diff --git a/libpod/container.go b/libpod/container.go
index 3619b82c3f..e424afa9f6 100644
--- a/libpod/container.go
+++ b/libpod/container.go
@@ -118,6 +118,10 @@ type Container struct {
 	rootlessPortSyncR *os.File
 	rootlessPortSyncW *os.File
 
+	// reservedPorts contains the fds for the bound ports when using the
+	// bridge network mode as root.
+	reservedPorts []*os.File
+
 	// perNetworkOpts should be set when you want to use special network
 	// options when calling network setup/teardown. This should be used for
 	// container restore or network reload for example. Leave this nil if
diff --git a/libpod/container_internal_freebsd.go b/libpod/container_internal_freebsd.go
index 995d519299..ac9892ef2a 100644
--- a/libpod/container_internal_freebsd.go
+++ b/libpod/container_internal_freebsd.go
@@ -50,6 +50,10 @@ func (c *Container) prepare() error {
 		// Set up network namespace if not already set up
 		noNetNS := c.state.NetNS == ""
 		if c.config.CreateNetNS && noNetNS && !c.config.PostConfigureNetNS {
+			c.reservedPorts, createNetNSErr = c.bindPorts()
+			if createNetNSErr != nil {
+				return
+			}
 			ctrNS, networkStatus, createNetNSErr = c.runtime.createNetNS(c)
 			if createNetNSErr != nil {
 				return
@@ -112,6 +116,11 @@ func (c *Container) prepare() error {
 			logrus.Errorf("Preparing container %s: %v", c.ID(), createErr)
 			createErr = fmt.Errorf("cleaning up container %s network after setup failure: %w", c.ID(), err)
 		}
+		for _, f := range c.reservedPorts {
+			// make sure to close all ports again on errors
+			f.Close()
+		}
+		c.reservedPorts = nil
 		return createErr
 	}
 
diff --git a/libpod/container_internal_linux.go b/libpod/container_internal_linux.go
index a7b16a7f0a..c479a0255d 100644
--- a/libpod/container_internal_linux.go
+++ b/libpod/container_internal_linux.go
@@ -82,6 +82,11 @@ func (c *Container) prepare() error {
 		// Set up network namespace if not already set up
 		noNetNS := c.state.NetNS == ""
 		if c.config.CreateNetNS && noNetNS && !c.config.PostConfigureNetNS {
+			c.reservedPorts, createNetNSErr = c.bindPorts()
+			if createNetNSErr != nil {
+				return
+			}
+
 			netNS, networkStatus, createNetNSErr = c.runtime.createNetNS(c)
 			if createNetNSErr != nil {
 				return
@@ -148,6 +153,11 @@ func (c *Container) prepare() error {
 	}
 
 	if createErr != nil {
+		for _, f := range c.reservedPorts {
+			// make sure to close all ports again on errors
+			f.Close()
+		}
+		c.reservedPorts = nil
 		return createErr
 	}
 
diff --git a/libpod/networking_common.go b/libpod/networking_common.go
index 6bd32a3d95..daf840df0f 100644
--- a/libpod/networking_common.go
+++ b/libpod/networking_common.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ package libpod
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"os"
 	"regexp"
 	"slices"
 	"sort"
@@ -21,6 +22,16 @@ import (
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
 
+// bindPorts ports to keep them open via conmon so no other process can use them and we can check if they are in use.
+// Note in all cases it is important that we bind before setting up the network to avoid issues were we add firewall
+// rules before we even "own" the port.
+func (c *Container) bindPorts() ([]*os.File, error) {
+	if !c.runtime.config.Engine.EnablePortReservation || rootless.IsRootless() || !c.config.NetMode.IsBridge() {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+	return bindPorts(c.convertPortMappings())
+}
+
 // convertPortMappings will remove the HostIP part from the ports when running inside podman machine.
 // This is needed because a HostIP of 127.0.0.1 would now allow the gvproxy forwarder to reach to open ports.
 // For machine the HostIP must only be used by gvproxy and never in the VM.
diff --git a/libpod/oci_conmon_common.go b/libpod/oci_conmon_common.go
index c32fba46e2..a3e5a24b0d 100644
--- a/libpod/oci_conmon_common.go
+++ b/libpod/oci_conmon_common.go
@@ -1216,17 +1216,22 @@ func (r *ConmonOCIRuntime) createOCIContainer(ctr *Container, restoreOptions *Co
 	cmd.Env = append(cmd.Env, conmonEnv...)
 	cmd.ExtraFiles = append(cmd.ExtraFiles, childSyncPipe, childStartPipe)
 
-	if r.reservePorts && !rootless.IsRootless() && !ctr.config.NetMode.IsSlirp4netns() {
-		ports, err := bindPorts(ctr.convertPortMappings())
+	if ctr.config.PostConfigureNetNS {
+		// netns was not setup yet but we have to bind ports now so we can leak the fd to conmon
+		ports, err := ctr.bindPorts()
 		if err != nil {
 			return 0, err
 		}
 		filesToClose = append(filesToClose, ports...)
-
 		// Leak the port we bound in the conmon process.  These fd's won't be used
 		// by the container and conmon will keep the ports busy so that another
 		// process cannot use them.
 		cmd.ExtraFiles = append(cmd.ExtraFiles, ports...)
+	} else {
+		// ports were bound in ctr.prepare() as we must do it before the netns setup
+		filesToClose = append(filesToClose, ctr.reservedPorts...)
+		cmd.ExtraFiles = append(cmd.ExtraFiles, ctr.reservedPorts...)
+		ctr.reservedPorts = nil
 	}
 
 	if ctr.config.NetMode.IsSlirp4netns() || rootless.IsRootless() {
diff --git a/libpod/oci_util.go b/libpod/oci_util.go
index 31d6b7fbe4..5d30c8b8f7 100644
--- a/libpod/oci_util.go
+++ b/libpod/oci_util.go
@@ -46,7 +46,12 @@ func bindPorts(ports []types.PortMapping) ([]*os.File, error) {
 			for i := uint16(0); i < port.Range; i++ {
 				f, err := bindPort(protocol, port.HostIP, port.HostPort+i, isV6, &sctpWarning)
 				if err != nil {
-					return files, err
+					// close all open ports in case of early error so we do not
+					// rely garbage  collector to close them
+					for _, f := range files {
+						f.Close()
+					}
+					return nil, err
 				}
 				if f != nil {
 					files = append(files, f)
diff --git a/test/system/500-networking.bats b/test/system/500-networking.bats
index 0bd2257310..0d21391195 100644
--- a/test/system/500-networking.bats
+++ b/test/system/500-networking.bats
@@ -54,6 +54,15 @@ load helpers.network
             $IMAGE /bin/busybox-extras httpd -f -p 80
     cid=$output
 
+    # Try to bind the same port again, this must fail.
+    # regression test for https://issues.redhat.com/browse/RHEL-50746
+    # which caused this command to overwrite the firewall rules as root
+    # causing the curl commands below to fail
+    run_podman 126 run --rm -p "$HOST_PORT:80" $IMAGE true
+    # Note error messages differ between root/rootless, so only check port
+    # and the part of the error text that is common.
+    assert "$output" =~ "$HOST_PORT.*ddress already in use" "port in use"
+
     # In that container, create a second file, using exec and redirection
     run_podman exec -i myweb sh -c "cat > index2.txt" <<<"$random_2"
     # ...verify its contents as seen from container.
@@ -61,9 +70,9 @@ load helpers.network
     is "$output" "$random_2" "exec cat index2.txt"
 
     # Verify http contents: curl from localhost
-    run curl -s -S $SERVER/index.txt
+    run curl --max-time 3 -s -S $SERVER/index.txt
     is "$output" "$random_1" "curl 127.0.0.1:/index.txt"
-    run curl -s -S $SERVER/index2.txt
+    run curl --max-time 3 -s -S $SERVER/index2.txt
     is "$output" "$random_2" "curl 127.0.0.1:/index2.txt"
 
     # Verify http contents: wget from a second container