diff --git a/docs/source/markdown/options/userns.container.md b/docs/source/markdown/options/userns.container.md
index 7c0c68f657..6c24f0aa69 100644
--- a/docs/source/markdown/options/userns.container.md
+++ b/docs/source/markdown/options/userns.container.md
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 ####> are applicable to all of those.
 #### **--userns**=*mode*
 
-Set the user namespace mode for the container. It defaults to the **PODMAN_USERNS** environment variable. An empty value ("") means user namespaces are disabled unless an explicit mapping is set with the **--uidmap** and **--gidmap** options.
+Set the user namespace mode for the container. It defaults to the **PODMAN_USERNS** environment variable unless `--pod` is specified. An empty value ("") means user namespaces are disabled unless an explicit mapping is set with the **--uidmap** and **--gidmap** options.
 
 This option is incompatible with **--gidmap**, **--uidmap**, **--subuidname** and **--subgidname**.
 
diff --git a/pkg/specgenutil/specgen.go b/pkg/specgenutil/specgen.go
index 903232e448..16c1b30810 100644
--- a/pkg/specgenutil/specgen.go
+++ b/pkg/specgenutil/specgen.go
@@ -220,9 +220,9 @@ func setNamespaces(s *specgen.SpecGenerator, c *entities.ContainerCreateOptions)
 			return err
 		}
 	}
-	userns := os.Getenv("PODMAN_USERNS")
-	if c.UserNS != "" {
-		userns = c.UserNS
+	userns := c.UserNS
+	if userns == "" && c.Pod == "" {
+		userns = os.Getenv("PODMAN_USERNS")
 	}
 	// userns must be treated differently
 	if userns != "" {
diff --git a/test/e2e/run_userns_test.go b/test/e2e/run_userns_test.go
index 4f4aa80b92..3d744ae5d1 100644
--- a/test/e2e/run_userns_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/run_userns_test.go
@@ -395,6 +395,11 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman UserNS support", func() {
 		inspect.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
 		Expect(inspect.OutputToString()).To(Not(Equal("<nil>")))
 
+		// --pod should work.
+		result = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"create", "--pod=new:new-pod", ALPINE, "true"})
+		result.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
+		Expect(result).Should(Exit(0))
+
 		if IsRemote() {
 			podmanTest.RestartRemoteService()
 		}