diff --git a/cmd/podman/machine/init.go b/cmd/podman/machine/init.go
index 62c1c9be44..73867fc172 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/machine/init.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/machine/init.go
@@ -140,6 +140,12 @@ func initMachine(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		}
 		initOpts.Name = args[0]
 	}
+
+	// The vmtype names need to be reserved and cannot be used for podman machine names
+	if _, err := machine.ParseVMType(initOpts.Name, machine.UnknownVirt); err == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("cannot use %q for a machine name", initOpts.Name)
+	}
+
 	if _, err := provider.LoadVMByName(initOpts.Name); err == nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("%s: %w", initOpts.Name, machine.ErrVMAlreadyExists)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/machine/config.go b/pkg/machine/config.go
index b97cda77c3..6d071496b7 100644
--- a/pkg/machine/config.go
+++ b/pkg/machine/config.go
@@ -346,6 +346,7 @@ const (
 	WSLVirt
 	AppleHvVirt
 	HyperVVirt
+	UnknownVirt
 )
 
 func (v VMType) String() string {
@@ -383,7 +384,7 @@ func ParseVMType(input string, emptyFallback VMType) (VMType, error) {
 	case "":
 		return emptyFallback, nil
 	default:
-		return QemuVirt, fmt.Errorf("unknown VMType `%s`", input)
+		return UnknownVirt, fmt.Errorf("unknown VMType `%s`", input)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/machine/e2e/init_test.go b/pkg/machine/e2e/init_test.go
index 317e60c5f5..7c16081578 100644
--- a/pkg/machine/e2e/init_test.go
+++ b/pkg/machine/e2e/init_test.go
@@ -41,6 +41,12 @@ var _ = Describe("podman machine init", func() {
 		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
 		Expect(session).To(Exit(125))
 
+		reservedName := initMachine{}
+		reservedNameSession, err := mb.setName(testProvider.VMType().String()).setCmd(&reservedName).run()
+		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(reservedNameSession).To(Exit(125))
+		Expect(reservedNameSession.errorToString()).To(ContainSubstring(fmt.Sprintf("cannot use %q", testProvider.VMType().String())))
+
 		badName := "foobar"
 		bm := basicMachine{}
 		sysConn, err := mb.setCmd(bm.withPodmanCommand([]string{"system", "connection", "add", badName, "tcp://localhost:8000"})).run()