diff --git a/libpod/container_inspect.go b/libpod/container_inspect.go
index b3aa2510f47b..1ac45c9b25dd 100644
--- a/libpod/container_inspect.go
+++ b/libpod/container_inspect.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ package libpod
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"reflect"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/containers/podman/v4/libpod/define"
@@ -196,7 +197,10 @@ func (c *Container) getContainerInspectData(size bool, driverData *define.Driver
 			// An error here is not considered fatal; no health state will be displayed
 			logrus.Error(err)
 		} else {
-			data.State.Health = healthCheckState
+			if reflect.DeepEqual(healthCheckState, define.HealthCheckResults{}) {
+				data.State.Health = &healthCheckState
+			}
+			data.State.Health = nil
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/libpod/define/container_inspect.go b/libpod/define/container_inspect.go
index 879dd139595e..dbb7a06c91b9 100644
--- a/libpod/define/container_inspect.go
+++ b/libpod/define/container_inspect.go
@@ -206,34 +206,34 @@ type InspectMount struct {
 // Docker, but here we see more fields that are unused (nonsensical in the
 // context of Libpod).
 type InspectContainerState struct {
-	OciVersion     string             `json:"OciVersion"`
-	Status         string             `json:"Status"`
-	Running        bool               `json:"Running"`
-	Paused         bool               `json:"Paused"`
-	Restarting     bool               `json:"Restarting"` // TODO
-	OOMKilled      bool               `json:"OOMKilled"`
-	Dead           bool               `json:"Dead"`
-	Pid            int                `json:"Pid"`
-	ConmonPid      int                `json:"ConmonPid,omitempty"`
-	ExitCode       int32              `json:"ExitCode"`
-	Error          string             `json:"Error"` // TODO
-	StartedAt      time.Time          `json:"StartedAt"`
-	FinishedAt     time.Time          `json:"FinishedAt"`
-	Health         HealthCheckResults `json:"Health,omitempty"`
-	Checkpointed   bool               `json:"Checkpointed,omitempty"`
-	CgroupPath     string             `json:"CgroupPath,omitempty"`
-	CheckpointedAt time.Time          `json:"CheckpointedAt,omitempty"`
-	RestoredAt     time.Time          `json:"RestoredAt,omitempty"`
-	CheckpointLog  string             `json:"CheckpointLog,omitempty"`
-	CheckpointPath string             `json:"CheckpointPath,omitempty"`
-	RestoreLog     string             `json:"RestoreLog,omitempty"`
-	Restored       bool               `json:"Restored,omitempty"`
-	StoppedByUser  bool               `json:"StoppedByUser,omitempty"`
+	OciVersion     string              `json:"OciVersion"`
+	Status         string              `json:"Status"`
+	Running        bool                `json:"Running"`
+	Paused         bool                `json:"Paused"`
+	Restarting     bool                `json:"Restarting"` // TODO
+	OOMKilled      bool                `json:"OOMKilled"`
+	Dead           bool                `json:"Dead"`
+	Pid            int                 `json:"Pid"`
+	ConmonPid      int                 `json:"ConmonPid,omitempty"`
+	ExitCode       int32               `json:"ExitCode"`
+	Error          string              `json:"Error"` // TODO
+	StartedAt      time.Time           `json:"StartedAt"`
+	FinishedAt     time.Time           `json:"FinishedAt"`
+	Health         *HealthCheckResults `json:"Health,omitempty"`
+	Checkpointed   bool                `json:"Checkpointed,omitempty"`
+	CgroupPath     string              `json:"CgroupPath,omitempty"`
+	CheckpointedAt time.Time           `json:"CheckpointedAt,omitempty"`
+	RestoredAt     time.Time           `json:"RestoredAt,omitempty"`
+	CheckpointLog  string              `json:"CheckpointLog,omitempty"`
+	CheckpointPath string              `json:"CheckpointPath,omitempty"`
+	RestoreLog     string              `json:"RestoreLog,omitempty"`
+	Restored       bool                `json:"Restored,omitempty"`
+	StoppedByUser  bool                `json:"StoppedByUser,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // Healthcheck returns the HealthCheckResults. This is used for old podman compat
 // to make the "Healthcheck" key available in the go template.
-func (s *InspectContainerState) Healthcheck() HealthCheckResults {
+func (s *InspectContainerState) Healthcheck() *HealthCheckResults {
 	return s.Health
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/api/handlers/compat/containers.go b/pkg/api/handlers/compat/containers.go
index 34646b5a91e9..8ddc13143af1 100644
--- a/pkg/api/handlers/compat/containers.go
+++ b/pkg/api/handlers/compat/containers.go
@@ -442,22 +442,22 @@ func LibpodToContainerJSON(l *libpod.Container, sz bool) (*types.ContainerJSON,
 	}
 
 	if l.HasHealthCheck() && state.Status != "created" {
-		state.Health = &types.Health{
-			Status:        inspect.State.Health.Status,
-			FailingStreak: inspect.State.Health.FailingStreak,
-		}
-
-		log := inspect.State.Health.Log
-
-		for _, item := range log {
-			res := &types.HealthcheckResult{}
-			s, _ := time.Parse(time.RFC3339Nano, item.Start)
-			e, _ := time.Parse(time.RFC3339Nano, item.End)
-			res.Start = s
-			res.End = e
-			res.ExitCode = item.ExitCode
-			res.Output = item.Output
-			state.Health.Log = append(state.Health.Log, res)
+		state.Health = &types.Health{}
+		if inspect.State.Health != nil {
+			state.Health.Status = inspect.State.Health.Status
+			state.Health.FailingStreak = inspect.State.Health.FailingStreak
+			log := inspect.State.Health.Log
+
+			for _, item := range log {
+				res := &types.HealthcheckResult{}
+				s, _ := time.Parse(time.RFC3339Nano, item.Start)
+				e, _ := time.Parse(time.RFC3339Nano, item.End)
+				res.Start = s
+				res.End = e
+				res.ExitCode = item.ExitCode
+				res.Output = item.Output
+				state.Health.Log = append(state.Health.Log, res)
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/test/apiv2/python/rest_api/test_v2_0_0_container.py b/test/apiv2/python/rest_api/test_v2_0_0_container.py
index 0c8ce881aaf9..151786e52881 100644
--- a/test/apiv2/python/rest_api/test_v2_0_0_container.py
+++ b/test/apiv2/python/rest_api/test_v2_0_0_container.py
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ def test_inspect(self):
         self.assertEqual(r.status_code, 200, r.text)
         self.assertId(r.content)
         out = r.json()
-        self.assertIsNotNone(out["State"].get("Health"))
+        self.assertIsNone(out["State"].get("Health"))
         self.assertListEqual(["CMD", "pidof", "top"], out["Config"]["Healthcheck"]["Test"])
         self.assertEqual(5000000000, out["Config"]["Healthcheck"]["Interval"])
         self.assertEqual(2000000000, out["Config"]["Healthcheck"]["Timeout"])
diff --git a/test/e2e/healthcheck_run_test.go b/test/e2e/healthcheck_run_test.go
index bd09a2074dff..a84ee2c32530 100644
--- a/test/e2e/healthcheck_run_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/healthcheck_run_test.go
@@ -34,10 +34,10 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman healthcheck run", func() {
 		session := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"run", "-dt", "--no-healthcheck", "--name", "hc", HEALTHCHECK_IMAGE})
 		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
 		Expect(session).Should(ExitCleanly())
-		hc := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"container", "inspect", "--format", "{{.State.Health.Status}}", "hc"})
+		hc := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"container", "inspect", "--format", "{{.State.Health}}", "hc"})
 		hc.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
 		Expect(hc).Should(ExitCleanly())
-		Expect(hc.OutputToString()).To(Not(ContainSubstring("starting")))
+		Expect(hc.OutputToString()).To(Equal("<nil>"))
 	})
 
 	It("podman run healthcheck and logs should contain healthcheck output", func() {