diff --git a/pkg/machine/applehv/stubber.go b/pkg/machine/applehv/stubber.go
index 3ebaf1eaa4..fd34507c11 100644
--- a/pkg/machine/applehv/stubber.go
+++ b/pkg/machine/applehv/stubber.go
@@ -74,9 +74,9 @@ func (a AppleHVStubber) CreateVM(opts define.CreateVMOpts, mc *vmconfigs.Machine
 	return resizeDisk(mc, strongunits.GiB(mc.Resources.DiskSize))
 }
 
-func (a AppleHVStubber) GetHyperVisorVMs() ([]string, error) {
+func (a AppleHVStubber) Exists(name string) (bool, error) {
 	// not applicable for applehv
-	return nil, nil
+	return false, nil
 }
 
 func (a AppleHVStubber) MountType() vmconfigs.VolumeMountType {
diff --git a/pkg/machine/hyperv/stubber.go b/pkg/machine/hyperv/stubber.go
index 080d78c039..506a416b6d 100644
--- a/pkg/machine/hyperv/stubber.go
+++ b/pkg/machine/hyperv/stubber.go
@@ -123,19 +123,10 @@ func (h HyperVStubber) CreateVM(opts define.CreateVMOpts, mc *vmconfigs.MachineC
 	return err
 }
 
-func (h HyperVStubber) GetHyperVisorVMs() ([]string, error) {
-	var (
-		vmNames []string
-	)
+func (h HyperVStubber) Exists(name string) (bool, error) {
 	vmm := hypervctl.NewVirtualMachineManager()
-	vms, err := vmm.GetAll()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	for _, vm := range vms {
-		vmNames = append(vmNames, vm.ElementName) // Note: elementname is human-readable name
-	}
-	return vmNames, nil
+	exists, _, err := vmm.GetMachineExists(name)
+	return exists, err
 }
 
 func (h HyperVStubber) MountType() vmconfigs.VolumeMountType {
diff --git a/pkg/machine/qemu/stubber.go b/pkg/machine/qemu/stubber.go
index 28614246bb..d5b02cdcf9 100644
--- a/pkg/machine/qemu/stubber.go
+++ b/pkg/machine/qemu/stubber.go
@@ -218,8 +218,8 @@ func waitForReady(readySocket *define.VMFile, pid int, stdErrBuffer *bytes.Buffe
 	return err
 }
 
-func (q *QEMUStubber) GetHyperVisorVMs() ([]string, error) {
-	return nil, nil
+func (q *QEMUStubber) Exists(name string) (bool, error) {
+	return false, nil
 }
 
 func (q *QEMUStubber) VMType() define.VMType {
diff --git a/pkg/machine/shim/host.go b/pkg/machine/shim/host.go
index 7c4d470416..ea62c5d90b 100644
--- a/pkg/machine/shim/host.go
+++ b/pkg/machine/shim/host.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import (
 	"runtime"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/containers/common/pkg/util"
 	"github.com/containers/podman/v5/pkg/machine"
 	"github.com/containers/podman/v5/pkg/machine/connection"
 	machineDefine "github.com/containers/podman/v5/pkg/machine/define"
@@ -243,11 +242,11 @@ func VMExists(name string, vmstubbers []vmconfigs.VMProvider) (*vmconfigs.Machin
 	}
 	// Check with the provider hypervisor
 	for _, vmstubber := range vmstubbers {
-		vms, err := vmstubber.GetHyperVisorVMs()
+		exists, err := vmstubber.Exists(name)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, false, err
 		}
-		if util.StringInSlice(name, vms) { //nolint:staticcheck
+		if exists {
 			return nil, true, fmt.Errorf("vm %q already exists on hypervisor", name)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/machine/vmconfigs/config.go b/pkg/machine/vmconfigs/config.go
index 149ec43958..0de2f34cdb 100644
--- a/pkg/machine/vmconfigs/config.go
+++ b/pkg/machine/vmconfigs/config.go
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ type VMProvider interface { //nolint:interfacebloat
 	// Let's deprecate this ASAP
 	GetDisk(userInputPath string, dirs *define.MachineDirs, mc *MachineConfig) error
 	PrepareIgnition(mc *MachineConfig, ignBuilder *ignition.IgnitionBuilder) (*ignition.ReadyUnitOpts, error)
-	GetHyperVisorVMs() ([]string, error)
+	Exists(name string) (bool, error)
 	MountType() VolumeMountType
 	MountVolumesToVM(mc *MachineConfig, quiet bool) error
 	Remove(mc *MachineConfig) ([]string, func() error, error)
diff --git a/pkg/machine/wsl/stubber.go b/pkg/machine/wsl/stubber.go
index a3693d9c99..92fb7c94ea 100644
--- a/pkg/machine/wsl/stubber.go
+++ b/pkg/machine/wsl/stubber.go
@@ -94,16 +94,8 @@ func (w WSLStubber) PrepareIgnition(_ *vmconfigs.MachineConfig, _ *ignition.Igni
 	return nil, nil
 }
 
-func (w WSLStubber) GetHyperVisorVMs() ([]string, error) {
-	vms, err := getAllWSLDistros(false)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	wslVMs := make([]string, 0)
-	for name := range vms {
-		wslVMs = append(wslVMs, name)
-	}
-	return wslVMs, nil
+func (w WSLStubber) Exists(name string) (bool, error) {
+	return isWSLExist(machine.ToDist(name))
 }
 
 func (w WSLStubber) MountType() vmconfigs.VolumeMountType {