diff --git a/.github/workflows/rpm-build.yml b/.github/workflows/rpm-build.yml
index 06f8777..3acb8c6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/rpm-build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/rpm-build.yml
@@ -307,14 +307,19 @@ jobs:
         id: build-rpm-docker-image
         continue-on-error: true
         run: set -x; cat ${{ inputs.PACKAGING_DIR }}/packaging/Dockerfile.mockbuild;
-             docker build --file ${{ inputs.PACKAGING_DIR }}/packaging/Dockerfile.mockbuild
-                          --build-arg CACHEBUST=$(date +%s%3N)
-                          --build-arg CB0=$(date +%V)
-                          --build-arg REPO_FILE_URL=$REPO_FILE_URL
-                          --build-arg UID=$(id -u)
-                          --build-arg FVERSION=${{ env.FVERSION }}
-                          --tag mock-build
-                         ${{ inputs.PACKAGING_DIR }}
+             if command -v podman; then
+                 DOCKER=podman
+             else
+                 DOCKER=docker
+             fi
+             "$DOCKER" build --file ${{ inputs.PACKAGING_DIR }}/packaging/Dockerfile.mockbuild
+                             --build-arg CACHEBUST=$(date +%s%3N)
+                             --build-arg CB0=$(date +%V)
+                             --build-arg REPO_FILE_URL=$REPO_FILE_URL
+                             --build-arg UID=$(id -u)
+                             --build-arg FVERSION=${{ env.FVERSION }}
+                             --tag mock-build
+                            ${{ inputs.PACKAGING_DIR }}
       - name: Build RPM
         id: build-rpm
         continue-on-error: true
@@ -353,27 +358,32 @@ jobs:
              if [ -z "${{ github.run_attempt }}" ] ||
                 [ "${{ github.run_attempt }}" = '""' ]; then
                  unique="$RANDOM"
-                 docker_args=(--user build)
              else
                  unique="${{ github.run_id }}-${{ github.run_attempt }}"
+             fi
+             if command -v podman; then
+                 DOCKER=podman
+             else
+                 DOCKER=docker
+                 # TODO: determine why we cannot use this with podman
                  docker_args=(--user build)
              fi
-             docker run --name mock-build-"$unique"-${{ matrix.distro }}                                      \
-                        "${docker_args[@]}"                                                                   \
-                        -v "$PWD":"$PWD" -w "$PWD"                                                            \
-                        -v "$PWD"/mock_result/${CHROOT_NAME}:/var/lib/mock/$CHROOT_NAME/result                               \
-                        -v /scratch:/scratch                                                                  \
-                        --privileged=true                                                                     \
-                        -e DAOS_FULLNAME="$DAOS_FULLNAME"                                                     \
-                        -e DAOS_EMAIL="$DAOS_EMAIL"                                                           \
-                        -e DISTRO_VERSION="$DISTRO_VERSION"                                                   \
-                        -e STAGE_NAME="$STAGE_NAME"                                                           \
-                        -e CHROOT_NAME="$CHROOT_NAME"                                                         \
-                        -e ARTIFACTORY_URL="$ARTIFACTORY_URL"                                                 \
-                        -e REPO_FILE_URL="$REPO_FILE_URL"                                                     \
-                        -e JENKINS_URL="$JENKINS_URL"                                                         \
-                        -e TARGET="$TARGET"                                                                   \
-                        mock-build bash -c "$script"
+             "$DOCKER" run --name mock-build-"$unique"-${{ matrix.distro }}                       \
+                           "${docker_args[@]}"                                                    \
+                           -v "$PWD":"$PWD" -w "$PWD"                                             \
+                           -v "$PWD"/mock_result/${CHROOT_NAME}:/var/lib/mock/$CHROOT_NAME/result \
+                           -v /scratch:/scratch                                                   \
+                           --privileged=true                                                      \
+                           -e DAOS_FULLNAME="$DAOS_FULLNAME"                                      \
+                           -e DAOS_EMAIL="$DAOS_EMAIL"                                            \
+                           -e DISTRO_VERSION="$DISTRO_VERSION"                                    \
+                           -e STAGE_NAME="$STAGE_NAME"                                            \
+                           -e CHROOT_NAME="$CHROOT_NAME"                                          \
+                           -e ARTIFACTORY_URL="$ARTIFACTORY_URL"                                  \
+                           -e REPO_FILE_URL="$REPO_FILE_URL"                                      \
+                           -e JENKINS_URL="$JENKINS_URL"                                          \
+                           -e TARGET="$TARGET"                                                    \
+                           mock-build bash -c "$script"
              ls -l mock_result/${CHROOT_NAME}
         # yamllint enable rule:line-length
       - name: Build RPM failure log