diff --git a/test/e2e/info_test.go b/test/e2e/info_test.go
index c6cca6e866..7de0f22f8b 100644
--- a/test/e2e/info_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/info_test.go
@@ -181,4 +181,19 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman Info", func() {
 		Expect(session).To(Exit(0))
 		Expect(session.OutputToString()).To(Equal(want))
 	})
+
+	It("Podman info: check desired database backend", func() {
+		// defined in .cirrus.yml
+		want := os.Getenv("CI_DESIRED_DATABASE")
+		if want == "" {
+			if os.Getenv("CIRRUS_CI") == "" {
+				Skip("CI_DESIRED_DATABASE is not set--this is OK because we're not running under Cirrus")
+			}
+			Fail("CIRRUS_CI is set, but CI_DESIRED_DATABASE is not! See #16389")
+		}
+		session := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"info", "--format", "{{.Host.DatabaseBackend}}"})
+		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
+		Expect(session).To(Exit(0))
+		Expect(session.OutputToString()).To(Equal(want))
+	})
 })
diff --git a/test/system/001-basic.bats b/test/system/001-basic.bats
index 2f7f0966ca..a2f0f57d7b 100644
--- a/test/system/001-basic.bats
+++ b/test/system/001-basic.bats
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ function setup() {
         'Logdriver:{{.Host.LogDriver}}'
         'Cgroups:{{.Host.CgroupsVersion}}+{{.Host.CgroupManager}}'
         'Net:{{.Host.NetworkBackend}}'
+        'DB:{{.Host.DatabaseBackend}}'
     )
     run_podman info --format "$(IFS='/' echo ${want[@]})"
     echo "# $output" >&3
diff --git a/test/system/005-info.bats b/test/system/005-info.bats
index 8561a873c7..42ea58a1d6 100644
--- a/test/system/005-info.bats
+++ b/test/system/005-info.bats
@@ -93,6 +93,26 @@ host.slirp4netns.executable | $expr_path
     is "$output" "$CI_DESIRED_NETWORK" "CI_DESIRED_NETWORK (from .cirrus.yml)"
 }
 
+@test "podman info - confirm desired database" {
+    skip "FIXME: no way yet (2023-03-16) to override DB in system tests"
+    if [[ -z "$CI_DESIRED_DATABASE" ]]; then
+        # When running in Cirrus, CI_DESIRED_DATABASE *must* be defined
+        # in .cirrus.yml so we can double-check that all CI VMs are
+        # using netavark or cni as desired.
+        if [[ -n "$CIRRUS_CI" ]]; then
+            die "CIRRUS_CI is set, but CI_DESIRED_DATABASE is not! See #16389"
+        fi
+
+        # Not running under Cirrus (e.g., gating tests, or dev laptop).
+        # Totally OK to skip this test.
+        skip "CI_DESIRED_DATABASE is unset--OK, because we're not in Cirrus"
+    fi
+
+    run_podman info --format '{{.Host.DatabaseBackend}}'
+    is "$output" "$CI_DESIRED_DATABASE" "CI_DESIRED_DATABASE (from .cirrus.yml)"
+}
+
+
 # 2021-04-06 discussed in watercooler: RHEL must never use crun, even if
 # using cgroups v2.
 @test "podman info - RHEL8 must use runc" {