diff --git a/cmd/podman/create.go b/cmd/podman/create.go
index 3429c4d976..95b7a8bed2 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/create.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/create.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import (
 	ann "github.com/containers/libpod/pkg/annotations"
 	"github.com/containers/libpod/pkg/apparmor"
 	"github.com/containers/libpod/pkg/inspect"
+	"github.com/containers/libpod/pkg/rootless"
 	cc "github.com/containers/libpod/pkg/spec"
 	"github.com/containers/libpod/pkg/util"
 	libpodVersion "github.com/containers/libpod/version"
@@ -148,6 +149,79 @@ func createCmd(c *cli.Context) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// Checks if a user-specified AppArmor profile is loaded, or loads the default profile if
+// AppArmor is enabled.
+// Any interaction with AppArmor requires root permissions.
+func loadAppArmor(config *cc.CreateConfig) error {
+	if rootless.IsRootless() {
+		noAAMsg := "AppArmor security is not available in rootless mode"
+		switch config.ApparmorProfile {
+		case "":
+			logrus.Warn(noAAMsg)
+		case "unconfined":
+		default:
+			return fmt.Errorf(noAAMsg)
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	if config.ApparmorProfile == "" && apparmor.IsEnabled() {
+		// Unless specified otherwise, make sure that the default AppArmor
+		// profile is installed.  To avoid redundantly loading the profile
+		// on each invocation, check if it's loaded before installing it.
+		// Suffix the profile with the current libpod version to allow
+		// loading the new, potentially updated profile after an update.
+		profile := fmt.Sprintf("%s-%s", apparmor.DefaultLibpodProfile, libpodVersion.Version)
+
+		loadProfile := func() error {
+			isLoaded, err := apparmor.IsLoaded(profile)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			if !isLoaded {
+				err = apparmor.InstallDefault(profile)
+				if err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+
+			}
+			return nil
+		}
+
+		if err := loadProfile(); err != nil {
+			switch err {
+			case apparmor.ErrApparmorUnsupported:
+				// do not set the profile when AppArmor isn't supported
+				logrus.Debugf("AppArmor is not supported: setting empty profile")
+			default:
+				return err
+			}
+		} else {
+			logrus.Infof("Sucessfully loaded AppAmor profile '%s'", profile)
+			config.ApparmorProfile = profile
+		}
+	} else if config.ApparmorProfile != "" && config.ApparmorProfile != "unconfined" {
+		if !apparmor.IsEnabled() {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Profile specified but AppArmor is disabled on the host")
+		}
+
+		isLoaded, err := apparmor.IsLoaded(config.ApparmorProfile)
+		if err != nil {
+			switch err {
+			case apparmor.ErrApparmorUnsupported:
+				return fmt.Errorf("Profile specified but AppArmor is not supported")
+			default:
+				return fmt.Errorf("Error checking if AppArmor profile is loaded: %v", err)
+			}
+		}
+		if !isLoaded {
+			return fmt.Errorf("The specified AppArmor profile '%s' is not loaded", config.ApparmorProfile)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 func parseSecurityOpt(config *cc.CreateConfig, securityOpts []string) error {
 	var (
 		labelOpts []string
@@ -196,58 +270,8 @@ func parseSecurityOpt(config *cc.CreateConfig, securityOpts []string) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if config.ApparmorProfile == "" && apparmor.IsEnabled() {
-		// Unless specified otherwise, make sure that the default AppArmor
-		// profile is installed.  To avoid redundantly loading the profile
-		// on each invocation, check if it's loaded before installing it.
-		// Suffix the profile with the current libpod version to allow
-		// loading the new, potentially updated profile after an update.
-		profile := fmt.Sprintf("%s-%s", apparmor.DefaultLibpodProfile, libpodVersion.Version)
-
-		loadProfile := func() error {
-			isLoaded, err := apparmor.IsLoaded(profile)
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-			if !isLoaded {
-				err = apparmor.InstallDefault(profile)
-				if err != nil {
-					return err
-				}
-
-			}
-			return nil
-		}
-
-		if err := loadProfile(); err != nil {
-			switch err {
-			case apparmor.ErrApparmorUnsupported:
-				// do not set the profile when AppArmor isn't supported
-				logrus.Debugf("AppArmor is not supported: setting empty profile")
-			default:
-				return err
-			}
-		} else {
-			logrus.Infof("Sucessfully loaded AppAmor profile '%s'", profile)
-			config.ApparmorProfile = profile
-		}
-	} else if config.ApparmorProfile != "" && config.ApparmorProfile != "unconfined" {
-		if !apparmor.IsEnabled() {
-			return fmt.Errorf("profile specified but AppArmor is disabled on the host")
-		}
-
-		isLoaded, err := apparmor.IsLoaded(config.ApparmorProfile)
-		if err != nil {
-			switch err {
-			case apparmor.ErrApparmorUnsupported:
-				return fmt.Errorf("profile specified but AppArmor is not supported")
-			default:
-				return fmt.Errorf("error checking if AppArmor profile is loaded: %v", err)
-			}
-		}
-		if !isLoaded {
-			return fmt.Errorf("specified AppArmor profile '%s' is not loaded", config.ApparmorProfile)
-		}
+	if err := loadAppArmor(config); err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 
 	if config.SeccompProfilePath == "" {
diff --git a/test/test_podman_baseline.sh b/test/test_podman_baseline.sh
index a9ade8c7b4..74a4398cac 100755
--- a/test/test_podman_baseline.sh
+++ b/test/test_podman_baseline.sh
@@ -372,3 +372,77 @@ podman run whale-says
 podman rm --all
 podman rmi --all
 rm ./Dockerfile*
+
+########
+# Run AppArmor rootless tests
+########
+if aa-enabled >/dev/null && getent passwd 1000 >/dev/null; then
+    # Expected to succeed
+    sudo -u "#1000" podman run alpine echo hello
+    rc=$?
+    echo -n "rootless with no AppArmor profile "
+    if [ $rc == 0 ]; then
+        echo "passed"
+    else
+        echo "failed"
+    fi
+
+    # Expected to succeed
+    sudo -u "#1000" podman run --security-opt apparmor=unconfined alpine echo hello
+    rc=$?
+    echo -n "rootless with unconfined AppArmor profile "
+    if [ $rc == 0 ]; then
+        echo "passed"
+    else
+        echo "failed"
+    fi
+
+    aaFile="/tmp/aaProfile"
+    aaProfile="aa-demo-profile"
+    cat > $aaFile << EOF
+#include <tunables/global>
+profile aa-demo-profile flags=(attach_disconnected,mediate_deleted) {
+  #include <abstractions/base>
+  deny mount,
+  deny /sys/[^f]*/** wklx,
+  deny /sys/f[^s]*/** wklx,
+  deny /sys/fs/[^c]*/** wklx,
+  deny /sys/fs/c[^g]*/** wklx,
+  deny /sys/fs/cg[^r]*/** wklx,
+  deny /sys/firmware/efi/efivars/** rwklx,
+  deny /sys/kernel/security/** rwklx,
+}
+EOF
+
+    apparmor_parser -Kr $aaFile
+
+    #Expected to pass (as root)
+    podman run --security-opt apparmor=$aaProfile alpine echo hello
+    rc=$?
+    echo -n "root with specified AppArmor profile: "
+    if [ $rc == 0 ]; then
+        echo "passed"
+    else
+        echo "failed"
+    fi
+
+    #Expected to fail (as rootless)
+    sudo -u "#1000" podman run --security-opt apparmor=$aaProfile alpine echo hello
+    rc=$?
+    echo -n "rootless with specified AppArmor profile: "
+    if [ $rc != 0 ]; then
+        echo "passed"
+    else
+        echo "failed"
+    fi
+
+    ########
+    # Clean up Podman and $aaFile
+    ########
+    apparmor_parser -R $aaFile
+    podman rm --all
+    podman rmi --all
+    sudo -u "#1000" podman rm --all
+    sudo -u "#1000" podman rmi --all
+    rm -f $aaFile
+fi