diff --git a/libpod/boltdb_state.go b/libpod/boltdb_state.go
index 20610cfc3e..b953b7cb60 100644
--- a/libpod/boltdb_state.go
+++ b/libpod/boltdb_state.go
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"io/fs"
 	"net"
+	"os"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
@@ -78,6 +80,19 @@ func NewBoltState(path string, runtime *Runtime) (State, error) {
 
 	logrus.Debugf("Initializing boltdb state at %s", path)
 
+	// BoltDB is deprecated and, as of Podman 5.0, we no longer allow the
+	// creation of new Bolt states.
+	// If the DB does not already exist, error out.
+	// To continue testing in CI, allow creation iff an undocumented env
+	// var is set.
+	if os.Getenv("CI_DESIRED_DATABASE") != "boltdb" {
+		if _, err := os.Stat(path); err != nil && errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("the BoltDB backend has been deprecated, no new BoltDB databases can be created: %w", define.ErrInvalidArg)
+		}
+	} else {
+		logrus.Debugf("Allowing deprecated database backend due to CI_DESIRED_DATABASE.")
+	}
+
 	db, err := bolt.Open(path, 0600, nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("opening database %s: %w", path, err)
diff --git a/libpod/state_test.go b/libpod/state_test.go
index d6ce225264..965f01983b 100644
--- a/libpod/state_test.go
+++ b/libpod/state_test.go
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ func getEmptyBoltState() (_ State, _ string, _ lock.Manager, retErr error) {
 		}
 	}()
 
+	if err := os.Setenv("CI_DESIRED_DATABASE", "boltdb"); err != nil {
+		return nil, "", nil, err
+	}
+
 	dbPath := filepath.Join(tmpDir, "db.sql")
 
 	lockManager, err := lock.NewInMemoryManager(16)
diff --git a/test/e2e/info_test.go b/test/e2e/info_test.go
index b204ebbd3e..c05ee29ee1 100644
--- a/test/e2e/info_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/info_test.go
@@ -186,8 +186,11 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman Info", func() {
 		Expect(session.OutputToString()).To(Equal(want))
 	})
 
-	It("podman --db-backend info basic check", func() {
+	It("podman --db-backend info basic check", Serial, func() {
 		SkipIfRemote("--db-backend only supported on the local client")
+
+		const desiredDB = "CI_DESIRED_DATABASE"
+
 		type argWant struct {
 			arg  string
 			want string
@@ -199,14 +202,29 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman Info", func() {
 			// now because a boltdb exists it should use boltdb when default is requested
 			{arg: "", want: "boltdb"},
 			{arg: "sqlite", want: "sqlite"},
+			// just because we requested sqlite doesn't mean it stays that way.
+			// once a boltdb exists, podman will forevermore stick with it
+			{arg: "", want: "boltdb"},
 		}
 
 		for _, tt := range backends {
+			oldDesiredDB := os.Getenv(desiredDB)
+			if tt.arg == "boltdb" {
+				err := os.Setenv(desiredDB, "boltdb")
+				Expect(err).To(Not(HaveOccurred()))
+				defer os.Setenv(desiredDB, oldDesiredDB)
+			}
+
 			session := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"--db-backend", tt.arg, "--log-level=info", "info", "--format", "{{.Host.DatabaseBackend}}"})
 			session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
 			Expect(session).To(Exit(0))
 			Expect(session.OutputToString()).To(Equal(tt.want))
 			Expect(session.ErrorToString()).To(ContainSubstring("Using %s as database backend", tt.want))
+
+			if tt.arg == "boltdb" {
+				err := os.Setenv(desiredDB, oldDesiredDB)
+				Expect(err).To(Not(HaveOccurred()))
+			}
 		}
 
 		// make sure we get an error for bogus values
diff --git a/test/e2e/systemd_activate_test.go b/test/e2e/systemd_activate_test.go
index 30d40c091e..129f3bd860 100644
--- a/test/e2e/systemd_activate_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/systemd_activate_test.go
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Systemd activate", func() {
 		systemdArgs := []string{
 			"-E", "http_proxy", "-E", "https_proxy", "-E", "no_proxy",
 			"-E", "HTTP_PROXY", "-E", "HTTPS_PROXY", "-E", "NO_PROXY",
-			"-E", "XDG_RUNTIME_DIR",
+			"-E", "XDG_RUNTIME_DIR", "-E", "CI_DESIRED_DATABASE",
 			"--listen", addr,
 			podmanTest.PodmanBinary}
 		systemdArgs = append(systemdArgs, podmanOptions...)
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Systemd activate", func() {
 
 		// start systemd activation with datagram socket
 		activateSession := testUtils.StartSystemExec(activate, []string{
-			"--datagram", "--listen", addr,
+			"--datagram", "--listen", addr, "-E", "CI_DESIRED_DATABASE",
 			podmanTest.PodmanBinary,
 			"--root=" + filepath.Join(tempdir, "server_root"),
 			"system", "service",
diff --git a/test/system/005-info.bats b/test/system/005-info.bats
index 200d81f060..10b6011a38 100644
--- a/test/system/005-info.bats
+++ b/test/system/005-info.bats
@@ -255,4 +255,20 @@ EOF
 
 }
 
+@test "podman - BoltDB cannot create new databases" {
+    skip_if_remote "DB checks only work for local Podman"
+
+    safe_opts=$(podman_isolation_opts ${PODMAN_TMPDIR})
+
+    CI_DESIRED_DATABASE= run_podman 125 $safe_opts --db-backend=boltdb info
+    assert "$output" =~ "deprecated, no new BoltDB databases can be created" \
+           "without CI_DESIRED_DATABASE"
+
+    CI_DESIRED_DATABASE=boltdb run_podman $safe_opts --log-level=debug --db-backend=boltdb info
+    assert "$output" =~ "Allowing deprecated database backend" \
+           "with CI_DESIRED_DATABASE"
+
+    run_podman $safe_opts system reset --force
+}
+
 # vim: filetype=sh
diff --git a/test/system/120-load.bats b/test/system/120-load.bats
index 57178f55a9..e05f5196e2 100644
--- a/test/system/120-load.bats
+++ b/test/system/120-load.bats
@@ -83,6 +83,11 @@ verify_iid_and_name() {
 @test "podman image scp transfer" {
     skip_if_remote "only applicable under local podman"
 
+    # See https://github.com/containers/podman/pull/21300 for details
+    if [[ "$CI_DESIRED_DATABASE" = "boltdb" ]]; then
+        skip "impossible due to pitfalls in our SSH implementation"
+    fi
+
     # The testing is the same whether we're root or rootless; all that
     # differs is the destination (not-me) username.
     if is_rootless; then