diff --git a/cmd/quadlet/main.go b/cmd/quadlet/main.go
index 8598ebf5b0..4f9af0075d 100644
--- a/cmd/quadlet/main.go
+++ b/cmd/quadlet/main.go
@@ -604,6 +604,9 @@ func generateUnitsInfoMap(units []*parser.UnitFile) map[string]*quadlet.UnitInfo
 		case strings.HasSuffix(unit.Filename, ".pod"):
 			serviceName = quadlet.GetPodServiceName(unit)
 			containers = make([]string, 0)
+			// Prefill resouceNames for .pod files.
+			// This is requires for referencing the pod from .container files
+			resourceName = quadlet.GetPodResourceName(unit)
 		default:
 			Logf("Unsupported file type %q", unit.Filename)
 			continue
diff --git a/pkg/systemd/quadlet/quadlet.go b/pkg/systemd/quadlet/quadlet.go
index 8ef08520ed..5856e1b3eb 100644
--- a/pkg/systemd/quadlet/quadlet.go
+++ b/pkg/systemd/quadlet/quadlet.go
@@ -608,16 +608,14 @@ func ConvertContainer(container *parser.UnitFile, isUser bool, unitsInfoMap map[
 	// If conmon exited uncleanly it may not have removed the container, so
 	// force it, -i makes it ignore non-existing files.
 	serviceStopCmd := createBasePodmanCommand(container, ContainerGroup)
-	serviceStopCmd.add("rm", "-v", "-f", "-i", "--cidfile=%t/%N.cid")
+	serviceStopCmd.add("rm", "-v", "-f", "-i", containerName)
 	service.AddCmdline(ServiceGroup, "ExecStop", serviceStopCmd.Args)
 	// The ExecStopPost is needed when the main PID (i.e., conmon) gets killed.
-	// In that case, ExecStop is not executed but *Post only.  If both are
-	// fired in sequence, *Post will exit when detecting that the --cidfile
-	// has already been removed by the previous `rm`..
+	// In that case, ExecStop is not executed but *Post only.
 	serviceStopCmd.Args[0] = fmt.Sprintf("-%s", serviceStopCmd.Args[0])
 	service.AddCmdline(ServiceGroup, "ExecStopPost", serviceStopCmd.Args)
 
-	if err := handleExecReload(container, service, ContainerGroup); err != nil {
+	if err := handleExecReload(container, service, ContainerGroup, containerName); err != nil {
 		return nil, warnings, err
 	}
 
@@ -628,9 +626,6 @@ func ConvertContainer(container *parser.UnitFile, isUser bool, unitsInfoMap map[
 	podman.add("--name", containerName)
 
 	podman.add(
-		// We store the container id so we can clean it up in case of failure
-		"--cidfile=%t/%N.cid",
-
 		// And replace any previous container with the same name, not fail
 		"--replace",
 
@@ -1483,6 +1478,15 @@ func getServiceName(quadletUnitFile *parser.UnitFile, groupName string, defaultE
 	return removeExtension(quadletUnitFile.Filename, "", defaultExtraSuffix)
 }
 
+func GetPodResourceName(podUnit *parser.UnitFile) string {
+	// Derive pod name from unit name (with added prefix), or use user-provided name.
+	podName, ok := podUnit.Lookup(PodGroup, KeyPodName)
+	if !ok || len(podName) == 0 {
+		podName = removeExtension(podUnit.Filename, "systemd-", "")
+	}
+	return podName
+}
+
 func ConvertPod(podUnit *parser.UnitFile, name string, unitsInfoMap map[string]*UnitInfo, isUser bool) (*parser.UnitFile, error, error) {
 	var warn, warnings error
 
@@ -1491,11 +1495,7 @@ func ConvertPod(podUnit *parser.UnitFile, name string, unitsInfoMap map[string]*
 		return nil, warnings, err
 	}
 
-	// Derive pod name from unit name (with added prefix), or use user-provided name.
-	podName, ok := podUnit.Lookup(PodGroup, KeyPodName)
-	if !ok || len(podName) == 0 {
-		podName = removeExtension(name, "systemd-", "")
-	}
+	podName := GetPodResourceName(podUnit)
 
 	for _, containerService := range unitInfo.ContainersToStart {
 		service.Add(UnitGroup, "Wants", containerService)
@@ -1507,24 +1507,24 @@ func ConvertPod(podUnit *parser.UnitFile, name string, unitsInfoMap map[string]*
 	}
 
 	execStart := createBasePodmanCommand(podUnit, PodGroup)
-	execStart.add("pod", "start", "--pod-id-file=%t/%N.pod-id")
+	execStart.add("pod", "start", podName)
 	service.AddCmdline(ServiceGroup, "ExecStart", execStart.Args)
 
 	execStop := createBasePodmanCommand(podUnit, PodGroup)
 	execStop.add("pod", "stop")
 	execStop.add(
-		"--pod-id-file=%t/%N.pod-id",
 		"--ignore",
 		"--time=10",
+		podName,
 	)
 	service.AddCmdline(ServiceGroup, "ExecStop", execStop.Args)
 
 	execStopPost := createBasePodmanCommand(podUnit, PodGroup)
 	execStopPost.add("pod", "rm")
 	execStopPost.add(
-		"--pod-id-file=%t/%N.pod-id",
 		"--ignore",
 		"--force",
+		podName,
 	)
 	service.AddCmdline(ServiceGroup, "ExecStopPost", execStopPost.Args)
 
@@ -1532,7 +1532,6 @@ func ConvertPod(podUnit *parser.UnitFile, name string, unitsInfoMap map[string]*
 	execStartPre.add("pod", "create")
 	execStartPre.add(
 		"--infra-conmon-pidfile=%t/%N.pid",
-		"--pod-id-file=%t/%N.pod-id",
 		"--exit-policy=stop",
 		"--replace",
 	)
@@ -2075,7 +2074,7 @@ func handlePod(quadletUnitFile, serviceUnitFile *parser.UnitFile, groupName stri
 			return fmt.Errorf("quadlet pod unit %s does not exist", pod)
 		}
 
-		podman.add("--pod-id-file", fmt.Sprintf("%%t/%s.pod-id", podInfo.ServiceName))
+		podman.add("--pod", podInfo.ResourceName)
 
 		podServiceName := podInfo.ServiceFileName()
 		serviceUnitFile.Add(UnitGroup, "BindsTo", podServiceName)
@@ -2146,7 +2145,7 @@ func addDefaultDependencies(service *parser.UnitFile, isUser bool) {
 	}
 }
 
-func handleExecReload(quadletUnitFile, serviceUnitFile *parser.UnitFile, groupName string) error {
+func handleExecReload(quadletUnitFile, serviceUnitFile *parser.UnitFile, groupName, containerName string) error {
 	reloadSignal, signalOk := quadletUnitFile.Lookup(groupName, KeyReloadSignal)
 	signalOk = signalOk && len(reloadSignal) > 0
 	reloadcmd, cmdOk := quadletUnitFile.LookupLastArgs(groupName, KeyReloadCmd)
@@ -2162,10 +2161,10 @@ func handleExecReload(quadletUnitFile, serviceUnitFile *parser.UnitFile, groupNa
 
 	serviceReloadCmd := createBasePodmanCommand(quadletUnitFile, groupName)
 	if cmdOk {
-		serviceReloadCmd.add("exec", "--cidfile=%t/%N.cid")
+		serviceReloadCmd.add("exec", containerName)
 		serviceReloadCmd.add(reloadcmd...)
 	} else {
-		serviceReloadCmd.add("kill", "--cidfile=%t/%N.cid", "--signal", reloadSignal)
+		serviceReloadCmd.add("kill", "--signal", reloadSignal, containerName)
 	}
 	serviceUnitFile.AddCmdline(ServiceGroup, "ExecReload", serviceReloadCmd.Args)
 
diff --git a/test/e2e/quadlet/basepodman.container b/test/e2e/quadlet/basepodman.container
index 4ffa4430bc..11f42f3887 100644
--- a/test/e2e/quadlet/basepodman.container
+++ b/test/e2e/quadlet/basepodman.container
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-## assert-podman-final-args run --name systemd-%N --cidfile=%t/%N.cid --replace --rm --cgroups=split --sdnotify=conmon  -d localhost/imagename
+## assert-podman-final-args run --name systemd-%N --replace --rm --cgroups=split --sdnotify=conmon  -d localhost/imagename
 
 [Container]
 Image=localhost/imagename
diff --git a/test/e2e/quadlet/basic.container b/test/e2e/quadlet/basic.container
index 5f7417dbf7..5892fe76db 100644
--- a/test/e2e/quadlet/basic.container
+++ b/test/e2e/quadlet/basic.container
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 ## assert-podman-final-args localhost/imagename
 ## assert-podman-args "--name" "systemd-%N"
-## assert-podman-args "--cidfile=%t/%N.cid"
 ## assert-podman-args "--rm"
 ## assert-podman-args "--replace"
 ## assert-podman-args "-d"
@@ -12,8 +11,8 @@
 ## assert-key-is "Service" "Type" "notify"
 ## assert-key-is "Service" "NotifyAccess" "all"
 ## assert-key-is "Service" "SyslogIdentifier" "%N"
-## assert-key-is-regex "Service" "ExecStopPost" "-[/S].*/podman rm -v -f -i --cidfile=%t/%N.cid"
-## assert-key-is-regex "Service" "ExecStop" ".*/podman rm -v -f -i --cidfile=%t/%N.cid"
+## assert-key-is-regex "Service" "ExecStopPost" "-[/S].*/podman rm -v -f -i systemd-%N"
+## assert-key-is-regex "Service" "ExecStop" ".*/podman rm -v -f -i systemd-%N"
 ## assert-key-is "Service" "Environment" "PODMAN_SYSTEMD_UNIT=%n"
 ## assert-key-is-regex "Unit" "After" "network-online.target|podman-user-wait-network-online.service"
 ## assert-key-is-regex "Unit" "Wants" "network-online.target|podman-user-wait-network-online.service"
diff --git a/test/e2e/quadlet/basic.pod b/test/e2e/quadlet/basic.pod
index 4f9ce35e6e..6e482e1940 100644
--- a/test/e2e/quadlet/basic.pod
+++ b/test/e2e/quadlet/basic.pod
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 ## assert-key-is Unit RequiresMountsFor "%t/containers"
 ## assert-key-is Service Type forking
 ## assert-key-is Service SyslogIdentifier "%N"
-## assert-key-is-regex Service ExecStartPre ".*/podman pod create --infra-conmon-pidfile=%t/%N.pid --pod-id-file=%t/%N.pod-id --exit-policy=stop --replace --infra-name systemd-basic-infra --name systemd-basic"
-## assert-key-is-regex Service ExecStart ".*/podman pod start --pod-id-file=%t/%N.pod-id"
-## assert-key-is-regex Service ExecStop ".*/podman pod stop --pod-id-file=%t/%N.pod-id --ignore --time=10"
-## assert-key-is-regex Service ExecStopPost ".*/podman pod rm --pod-id-file=%t/%N.pod-id --ignore --force"
+## assert-key-is-regex Service ExecStartPre ".*/podman pod create --infra-conmon-pidfile=%t/%N.pid --exit-policy=stop --replace --infra-name systemd-basic-infra --name systemd-basic"
+## assert-key-is-regex Service ExecStart ".*/podman pod start systemd-basic"
+## assert-key-is-regex Service ExecStop ".*/podman pod stop --ignore --time=10 systemd-basic"
+## assert-key-is-regex Service ExecStopPost ".*/podman pod rm --ignore --force systemd-basic"
 
 [Pod]
diff --git a/test/e2e/quadlet/reloadcmd.container b/test/e2e/quadlet/reloadcmd.container
index cb3643663a..0274a1b029 100644
--- a/test/e2e/quadlet/reloadcmd.container
+++ b/test/e2e/quadlet/reloadcmd.container
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ## assert-podman-reload-args "exec"
-## assert-podman-reload-args "--cidfile=%t/%N.cid"
+## assert-podman-reload-args "systemd-%N"
 ## assert-podman-reload-final-args "/some/binary file" "--arg1" "arg 2"
 
 [Container]
diff --git a/test/e2e/quadlet/reloadsignal.container b/test/e2e/quadlet/reloadsignal.container
index 60b8220e99..6b36a9165c 100644
--- a/test/e2e/quadlet/reloadsignal.container
+++ b/test/e2e/quadlet/reloadsignal.container
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ## assert-podman-reload-args "kill"
-## assert-podman-reload-args "--cidfile=%t/%N.cid"
+## assert-podman-reload-args "systemd-%N"
 ## assert-podman-reload-args "--signal" "SIGHUP"
 
 [Container]