diff --git a/libpod/networking_common.go b/libpod/networking_common.go
index a7c388a5dd..c6f4390c44 100644
--- a/libpod/networking_common.go
+++ b/libpod/networking_common.go
@@ -530,7 +530,7 @@ func (c *Container) NetworkConnect(nameOrID, netName string, netOpts types.PerNe
 
 	if err := c.runtime.state.NetworkConnect(c, netName, netOpts); err != nil {
 		// Docker compat: treat requests to attach already attached networks as a no-op, ignoring opts
-		if errors.Is(err, define.ErrNetworkConnected) && c.ensureState(define.ContainerStateConfigured) {
+		if errors.Is(err, define.ErrNetworkConnected) && !c.ensureState(define.ContainerStateRunning, define.ContainerStateCreated) {
 			return nil
 		}
 
diff --git a/pkg/api/handlers/compat/networks.go b/pkg/api/handlers/compat/networks.go
index 22451adf3a..d205a327f6 100644
--- a/pkg/api/handlers/compat/networks.go
+++ b/pkg/api/handlers/compat/networks.go
@@ -448,6 +448,10 @@ func Connect(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			utils.Error(w, http.StatusNotFound, err)
 			return
 		}
+		if errors.Is(err, define.ErrNetworkConnected) {
+			utils.Error(w, http.StatusForbidden, err)
+			return
+		}
 		utils.Error(w, http.StatusInternalServerError, err)
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/test/apiv2/35-networks.at b/test/apiv2/35-networks.at
index dfa5b583b7..2d76a61e5e 100644
--- a/test/apiv2/35-networks.at
+++ b/test/apiv2/35-networks.at
@@ -218,4 +218,26 @@ t GET networks/$nid 200 .Name="network5" \
 # clean the network
 podman network rm -f network5
 
+#
+# Test connecting container to network when connection already exists
+#
+podman network create netcon
+podman create --network bridge --name c1 $IMAGE top
+
+# connect c1 to the network for the first time.
+t POST networks/netcon/connect Container=c1 200 OK
+# connect c1 to netcon again should not error
+t POST networks/netcon/connect Container=c1 200 OK
+
+# connect c1 to netcon here should error as the container is running and it is already connected
+podman start c1
+t POST networks/netcon/connect Container=c1 403 .cause="network is already connected"
+
+# connect c1 to netcon here should not error as container was stopped
+podman stop c1
+t POST networks/netcon/connect Container=c1 200 OK
+
+# cleanup
+podman network rm -f netcon
+
 # vim: filetype=sh