diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 63f3f5d4..8b565e36 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ jobs:
 
     - name: Test cibuildwheel
       run: |
-        python ./bin/run_tests.py
+        python ./bin/run_tests.py --run-podman
 
   test-emulated:
     name: Test emulated cibuildwheel using qemu
diff --git a/bin/run_tests.py b/bin/run_tests.py
index 44c6d302..5f3a3606 100755
--- a/bin/run_tests.py
+++ b/bin/run_tests.py
@@ -1,33 +1,43 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
 
+import argparse
 import os
 import subprocess
 import sys
 from pathlib import Path
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+    parser.add_argument("--run-podman", action="store_true", default=False, help="run podman tests")
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
     # move cwd to the project root
     os.chdir(Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1])
 
-    # run the unit tests
+    # unit tests
     unit_test_args = [sys.executable, "-m", "pytest", "unit_test"]
-    # run the docker unit tests only on Linux
+
     if sys.platform.startswith("linux"):
+        # run the docker unit tests only on Linux
         unit_test_args += ["--run-docker"]
+    if args.run_podman:
+        unit_test_args += ["--run-podman"]
+
     subprocess.run(unit_test_args, check=True)
 
-    # run the integration tests
-    subprocess.run(
-        [
-            sys.executable,
-            "-m",
-            "pytest",
-            "--numprocesses=2",
-            "-x",
-            "--durations",
-            "0",
-            "--timeout=2400",
-            "test",
-        ],
-        check=True,
-    )
+    # integration tests
+    integration_test_args = [
+        sys.executable,
+        "-m",
+        "pytest",
+        "--numprocesses=2",
+        "-x",
+        "--durations",
+        "0",
+        "--timeout=2400",
+        "test",
+    ]
+    if args.run_podman:
+        integration_test_args += ["--run-podman"]
+
+    subprocess.run(integration_test_args, check=True)
diff --git a/test/conftest.py b/test/conftest.py
index d8ff2f62..e7c42112 100644
--- a/test/conftest.py
+++ b/test/conftest.py
@@ -7,20 +7,7 @@ def pytest_addoption(parser) -> None:
     parser.addoption(
         "--run-emulation", action="store_true", default=False, help="run emulation tests"
     )
-
-
-def pytest_configure(config):
-    config.addinivalue_line("markers", "emulation: mark test requiring qemu binfmt_misc to run")
-
-
-def pytest_collection_modifyitems(config, items) -> None:
-    if config.getoption("--run-emulation"):
-        # --run-emulation given in cli: do not skip emulation tests
-        return
-    skip_emulation = pytest.mark.skip(reason="need --run-emulation option to run")
-    for item in items:
-        if "emulation" in item.keywords:
-            item.add_marker(skip_emulation)
+    parser.addoption("--run-podman", action="store_true", default=False, help="run podman tests")
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(
diff --git a/test/test_emulation.py b/test/test_emulation.py
index dd76ab36..95b574dd 100644
--- a/test/test_emulation.py
+++ b/test/test_emulation.py
@@ -17,8 +17,10 @@ def test_spam():
 """
 
 
-@pytest.mark.emulation
-def test(tmp_path):
+def test(tmp_path, request):
+    if not request.config.getoption("--run-emulation"):
+        pytest.skip("needs --run-emulation option to run")
+
     project_dir = tmp_path / "project"
     project_with_a_test.generate(project_dir)
 
diff --git a/test/test_podman.py b/test/test_podman.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d4bdf556
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_podman.py
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+import pytest
+
+from . import test_projects, utils
+
+basic_project = test_projects.new_c_project()
+
+
+def test(tmp_path, capfd, request):
+    if utils.platform != "linux":
+        pytest.skip("the test is only relevant to the linux build")
+
+    if not request.config.getoption("--run-podman"):
+        pytest.skip("needs --run-podman option to run")
+
+    project_dir = tmp_path / "project"
+    basic_project.generate(project_dir)
+
+    # build some musllinux and manylinux wheels (ensuring that we use two containers)
+    actual_wheels = utils.cibuildwheel_run(
+        project_dir,
+        add_env={
+            "CIBW_BUILD": "cp310-*{manylinux,musllinux}_x86_64",
+            "CIBW_BEFORE_ALL": "echo 'test log statement from before-all'",
+        },
+    )
+
+    # check that the expected wheels are produced
+    expected_wheels = [
+        w
+        for w in utils.expected_wheels("spam", "0.1.0")
+        if ("-cp310-" in w) and ("x86_64" in w) and ("manylinux" in w or "musllinux" in w)
+    ]
+    assert set(actual_wheels) == set(expected_wheels)
+
+    # check that stdout is bring passed-though from container correctly
+    captured = capfd.readouterr()
+    assert "test log statement from before-all" in captured.out