diff --git a/cmd/podman/shared/create.go b/cmd/podman/shared/create.go
index 9ce20047b0..fd319e2151 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/shared/create.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/shared/create.go
@@ -117,20 +117,26 @@ func CreateContainer(ctx context.Context, c *GenericCLIResults, runtime *libpod.
 					}
 
 					if healthCheck != nil {
-						// apply defaults if image doesn't override them
-						if healthCheck.Interval == 0 {
-							healthCheck.Interval = 30 * time.Second
-						}
-						if healthCheck.Timeout == 0 {
-							healthCheck.Timeout = 30 * time.Second
-						}
-						/* Docker default is 0s, so the following would be a no-op
-						if healthCheck.StartPeriod == 0 {
-							healthCheck.StartPeriod = 0 * time.Second
-						}
-						*/
-						if healthCheck.Retries == 0 {
-							healthCheck.Retries = 3
+						hcCommand := healthCheck.Test
+						if len(hcCommand) < 1 || hcCommand[0] == "" || hcCommand[0] == "NONE" {
+							// disable health check
+							healthCheck = nil
+						} else {
+							// apply defaults if image doesn't override them
+							if healthCheck.Interval == 0 {
+								healthCheck.Interval = 30 * time.Second
+							}
+							if healthCheck.Timeout == 0 {
+								healthCheck.Timeout = 30 * time.Second
+							}
+							/* Docker default is 0s, so the following would be a no-op
+							if healthCheck.StartPeriod == 0 {
+								healthCheck.StartPeriod = 0 * time.Second
+							}
+							*/
+							if healthCheck.Retries == 0 {
+								healthCheck.Retries = 3
+							}
 						}
 					}
 				}