diff --git a/cmd/podman/containers/wait.go b/cmd/podman/containers/wait.go
index be92a3cbeb..f34e1a18a4 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/containers/wait.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/containers/wait.go
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ func waitFlags(cmd *cobra.Command) {
 	flags.StringVarP(&waitInterval, intervalFlagName, "i", "250ms", "Time Interval to wait before polling for completion")
 	_ = cmd.RegisterFlagCompletionFunc(intervalFlagName, completion.AutocompleteNone)
 
+	flags.BoolVarP(&waitOptions.Ignore, "ignore", "", false, "Ignore if a container does not exist")
+
 	conditionFlagName := "condition"
 	flags.StringSliceVar(&waitConditions, conditionFlagName, []string{}, "Condition to wait on")
 	_ = cmd.RegisterFlagCompletionFunc(conditionFlagName, common.AutocompleteWaitCondition)
diff --git a/docs/source/markdown/podman-wait.1.md.in b/docs/source/markdown/podman-wait.1.md.in
index ec942401ac..79d86c4fd0 100644
--- a/docs/source/markdown/podman-wait.1.md.in
+++ b/docs/source/markdown/podman-wait.1.md.in
@@ -23,6 +23,10 @@ Condition to wait on (default "stopped")
 
  Print usage statement
 
+
+#### **--ignore**
+Ignore errors when a specified container is missing and mark its return code as -1.
+
 #### **--interval**, **-i**=*duration*
   Time interval to wait before polling for completion. A duration string is a sequence of decimal numbers, each with optional fraction and a unit suffix, such as "300ms", "-1.5h" or "2h45m". Valid time units are "ns", "us" (or "µs"), "ms", "s", "m", "h". Time unit defaults to "ms".
 
@@ -46,6 +50,9 @@ $ podman wait 860a4b23
 $ podman wait mywebserver myftpserver
 0
 125
+
+$ podman wait --ignore does-not-exist
+-1
 ```
 
 ## SEE ALSO
diff --git a/pkg/domain/entities/containers.go b/pkg/domain/entities/containers.go
index 6e17ddf533..2deceaa12b 100644
--- a/pkg/domain/entities/containers.go
+++ b/pkg/domain/entities/containers.go
@@ -52,11 +52,11 @@ type ContainerRunlabelReport struct{}
 type WaitOptions struct {
 	Condition []define.ContainerStatus
 	Interval  time.Duration
+	Ignore    bool
 	Latest    bool
 }
 
 type WaitReport struct {
-	Id       string //nolint:revive,stylecheck
 	Error    error
 	ExitCode int32
 }
diff --git a/pkg/domain/infra/abi/containers.go b/pkg/domain/infra/abi/containers.go
index e4aead7fa3..46aebdb8fc 100644
--- a/pkg/domain/infra/abi/containers.go
+++ b/pkg/domain/infra/abi/containers.go
@@ -139,13 +139,29 @@ func (ic *ContainerEngine) ContainerExists(ctx context.Context, nameOrID string,
 }
 
 func (ic *ContainerEngine) ContainerWait(ctx context.Context, namesOrIds []string, options entities.WaitOptions) ([]entities.WaitReport, error) {
-	ctrs, err := getContainersByContext(false, options.Latest, false, namesOrIds, ic.Libpod)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+	responses := make([]entities.WaitReport, 0, len(namesOrIds))
+	if options.Latest {
+		ctr, err := ic.Libpod.GetLatestContainer()
+		if err != nil {
+			if options.Ignore && errors.Is(err, define.ErrNoSuchCtr) {
+				responses = append(responses, entities.WaitReport{ExitCode: -1})
+				return responses, nil
+			}
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		namesOrIds = append(namesOrIds, ctr.ID())
 	}
-	responses := make([]entities.WaitReport, 0, len(ctrs))
-	for _, c := range ctrs {
-		response := entities.WaitReport{Id: c.ID()}
+	for _, n := range namesOrIds {
+		c, err := ic.Libpod.LookupContainer(n)
+		if err != nil {
+			if options.Ignore && errors.Is(err, define.ErrNoSuchCtr) {
+				responses = append(responses, entities.WaitReport{ExitCode: -1})
+				continue
+			}
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+		response := entities.WaitReport{}
 		if options.Condition == nil {
 			options.Condition = []define.ContainerStatus{define.ContainerStateStopped, define.ContainerStateExited}
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/domain/infra/tunnel/containers.go b/pkg/domain/infra/tunnel/containers.go
index e8a09a7559..2e0b47e485 100644
--- a/pkg/domain/infra/tunnel/containers.go
+++ b/pkg/domain/infra/tunnel/containers.go
@@ -38,17 +38,17 @@ func (ic *ContainerEngine) ContainerExists(ctx context.Context, nameOrID string,
 }
 
 func (ic *ContainerEngine) ContainerWait(ctx context.Context, namesOrIds []string, opts entities.WaitOptions) ([]entities.WaitReport, error) {
-	cons, err := getContainersByContext(ic.ClientCtx, false, false, namesOrIds)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	responses := make([]entities.WaitReport, 0, len(cons))
+	responses := make([]entities.WaitReport, 0, len(namesOrIds))
 	options := new(containers.WaitOptions).WithCondition(opts.Condition).WithInterval(opts.Interval.String())
-	for _, c := range cons {
-		response := entities.WaitReport{Id: c.ID}
-		exitCode, err := containers.Wait(ic.ClientCtx, c.ID, options)
+	for _, n := range namesOrIds {
+		response := entities.WaitReport{}
+		exitCode, err := containers.Wait(ic.ClientCtx, n, options)
 		if err != nil {
-			response.Error = err
+			if opts.Ignore && errorhandling.Contains(err, define.ErrNoSuchCtr) {
+				response.ExitCode = -1
+			} else {
+				response.Error = err
+			}
 		} else {
 			response.ExitCode = exitCode
 		}
diff --git a/test/system/055-rm.bats b/test/system/055-rm.bats
index 613c60c960..a555bd2b5a 100644
--- a/test/system/055-rm.bats
+++ b/test/system/055-rm.bats
@@ -20,6 +20,15 @@ load helpers
     run_podman rm $rand
     is "$output" "$rand" "display raw input"
     run_podman 125 inspect $rand
+    run_podman 125 wait $rand
+    run_podman wait --ignore $rand
+    is "$output" "-1" "wait --ignore will mark missing containers with -1"
+
+    if !is_remote; then
+        # remote does not support the --latest flag
+        run_podman wait --ignore --latest
+        is "$output" "-1" "wait --ignore will mark missing containers with -1"
+    fi
 }
 
 @test "podman rm - running container, w/o and w/ force" {