diff --git a/pkg/systemd/parser/unitfile.go b/pkg/systemd/parser/unitfile.go
index ac04f8effe..099145f592 100644
--- a/pkg/systemd/parser/unitfile.go
+++ b/pkg/systemd/parser/unitfile.go
@@ -827,15 +827,16 @@ func (f *UnitFile) LookupAllArgs(groupName string, key string) []string {
 // array of words. The split code is exec-like, and both unquotes and
 // applied c-style c escapes.  This is typically used for keys like
 // ExecStart
-func (f *UnitFile) LookupLastArgs(groupName string, key string) ([]string, bool) {
+func (f *UnitFile) LookupLastArgs(groupName string, key string) ([]string, bool, error) {
 	execKey, ok := f.LookupLast(groupName, key)
-	if ok {
-		execArgs, err := splitString(execKey, WhitespaceSeparators, SplitRelax|SplitUnquote|SplitCUnescape)
-		if err == nil {
-			return execArgs, true
-		}
+	if !ok {
+		return nil, false, nil
 	}
-	return nil, false
+	execArgs, err := splitString(execKey, WhitespaceSeparators, SplitRelax|SplitUnquote|SplitCUnescape)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, false, err
+	}
+	return execArgs, true, nil
 }
 
 // Look up 'Environment' style key-value keys
diff --git a/pkg/systemd/quadlet/quadlet.go b/pkg/systemd/quadlet/quadlet.go
index 6d53d12168..de9590b383 100644
--- a/pkg/systemd/quadlet/quadlet.go
+++ b/pkg/systemd/quadlet/quadlet.go
@@ -621,7 +621,9 @@ func ConvertContainer(container *parser.UnitFile, isUser bool, unitsInfoMap map[
 	serviceStopCmd.Args[0] = fmt.Sprintf("-%s", serviceStopCmd.Args[0])
 	service.AddCmdline(ServiceGroup, "ExecStopPost", serviceStopCmd.Args)
 
-	if err := handleExecReload(container, service, ContainerGroup, containerName); err != nil {
+	warn, err = handleExecReload(container, service, ContainerGroup, containerName)
+	warnings = errors.Join(warnings, warn)
+	if err != nil {
 		return nil, warnings, err
 	}
 
@@ -888,10 +890,11 @@ func ConvertContainer(container *parser.UnitFile, isUser bool, unitsInfoMap map[
 		podman.add("--rootfs", rootfs)
 	}
 
-	execArgs, ok := container.LookupLastArgs(ContainerGroup, KeyExec)
+	execArgs, ok, warn := container.LookupLastArgs(ContainerGroup, KeyExec)
 	if ok {
 		podman.add(execArgs...)
 	}
+	warnings = errors.Join(warnings, warn)
 
 	service.AddCmdline(ServiceGroup, "ExecStart", podman.Args)
 
@@ -2169,18 +2172,22 @@ func addDefaultDependencies(service *parser.UnitFile, isUser bool) {
 	}
 }
 
-func handleExecReload(quadletUnitFile, serviceUnitFile *parser.UnitFile, groupName, containerName string) error {
+// handleExecReload handles the ExecReload key.
+// If return (warning, error)
+// An error is returned if both KeyReloadCmd and KeyReloadSignal are set,
+// and a warning is returned if it failed to parse the ReloadCmd key.
+func handleExecReload(quadletUnitFile, serviceUnitFile *parser.UnitFile, groupName, containerName string) (error, error) {
 	reloadSignal, signalOk := quadletUnitFile.Lookup(groupName, KeyReloadSignal)
 	signalOk = signalOk && len(reloadSignal) > 0
-	reloadcmd, cmdOk := quadletUnitFile.LookupLastArgs(groupName, KeyReloadCmd)
+	reloadcmd, cmdOk, warn := quadletUnitFile.LookupLastArgs(groupName, KeyReloadCmd)
 	cmdOk = cmdOk && len(reloadcmd) > 0
 
 	if !cmdOk && !signalOk {
-		return nil
+		return warn, nil
 	}
 
 	if cmdOk && signalOk {
-		return fmt.Errorf("%s and %s are mutually exclusive but both are set", KeyReloadCmd, KeyReloadSignal)
+		return warn, fmt.Errorf("%s and %s are mutually exclusive but both are set", KeyReloadCmd, KeyReloadSignal)
 	}
 
 	serviceReloadCmd := createBasePodmanCommand(quadletUnitFile, groupName)
@@ -2192,7 +2199,7 @@ func handleExecReload(quadletUnitFile, serviceUnitFile *parser.UnitFile, groupNa
 	}
 	serviceUnitFile.AddCmdline(ServiceGroup, "ExecReload", serviceReloadCmd.Args)
 
-	return nil
+	return warn, nil
 }
 
 func translateUnitDependencies(serviceUnitFile *parser.UnitFile, unitsInfoMap map[string]*UnitInfo) error {
diff --git a/test/e2e/quadlet/exec-unsupported-escape.container b/test/e2e/quadlet/exec-unsupported-escape.container
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..78513cfe7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/e2e/quadlet/exec-unsupported-escape.container
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+## assert-podman-final-args localhost/imagename
+
+[Container]
+Image=localhost/imagename
+Exec='test\.com'
diff --git a/test/e2e/quadlet/reloadcmd-unsupported-escape.container b/test/e2e/quadlet/reloadcmd-unsupported-escape.container
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a7a447c565
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/e2e/quadlet/reloadcmd-unsupported-escape.container
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+## assert-podman-final-args localhost/imagename
+
+[Container]
+Image=localhost/imagename
+ReloadCmd='test\.sh'
diff --git a/test/e2e/quadlet_test.go b/test/e2e/quadlet_test.go
index e35abb5609..23224eff84 100644
--- a/test/e2e/quadlet_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/quadlet_test.go
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ func (t *quadletTestcase) assertKeyNotContains(args []string, unit *parser.UnitF
 }
 
 func (t *quadletTestcase) assertPodmanArgs(args []string, unit *parser.UnitFile, key string, allowRegex, globalOnly bool) bool {
-	podmanArgs, _ := unit.LookupLastArgs("Service", key)
+	podmanArgs, _, _ := unit.LookupLastArgs("Service", key)
 	if globalOnly {
 		podmanCmdLocation := findSublist(podmanArgs, []string{args[0]})
 		if podmanCmdLocation == -1 {
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ func keyValMapEqualRegex(expectedKeyValMap, actualKeyValMap map[string]string) b
 }
 
 func (t *quadletTestcase) assertPodmanArgsKeyVal(args []string, unit *parser.UnitFile, key string, allowRegex, globalOnly bool) bool {
-	podmanArgs, _ := unit.LookupLastArgs("Service", key)
+	podmanArgs, _, _ := unit.LookupLastArgs("Service", key)
 
 	if globalOnly {
 		podmanCmdLocation := findSublist(podmanArgs, []string{args[0]})
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ func (t *quadletTestcase) assertPodmanArgsKeyVal(args []string, unit *parser.Uni
 }
 
 func (t *quadletTestcase) assertPodmanFinalArgs(args []string, unit *parser.UnitFile, key string) bool {
-	podmanArgs, _ := unit.LookupLastArgs("Service", key)
+	podmanArgs, _, _ := unit.LookupLastArgs("Service", key)
 	if len(podmanArgs) < len(args) {
 		return false
 	}
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ func (t *quadletTestcase) assertPodmanFinalArgs(args []string, unit *parser.Unit
 }
 
 func (t *quadletTestcase) assertPodmanFinalArgsRegex(args []string, unit *parser.UnitFile, key string) bool {
-	podmanArgs, _ := unit.LookupLastArgs("Service", key)
+	podmanArgs, _, _ := unit.LookupLastArgs("Service", key)
 	if len(podmanArgs) < len(args) {
 		return false
 	}
@@ -1106,6 +1106,9 @@ BOGUS=foo
 		Entry("Unsupported Service Key - DynamicUser.network", "service-dynamicuser.network", "Warning: using key DynamicUser in the Service group is not supported"),
 		Entry("Unsupported Service Key - DynamicUser.pod", "service-dynamicuser.pod", "Warning: using key DynamicUser in the Service group is not supported"),
 		Entry("Unsupported Service Key - DynamicUser.volume", "service-dynamicuser.volume", "Warning: using key DynamicUser in the Service group is not supported"),
+
+		Entry("exec-unsupported-escape.container", "exec-unsupported-escape.container", "unsupported escape char"),
+		Entry("reloadcmd-unsupported-escape.container", "reloadcmd-unsupported-escape.container", "unsupported escape char"),
 	)
 
 	DescribeTable("Running expected error quadlet test case",