diff --git a/libpod/boltdb_state_internal.go b/libpod/boltdb_state_internal.go
index 388110f251..75888410ab 100644
--- a/libpod/boltdb_state_internal.go
+++ b/libpod/boltdb_state_internal.go
@@ -4,7 +4,9 @@
 package libpod
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"io/fs"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
@@ -94,6 +96,7 @@ type dbConfigValidation struct {
 	runtimeValue string
 	key          []byte
 	defaultValue string
+	isPath       bool
 }
 
 // Check if the configuration of the database is compatible with the
@@ -112,42 +115,49 @@ func checkRuntimeConfig(db *bolt.DB, rt *Runtime) error {
 			runtime.GOOS,
 			osKey,
 			runtime.GOOS,
+			false,
 		},
 		{
 			"libpod root directory (staticdir)",
 			filepath.Clean(rt.config.Engine.StaticDir),
 			staticDirKey,
 			"",
+			true,
 		},
 		{
 			"libpod temporary files directory (tmpdir)",
 			filepath.Clean(rt.config.Engine.TmpDir),
 			tmpDirKey,
 			"",
+			true,
 		},
 		{
 			"storage temporary directory (runroot)",
 			filepath.Clean(rt.StorageConfig().RunRoot),
 			runRootKey,
 			storeOpts.RunRoot,
+			true,
 		},
 		{
 			"storage graph root directory (graphroot)",
 			filepath.Clean(rt.StorageConfig().GraphRoot),
 			graphRootKey,
 			storeOpts.GraphRoot,
+			true,
 		},
 		{
 			"storage graph driver",
 			rt.StorageConfig().GraphDriverName,
 			graphDriverKey,
 			storeOpts.GraphDriverName,
+			false,
 		},
 		{
 			"volume path",
 			rt.config.Engine.VolumePath,
 			volPathKey,
 			"",
+			true,
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -222,22 +232,45 @@ func readOnlyValidateConfig(bucket *bolt.Bucket, toCheck dbConfigValidation) (bo
 	}
 
 	dbValue := string(keyBytes)
+	ourValue := toCheck.runtimeValue
+
+	// Tolerate symlinks when possible - most relevant for OStree systems
+	// and rootless containers, where we want to put containers in /home,
+	// which is symlinked to /var/home.
+	if toCheck.isPath {
+		if dbValue != "" {
+			// Ignore ENOENT on both, on a fresh system some paths
+			// may not exist this early in Libpod init.
+			dbVal, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(dbValue)
+			if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
+				return false, fmt.Errorf("evaluating symlinks on DB %s path %q: %w", toCheck.name, dbValue, err)
+			}
+			dbValue = dbVal
+		}
+		if ourValue != "" {
+			ourVal, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(ourValue)
+			if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
+				return false, fmt.Errorf("evaluating symlinks on configured %s path %q: %w", toCheck.name, ourValue, err)
+			}
+			ourValue = ourVal
+		}
+	}
 
-	if toCheck.runtimeValue != dbValue {
+	if ourValue != dbValue {
 		// If the runtime value is the empty string and default is not,
 		// check against default.
-		if toCheck.runtimeValue == "" && toCheck.defaultValue != "" && dbValue == toCheck.defaultValue {
+		if ourValue == "" && toCheck.defaultValue != "" && dbValue == toCheck.defaultValue {
 			return true, nil
 		}
 
 		// If the DB value is the empty string, check that the runtime
 		// value is the default.
-		if dbValue == "" && toCheck.defaultValue != "" && toCheck.runtimeValue == toCheck.defaultValue {
+		if dbValue == "" && toCheck.defaultValue != "" && ourValue == toCheck.defaultValue {
 			return true, nil
 		}
 
 		return true, fmt.Errorf("database %s %q does not match our %s %q: %w",
-			toCheck.name, dbValue, toCheck.name, toCheck.runtimeValue, define.ErrDBBadConfig)
+			toCheck.name, dbValue, toCheck.name, ourValue, define.ErrDBBadConfig)
 	}
 
 	return true, nil
diff --git a/libpod/sqlite_state.go b/libpod/sqlite_state.go
index f3f6d7c307..b1d366aeac 100644
--- a/libpod/sqlite_state.go
+++ b/libpod/sqlite_state.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"database/sql"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"io/fs"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	goruntime "runtime"
@@ -316,14 +317,14 @@ func (s *SQLiteState) ValidateDBConfig(runtime *Runtime) (defErr error) {
         );`
 
 	var (
-		os, staticDir, tmpDir, graphRoot, runRoot, graphDriver, volumePath string
-		runtimeOS                                                          = goruntime.GOOS
-		runtimeStaticDir                                                   = filepath.Clean(s.runtime.config.Engine.StaticDir)
-		runtimeTmpDir                                                      = filepath.Clean(s.runtime.config.Engine.TmpDir)
-		runtimeGraphRoot                                                   = filepath.Clean(s.runtime.StorageConfig().GraphRoot)
-		runtimeRunRoot                                                     = filepath.Clean(s.runtime.StorageConfig().RunRoot)
-		runtimeGraphDriver                                                 = s.runtime.StorageConfig().GraphDriverName
-		runtimeVolumePath                                                  = filepath.Clean(s.runtime.config.Engine.VolumePath)
+		dbOS, staticDir, tmpDir, graphRoot, runRoot, graphDriver, volumePath string
+		runtimeOS                                                            = goruntime.GOOS
+		runtimeStaticDir                                                     = filepath.Clean(s.runtime.config.Engine.StaticDir)
+		runtimeTmpDir                                                        = filepath.Clean(s.runtime.config.Engine.TmpDir)
+		runtimeGraphRoot                                                     = filepath.Clean(s.runtime.StorageConfig().GraphRoot)
+		runtimeRunRoot                                                       = filepath.Clean(s.runtime.StorageConfig().RunRoot)
+		runtimeGraphDriver                                                   = s.runtime.StorageConfig().GraphDriverName
+		runtimeVolumePath                                                    = filepath.Clean(s.runtime.config.Engine.VolumePath)
 	)
 
 	// Some fields may be empty, indicating they are set to the default.
@@ -360,7 +361,7 @@ func (s *SQLiteState) ValidateDBConfig(runtime *Runtime) (defErr error) {
 
 	row := tx.QueryRow("SELECT Os, StaticDir, TmpDir, GraphRoot, RunRoot, GraphDriver, VolumeDir FROM DBConfig;")
 
-	if err := row.Scan(&os, &staticDir, &tmpDir, &graphRoot, &runRoot, &graphDriver, &volumePath); err != nil {
+	if err := row.Scan(&dbOS, &staticDir, &tmpDir, &graphRoot, &runRoot, &graphDriver, &volumePath); err != nil {
 		if errors.Is(err, sql.ErrNoRows) {
 			if _, err := tx.Exec(createRow, 1, schemaVersion, runtimeOS,
 				runtimeStaticDir, runtimeTmpDir, runtimeGraphRoot,
@@ -378,7 +379,26 @@ func (s *SQLiteState) ValidateDBConfig(runtime *Runtime) (defErr error) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("retrieving DB config: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	checkField := func(fieldName, dbVal, ourVal string) error {
+	checkField := func(fieldName, dbVal, ourVal string, isPath bool) error {
+		if isPath {
+			// Evaluate symlinks. Ignore ENOENT. No guarantee all
+			// directories exist this early in Libpod init.
+			if dbVal != "" {
+				dbValClean, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(dbVal)
+				if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
+					return fmt.Errorf("cannot evaluate symlinks on DB %s path %q: %w", fieldName, dbVal, err)
+				}
+				dbVal = dbValClean
+			}
+			if ourVal != "" {
+				ourValClean, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(ourVal)
+				if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
+					return fmt.Errorf("cannot evaluate symlinks on our %s path %q: %w", fieldName, ourVal, err)
+				}
+				ourVal = ourValClean
+			}
+		}
+
 		if dbVal != ourVal {
 			return fmt.Errorf("database %s %q does not match our %s %q: %w", fieldName, dbVal, fieldName, ourVal, define.ErrDBBadConfig)
 		}
@@ -386,25 +406,25 @@ func (s *SQLiteState) ValidateDBConfig(runtime *Runtime) (defErr error) {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	if err := checkField("os", os, runtimeOS); err != nil {
+	if err := checkField("os", dbOS, runtimeOS, false); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if err := checkField("static dir", staticDir, runtimeStaticDir); err != nil {
+	if err := checkField("static dir", staticDir, runtimeStaticDir, true); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if err := checkField("tmp dir", tmpDir, runtimeTmpDir); err != nil {
+	if err := checkField("tmp dir", tmpDir, runtimeTmpDir, true); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if err := checkField("graph root", graphRoot, runtimeGraphRoot); err != nil {
+	if err := checkField("graph root", graphRoot, runtimeGraphRoot, true); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if err := checkField("run root", runRoot, runtimeRunRoot); err != nil {
+	if err := checkField("run root", runRoot, runtimeRunRoot, true); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if err := checkField("graph driver", graphDriver, runtimeGraphDriver); err != nil {
+	if err := checkField("graph driver", graphDriver, runtimeGraphDriver, false); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if err := checkField("volume path", volumePath, runtimeVolumePath); err != nil {
+	if err := checkField("volume path", volumePath, runtimeVolumePath, true); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
diff --git a/test/system/005-info.bats b/test/system/005-info.bats
index c5fcc3b85c..9f499c620c 100644
--- a/test/system/005-info.bats
+++ b/test/system/005-info.bats
@@ -183,6 +183,21 @@ host.slirp4netns.executable | $expr_path
     fi
 }
 
+@test "rootless podman with symlinked $HOME" {
+    # This is only needed as rootless, but we don't have a skip_if_root
+    # And it will not hurt to run as root.
+    skip_if_remote "path validation is only done in libpod, does not effect remote"
+
+    new_home=$PODMAN_TMPDIR/home
+
+    ln -s /home $new_home
+
+    # Just need the command to run cleanly
+    HOME=$PODMAN_TMPDIR/$HOME run_podman info
+
+    rm $new_home
+}
+
 @test "podman --root PATH --volumepath info - basic output" {
     volumePath=${PODMAN_TMPDIR}/volumesGoHere
     if ! is_remote; then