diff --git a/libpod/networking_linux.go b/libpod/networking_linux.go
index d764b82965..7084813af8 100644
--- a/libpod/networking_linux.go
+++ b/libpod/networking_linux.go
@@ -5,8 +5,10 @@ package libpod
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
+	"os"
 	"strings"
 
+	"github.com/moby/sys/capability"
 	"github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec/specs-go"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/vishvananda/netlink"
@@ -17,6 +19,31 @@ import (
 	"go.podman.io/podman/v6/pkg/rootless"
 )
 
+func hasCapNetAdmin() (bool, error) {
+	currentCaps, err := capability.NewPid2(0)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	if err = currentCaps.Load(); err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	return currentCaps.Get(capability.EFFECTIVE, capability.CAP_NET_ADMIN), nil
+}
+
+func rootfulBridgeNetworkPreflight(hasNetAdmin func() (bool, error)) error {
+	// UID 0 inside a delegated container environment should use rootful
+	// networking semantics; fail clearly if the environment lacks the
+	// capability needed to configure bridge networking.
+	hasCap, err := hasNetAdmin()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("checking CAP_NET_ADMIN for rootful netavark bridge networking: %w", err)
+	}
+	if !hasCap {
+		return fmt.Errorf("rootful netavark bridge networking requires CAP_NET_ADMIN in the current environment; Podman is running as root but this capability is not available")
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // Create and configure a new network namespace for a container
 func (r *Runtime) configureNetNS(ctr *Container, ctrNS string) (status map[string]types.StatusBlock, rerr error) {
 	if err := r.exposeMachinePorts(ctr.config.PortMappings); err != nil {
@@ -45,6 +72,11 @@ func (r *Runtime) configureNetNS(ctr *Container, ctrNS string) (status map[strin
 	if len(networks) == 0 {
 		return nil, nil
 	}
+	if os.Geteuid() == 0 && !rootless.IsRootless() {
+		if err := rootfulBridgeNetworkPreflight(hasCapNetAdmin); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
 
 	netOpts := ctr.getNetworkOptions(networks)
 	netStatus, err := r.setUpNetwork(ctrNS, netOpts)
diff --git a/libpod/networking_linux_test.go b/libpod/networking_linux_test.go
index 91ea188e01..f3aa103ac8 100644
--- a/libpod/networking_linux_test.go
+++ b/libpod/networking_linux_test.go
@@ -3,8 +3,10 @@
 package libpod
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"net"
 	"reflect"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	"go.podman.io/common/libnetwork/types"
@@ -212,3 +214,51 @@ func Test_resultToBasicNetworkConfig(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestRootfulBridgeNetworkPreflight(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	testErr := errors.New("capability read failed")
+	testCases := []struct {
+		name        string
+		capNetAdmin bool
+		capErr      error
+		expectErr   string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:        "root with CAP_NET_ADMIN is allowed",
+			capNetAdmin: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:      "root without CAP_NET_ADMIN fails",
+			expectErr: "requires CAP_NET_ADMIN",
+		},
+		{
+			name:      "root capability check error fails",
+			capErr:    testErr,
+			expectErr: "checking CAP_NET_ADMIN",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tcl := range testCases {
+		tc := tcl
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+			err := rootfulBridgeNetworkPreflight(func() (bool, error) {
+				return tc.capNetAdmin, tc.capErr
+			})
+			if tc.expectErr == "" {
+				if err != nil {
+					t.Fatalf("expected no error, got %v", err)
+				}
+				return
+			}
+			if err == nil {
+				t.Fatalf("expected error containing %q", tc.expectErr)
+			}
+			if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), tc.expectErr) {
+				t.Fatalf("expected error containing %q, got %q", tc.expectErr, err.Error())
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}