diff --git a/lib/src/image.rs b/lib/src/image.rs
index 18b3e606..ebd92756 100644
--- a/lib/src/image.rs
+++ b/lib/src/image.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ use serde::Serialize;
 use crate::{
     boundimage::query_bound_images,
     cli::{ImageListFormat, ImageListType},
+    imgstorage::ensure_floating_c_storage_initialized,
 };
 
 /// The name of the image we push to containers-storage if nothing is specified.
@@ -138,6 +139,7 @@ pub(crate) async fn push_entrypoint(source: Option<&str>, target: Option<&str>)
             name: target.to_owned(),
         }
     } else {
+        ensure_floating_c_storage_initialized();
         ImageReference {
             transport: Transport::ContainerStorage,
             name: IMAGE_DEFAULT.to_string(),
diff --git a/lib/src/imgstorage.rs b/lib/src/imgstorage.rs
index 0fe01f6f..796c03f6 100644
--- a/lib/src/imgstorage.rs
+++ b/lib/src/imgstorage.rs
@@ -119,6 +119,31 @@ fn new_podman_cmd_in(storage_root: &Dir, run_root: &Dir) -> Result<Command> {
     Ok(cmd)
 }
 
+/// Ensure that "podman" is the first thing to touch the global storage
+/// instance. This is a workaround for https://github.com/containers/bootc/pull/1101#issuecomment-2653862974
+/// Basically podman has special upgrade logic for when it is the first thing
+/// to initialize the c/storage instance it sets the networking to netavark.
+/// If it's not the first thing, then it assumes an upgrade scenario and we
+/// may be using CNI.
+///
+/// But this legacy path is triggered through us using skopeo, turning off netavark
+/// by default. Work around this by ensuring that /usr/bin/podman is
+/// always the first thing to touch c/storage (at least, when invoked by us).
+///
+/// Call this function any time we're going to write to containers-storage.
+pub(crate) fn ensure_floating_c_storage_initialized() {
+    if let Err(e) = Command::new("podman")
+        .args(["system", "info"])
+        .stdout(Stdio::null())
+        .run()
+    {
+        // Out of conservatism we don't make this operation fatal right now.
+        // If something went wrong, then we'll probably fail on a later operation
+        // anyways.
+        tracing::warn!("Failed to query podman system info: {e}");
+    }
+}
+
 impl Storage {
     /// Create a `podman image` Command instance prepared to operate on our alternative
     /// root.
diff --git a/tests/booted/test-image-pushpull-upgrade.nu b/tests/booted/test-image-pushpull-upgrade.nu
index 969b9a01..bb1b9941 100644
--- a/tests/booted/test-image-pushpull-upgrade.nu
+++ b/tests/booted/test-image-pushpull-upgrade.nu
@@ -31,10 +31,6 @@ def initial_build [] {
     let td = mktemp -d
     cd $td
 
-    # Work around https://github.com/containers/bootc/pull/1101#issuecomment-2653862974
-    # Basically things break unless "podman" initializes the c/storage instance right now.
-    podman images -q o>/dev/null
-
     bootc image copy-to-storage
     let img = podman image inspect localhost/bootc | from json
 
diff --git a/tests/booted/test-logically-bound-switch.nu b/tests/booted/test-logically-bound-switch.nu
index 6ca5650c..f1846a7a 100644
--- a/tests/booted/test-logically-bound-switch.nu
+++ b/tests/booted/test-logically-bound-switch.nu
@@ -17,9 +17,6 @@ let st = bootc status --json | from json
 let booted = $st.status.booted.image
 
 def initial_setup [] {
-    # Work around https://github.com/containers/bootc/pull/1101#issuecomment-2653862974
-    # Basically things break unless "podman" initializes the c/storage instance right now.
-    podman images -q o>/dev/null
     bootc image copy-to-storage
     podman images
     podman image inspect localhost/bootc | from json