diff --git a/pkg/bindings/connection.go b/pkg/bindings/connection.go
index a3677d3932..48575c8598 100644
--- a/pkg/bindings/connection.go
+++ b/pkg/bindings/connection.go
@@ -91,9 +91,12 @@ func NewConnectionWithIdentity(ctx context.Context, uri string, identity string,
 	var connection Connection
 	switch _url.Scheme {
 	case "ssh":
-		port, err := strconv.Atoi(_url.Port())
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
+		port := 22
+		if _url.Port() != "" {
+			port, err = strconv.Atoi(_url.Port())
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
 		}
 		conn, err := ssh.Dial(&ssh.ConnectionDialOptions{
 			Host:                        uri,
diff --git a/test/e2e/system_connection_test.go b/test/e2e/system_connection_test.go
index 3c320778aa..729d92a606 100644
--- a/test/e2e/system_connection_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/system_connection_test.go
@@ -281,6 +281,15 @@ var _ = Describe("podman system connection", func() {
 			_, err = Start(cmd, GinkgoWriter, GinkgoWriter)
 			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
 
+			// export the container_host env var and try again
+			err = os.Setenv("CONTAINER_HOST", fmt.Sprintf("ssh://%s@localhost", u.Username))
+			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+			defer os.Unsetenv("CONTAINER_HOST")
+
+			cmd = exec.Command(podmanTest.RemotePodmanBinary, "ps")
+			_, err = Start(cmd, GinkgoWriter, GinkgoWriter)
+			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+
 			uri := url.URL{
 				Scheme: "ssh",
 				User:   url.User(u.Username),