diff --git a/cmd/podman/common/completion.go b/cmd/podman/common/completion.go
index f78ccf158a..ac487708bc 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/common/completion.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/common/completion.go
@@ -362,6 +362,11 @@ func getPathCompletion(root string, toComplete string) ([]string, cobra.ShellCom
 // We cannot use path.Join() for the completions logic because this one always calls Clean() on
 // the path which changes it from the input.
 func simplePathJoinUnix(p1, p2 string) string {
+	if len(p1) == 0 {
+		// Special case if p1 is not set just return p2 as is
+		// and do not add a slash as the input didn't contain one either.
+		return p2
+	}
 	if p1[len(p1)-1] == '/' {
 		return p1 + p2
 	}
diff --git a/test/system/600-completion.bats b/test/system/600-completion.bats
index cb4a2c5f81..cf0380485c 100644
--- a/test/system/600-completion.bats
+++ b/test/system/600-completion.bats
@@ -353,6 +353,11 @@ function _check_no_suggestions() {
         run_completion $cmd $IMAGE "/etc/os-"
         assert "$output" =~ ".*^/etc/os-release\$.*" "/etc files suggested (cmd: podman $cmd /etc/os-)"
 
+        # regression check for https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2209809
+        # check for relative directory without slash in path.
+        run_completion $cmd $IMAGE "e"
+        assert "$output" =~ ".*^etc/\$.*" "etc dir suggested (cmd: podman $cmd e)"
+
         # check completion with relative path components
         # It is important the we will still use the image root and not escape to the host
         run_completion $cmd $IMAGE "../../"