNI network to attach pods to.
diff --git a/common/pkg/config/config.go b/common/pkg/config/config.go
index e554bac707..f840472cca 100644
--- a/common/pkg/config/config.go
+++ b/common/pkg/config/config.go
@@ -778,7 +778,7 @@ func (c *NetworkConfig) Validate() error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if stringsEq(c.CNIPluginDirs, cniBinDir) {
+	if stringsEq(c.CNIPluginDirs, DefaultCNIPluginDirs) {
 		return nil
 	}
 
diff --git a/common/pkg/config/config_test.go b/common/pkg/config/config_test.go
index 183e48fdf0..51b37fde4a 100644
--- a/common/pkg/config/config_test.go
+++ b/common/pkg/config/config_test.go
@@ -155,9 +155,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Config", func() {
 
 			pluginDirs := []string{
 				"/usr/libexec/cni",
-				"/usr/lib/cni",
-				"/usr/local/lib/cni",
-				"/opt/cni/bin",
+				"/usr/libexec/foo",
 			}
 
 			envs := []string{
@@ -262,13 +260,6 @@ var _ = Describe("Config", func() {
 				},
 			}
 
-			pluginDirs := []string{
-				"/usr/libexec/cni",
-				"/usr/lib/cni",
-				"/usr/local/lib/cni",
-				"/opt/cni/bin",
-			}
-
 			envs := []string{
 				"PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin",
 				"TERM=xterm",
@@ -290,7 +281,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Config", func() {
 			gomega.Expect(config.Containers.ApparmorProfile).To(gomega.Equal(apparmor.Profile))
 			gomega.Expect(config.Containers.PidsLimit).To(gomega.BeEquivalentTo(2048))
 			gomega.Expect(config.Containers.Env).To(gomega.BeEquivalentTo(envs))
-			gomega.Expect(config.Network.CNIPluginDirs).To(gomega.Equal(pluginDirs))
+			gomega.Expect(config.Network.CNIPluginDirs).To(gomega.Equal(DefaultCNIPluginDirs))
 			gomega.Expect(config.Engine.NumLocks).To(gomega.BeEquivalentTo(2048))
 			gomega.Expect(config.Engine.OCIRuntimes["runc"]).To(gomega.Equal(OCIRuntimeMap["runc"]))
 			if useSystemd() {
diff --git a/common/pkg/config/containers.conf b/common/pkg/config/containers.conf
index 0068a9a174..481405a1a0 100644
--- a/common/pkg/config/containers.conf
+++ b/common/pkg/config/containers.conf
@@ -262,7 +262,13 @@ default_sysctls = [
 
 # Path to directory where CNI plugin binaries are located.
 #
-#cni_plugin_dirs = ["/usr/libexec/cni"]
+#cni_plugin_dirs = [
+#  "/usr/local/libexec/cni",
+#  "/usr/libexec/cni",
+#  "/usr/local/lib/cni",
+#  "/usr/lib/cni",
+#  "/opt/cni/bin",
+#]
 
 # The network name of the default CNI network to attach pods to.
 #
diff --git a/common/pkg/config/default.go b/common/pkg/config/default.go
index 66531a2ba1..b8dc214750 100644
--- a/common/pkg/config/default.go
+++ b/common/pkg/config/default.go
@@ -76,10 +76,12 @@ var (
 		"CAP_SYS_CHROOT",
 	}
 
-	cniBinDir = []string{
+	// It may seem a bit unconventional, but it is necessary to do so
+	DefaultCNIPluginDirs = []string{
+		"/usr/local/libexec/cni",
 		"/usr/libexec/cni",
-		"/usr/lib/cni",
 		"/usr/local/lib/cni",
+		"/usr/lib/cni",
 		"/opt/cni/bin",
 	}
 
@@ -207,7 +209,7 @@ func DefaultConfig() (*Config, error) {
 			DefaultNetwork:   "podman",
 			DefaultSubnet:    DefaultSubnet,
 			NetworkConfigDir: cniConfig,
-			CNIPluginDirs:    cniBinDir,
+			CNIPluginDirs:    DefaultCNIPluginDirs,
 		},
 		Engine:  *defaultEngineConfig,
 		Secrets: defaultSecretConfig(),
diff --git a/common/pkg/config/testdata/containers_default.conf b/common/pkg/config/testdata/containers_default.conf
index b2cc341112..02dafb9eb5 100644
--- a/common/pkg/config/testdata/containers_default.conf
+++ b/common/pkg/config/testdata/containers_default.conf
@@ -99,10 +99,8 @@ rootless_networking = "cni"
 
 # Path to directory where CNI plugin binaries are located.
 cni_plugin_dirs = [
-    "/usr/libexec/cni",
-	"/usr/lib/cni",
-	"/usr/local/lib/cni",
-	"/opt/cni/bin",
+  "/usr/libexec/cni",
+  "/usr/libexec/foo",
 ]
 
 # Path to the directory where CNI configuration files are located.