diff --git a/common/deploy-steps.j2 b/common/deploy-steps.j2
index 00e997ae09..c951f52ca4 100644
--- a/common/deploy-steps.j2
+++ b/common/deploy-steps.j2
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ parameters:
     description: Number of concurrent processes to use when running container-puppet to generate config files.
   ContainerCli:
     type: string
-    default: 'docker'
+    default: 'podman'
     description: CLI tool used to manage containers.
     constraints:
       - allowed_values: ['docker', 'podman']
diff --git a/deployment/cinder/cinder-backup-pacemaker-puppet.yaml b/deployment/cinder/cinder-backup-pacemaker-puppet.yaml
index 4a2044b7e8..4669348d59 100644
--- a/deployment/cinder/cinder-backup-pacemaker-puppet.yaml
+++ b/deployment/cinder/cinder-backup-pacemaker-puppet.yaml
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ parameters:
     type: number
   ContainerCli:
     type: string
-    default: 'docker'
+    default: 'podman'
     description: CLI tool used to manage containers.
     constraints:
       - allowed_values: ['docker', 'podman']
diff --git a/deployment/cinder/cinder-volume-pacemaker-puppet.yaml b/deployment/cinder/cinder-volume-pacemaker-puppet.yaml
index 5e2d6dd18d..f76c3d9d99 100644
--- a/deployment/cinder/cinder-volume-pacemaker-puppet.yaml
+++ b/deployment/cinder/cinder-volume-pacemaker-puppet.yaml
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ parameters:
     type: number
   ContainerCli:
     type: string
-    default: 'docker'
+    default: 'podman'
     description: CLI tool used to manage containers.
     constraints:
       - allowed_values: ['docker', 'podman']
diff --git a/deployment/database/mysql-pacemaker-puppet.yaml b/deployment/database/mysql-pacemaker-puppet.yaml
index cc1679f70b..bb7590ff34 100644
--- a/deployment/database/mysql-pacemaker-puppet.yaml
+++ b/deployment/database/mysql-pacemaker-puppet.yaml
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ parameters:
     type: number
   ContainerCli:
     type: string
-    default: 'docker'
+    default: 'podman'
     description: CLI tool used to manage containers.
     constraints:
       - allowed_values: ['docker', 'podman']
diff --git a/deployment/database/redis-pacemaker-puppet.yaml b/deployment/database/redis-pacemaker-puppet.yaml
index def7dd7c9a..a572bf600e 100644
--- a/deployment/database/redis-pacemaker-puppet.yaml
+++ b/deployment/database/redis-pacemaker-puppet.yaml
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ parameters:
     type: number
   ContainerCli:
     type: string
-    default: 'docker'
+    default: 'podman'
     description: CLI tool used to manage containers.
     constraints:
       - allowed_values: ['docker', 'podman']
diff --git a/deployment/deprecated/monitoring/sensu-client-container-puppet.yaml b/deployment/deprecated/monitoring/sensu-client-container-puppet.yaml
index 2e0c5317a2..88ac1d7ffb 100644
--- a/deployment/deprecated/monitoring/sensu-client-container-puppet.yaml
+++ b/deployment/deprecated/monitoring/sensu-client-container-puppet.yaml
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ parameters:
     default: 90
   ContainerCli:
     type: string
-    default: 'docker'
+    default: 'podman'
     description: CLI tool used to manage containers.
     constraints:
       - allowed_values: ['docker', 'podman']
diff --git a/deployment/haproxy/haproxy-pacemaker-puppet.yaml b/deployment/haproxy/haproxy-pacemaker-puppet.yaml
index c2a3ee04db..9718965824 100644
--- a/deployment/haproxy/haproxy-pacemaker-puppet.yaml
+++ b/deployment/haproxy/haproxy-pacemaker-puppet.yaml
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ parameters:
     type: number
   ContainerCli:
     type: string
-    default: 'docker'
+    default: 'podman'
     description: CLI tool used to manage containers.
     constraints:
       - allowed_values: ['docker', 'podman']
diff --git a/deployment/manila/manila-share-pacemaker-puppet.yaml b/deployment/manila/manila-share-pacemaker-puppet.yaml
index f73deecb18..7f7e50a9ff 100644
--- a/deployment/manila/manila-share-pacemaker-puppet.yaml
+++ b/deployment/manila/manila-share-pacemaker-puppet.yaml
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ parameters:
     type: number
   ContainerCli:
     type: string
-    default: 'docker'
+    default: 'podman'
     description: CLI tool used to manage containers.
     constraints:
       - allowed_values: ['docker', 'podman']
diff --git a/deployment/mistral/mistral-executor-container-puppet.yaml b/deployment/mistral/mistral-executor-container-puppet.yaml
index fc86f09f74..802f84e991 100644
--- a/deployment/mistral/mistral-executor-container-puppet.yaml
+++ b/deployment/mistral/mistral-executor-container-puppet.yaml
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ parameters:
     type: string
   ContainerCli:
     type: string
-    default: 'docker'
+    default: 'podman'
     description: CLI tool used to manage containers.
     constraints:
       - allowed_values: ['docker', 'podman']
diff --git a/deployment/neutron/neutron-dhcp-container-puppet.yaml b/deployment/neutron/neutron-dhcp-container-puppet.yaml
index 6085019ff1..328b2f29b4 100644
--- a/deployment/neutron/neutron-dhcp-container-puppet.yaml
+++ b/deployment/neutron/neutron-dhcp-container-puppet.yaml
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ parameters:
     description: Controls debugging for the wrapper scripts.
   ContainerCli:
     type: string
-    default: 'docker'
+    default: 'podman'
     description: CLI tool used to manage containers.
     constraints:
       - allowed_values: ['docker', 'podman']
diff --git a/deployment/neutron/neutron-l3-container-puppet.yaml b/deployment/neutron/neutron-l3-container-puppet.yaml
index d78ba4cb18..6ad39f6d68 100644
--- a/deployment/neutron/neutron-l3-container-puppet.yaml
+++ b/deployment/neutron/neutron-l3-container-puppet.yaml
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ parameters:
     description: Controls debugging for the wrapper scripts.
   ContainerCli:
     type: string
-    default: 'docker'
+    default: 'podman'
     description: CLI tool used to manage containers.
     constraints:
       - allowed_values: ['docker', 'podman']
diff --git a/deployment/nova/nova-libvirt-container-puppet.yaml b/deployment/nova/nova-libvirt-container-puppet.yaml
index 187daeeee9..0ebbfe528e 100644
--- a/deployment/nova/nova-libvirt-container-puppet.yaml
+++ b/deployment/nova/nova-libvirt-container-puppet.yaml
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ parameters:
 
   ContainerCli:
     type: string
-    default: 'docker'
+    default: 'podman'
     description: CLI tool used to manage containers.
     constraints:
       - allowed_values: ['docker', 'podman']
diff --git a/deployment/rabbitmq/rabbitmq-messaging-notify-pacemaker-puppet.yaml b/deployment/rabbitmq/rabbitmq-messaging-notify-pacemaker-puppet.yaml
index a3a33bbb48..d291d9d803 100644
--- a/deployment/rabbitmq/rabbitmq-messaging-notify-pacemaker-puppet.yaml
+++ b/deployment/rabbitmq/rabbitmq-messaging-notify-pacemaker-puppet.yaml
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ parameters:
     type: number
   ContainerCli:
     type: string
-    default: 'docker'
+    default: 'podman'
     description: CLI tool used to manage containers.
     constraints:
       - allowed_values: ['docker', 'podman']
diff --git a/deployment/rabbitmq/rabbitmq-messaging-pacemaker-puppet.yaml b/deployment/rabbitmq/rabbitmq-messaging-pacemaker-puppet.yaml
index 3cc6fdf268..9b48070dcd 100644
--- a/deployment/rabbitmq/rabbitmq-messaging-pacemaker-puppet.yaml
+++ b/deployment/rabbitmq/rabbitmq-messaging-pacemaker-puppet.yaml
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ parameters:
     type: number
   ContainerCli:
     type: string
-    default: 'docker'
+    default: 'podman'
     description: CLI tool used to manage containers.
     constraints:
       - allowed_values: ['docker', 'podman']
diff --git a/deployment/rabbitmq/rabbitmq-messaging-rpc-pacemaker-puppet.yaml b/deployment/rabbitmq/rabbitmq-messaging-rpc-pacemaker-puppet.yaml
index efbc76e061..067ab33a68 100644
--- a/deployment/rabbitmq/rabbitmq-messaging-rpc-pacemaker-puppet.yaml
+++ b/deployment/rabbitmq/rabbitmq-messaging-rpc-pacemaker-puppet.yaml
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ parameters:
     type: number
   ContainerCli:
     type: string
-    default: 'docker'
+    default: 'podman'
     description: CLI tool used to manage containers.
     constraints:
       - allowed_values: ['docker', 'podman']
diff --git a/docker/services/ovn-metadata.yaml b/docker/services/ovn-metadata.yaml
index 48d93da763..98d3f4f498 100644
--- a/docker/services/ovn-metadata.yaml
+++ b/docker/services/ovn-metadata.yaml
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ parameters:
     description: Controls debugging for the wrapper scripts.
   ContainerCli:
     type: string
-    default: 'docker'
+    default: 'podman'
     description: CLI tool used to manage containers.
     constraints:
       - allowed_values: ['docker', 'podman']
diff --git a/docker/services/pacemaker/ovn-dbs.yaml b/docker/services/pacemaker/ovn-dbs.yaml
index b213a080cd..5eaaaf749b 100644
--- a/docker/services/pacemaker/ovn-dbs.yaml
+++ b/docker/services/pacemaker/ovn-dbs.yaml
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ parameters:
     type: number
   ContainerCli:
     type: string
-    default: 'docker'
+    default: 'podman'
     description: CLI tool used to manage containers.
     constraints:
       - allowed_values: ['docker', 'podman']
diff --git a/puppet/all-nodes-config.j2.yaml b/puppet/all-nodes-config.j2.yaml
index 6e0b54ab6a..9163f7341b 100644
--- a/puppet/all-nodes-config.j2.yaml
+++ b/puppet/all-nodes-config.j2.yaml
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ parameters:
 {%- endfor %}
   ContainerCli:
     type: string
-    default: 'docker'
+    default: 'podman'
     description: CLI tool used to manage containers.
     constraints:
       - allowed_values: ['docker', 'podman']
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/container_cli-64a217e8abb508c4.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/container_cli-64a217e8abb508c4.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c14edec0b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/container_cli-64a217e8abb508c4.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+features:
+  - |
+    Podman is now the default ContainerCli unless you deploy Pacemaker.
+    then you must run Docker when deploying on CentOS7.