diff --git a/cmd/podman/images/build.go b/cmd/podman/images/build.go
index 8ae93e86a8..5c925406b0 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/images/build.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/images/build.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
+	"syscall"
 	"time"
 
 	buildahDefine "github.com/containers/buildah/define"
@@ -281,10 +282,19 @@ func build(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("context must be a directory: %q", contextDir)
 	}
 	if len(containerFiles) == 0 {
-		if utils.FileExists(filepath.Join(contextDir, "Containerfile")) {
+		switch {
+		case utils.FileExists(filepath.Join(contextDir, "Containerfile")):
+			if utils.IsDir(filepath.Join(contextDir, "Containerfile")) {
+				return fmt.Errorf("containerfile:  cannot be path or directory")
+			}
 			containerFiles = append(containerFiles, filepath.Join(contextDir, "Containerfile"))
-		} else {
+		case utils.FileExists(filepath.Join(contextDir, "Dockerfile")):
+			if utils.IsDir(filepath.Join(contextDir, "Dockerfile")) {
+				return fmt.Errorf("dockerfile:  cannot be path or directory")
+			}
 			containerFiles = append(containerFiles, filepath.Join(contextDir, "Dockerfile"))
+		default:
+			return fmt.Errorf("no Containerfile or Dockerfile specified or found in context directory, %s: %w", contextDir, syscall.ENOENT)
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/test/buildah-bud/apply-podman-deltas b/test/buildah-bud/apply-podman-deltas
index bf51369b9a..13ceed6638 100755
--- a/test/buildah-bud/apply-podman-deltas
+++ b/test/buildah-bud/apply-podman-deltas
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ errmsg "no such file or directory" \
        "bud without any arguments should fail when no Dockerfile exists"
 
 errmsg "is not a file" \
-       "Error: containerfile: .* cannot be path to a directory" \
+       "Error: no Containerfile or Dockerfile specified or found in context directory" \
        "bud with specified context should fail if assumed Dockerfile is a directory"
 
 errmsg "no such file or directory" \
diff --git a/test/system/070-build.bats b/test/system/070-build.bats
index 728b5ba7bd..72c6a82c3d 100644
--- a/test/system/070-build.bats
+++ b/test/system/070-build.bats
@@ -660,8 +660,7 @@ EOF
     mv $tmpdir/Dockerfile $tmpdir/foofile
 
     run_podman 125 build -t build_test $tmpdir
-    is "$output" ".*Dockerfile: no such file or directory"
-
+    is "$output" "Error: no Containerfile or Dockerfile specified or found in context directory, $tmpdir: no such file or directory"
     run_podman build -t build_test -f $tmpdir/foofile $tmpdir
 
     # Clean up