diff --git a/pkg/machine/e2e/init_test.go b/pkg/machine/e2e/init_test.go
index 030013a477..33e06db04e 100644
--- a/pkg/machine/e2e/init_test.go
+++ b/pkg/machine/e2e/init_test.go
@@ -480,6 +480,15 @@ var _ = Describe("podman machine init", func() {
 		Expect(sshSession2).To(Exit(0))
 		output := strings.TrimSpace(sshSession2.outputToString())
 		Expect(output).To(Equal("/run/podman/podman.sock"))
+
+		// Ensure we can at least connect to the rootful podman socket and that it is actually a rootful one by checking the paths
+		bm := basicMachine{}
+		info, err := mb.setCmd(bm.withPodmanCommand([]string{"info"})).run()
+		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(info).To(Exit(0))
+		Expect(info.outputToString()).To(ContainSubstring("/run/podman/podman.sock"))
+		Expect(info.outputToString()).To(ContainSubstring("serviceIsRemote: true"))
+		Expect(info.outputToString()).To(ContainSubstring("/var/lib/containers"))
 	})
 
 	It("init should cleanup on failure", func() {
diff --git a/pkg/machine/wsl/declares.go b/pkg/machine/wsl/declares.go
index 7cbbcfbade..6782c864a7 100644
--- a/pkg/machine/wsl/declares.go
+++ b/pkg/machine/wsl/declares.go
@@ -98,7 +98,8 @@ LoadCredential=
 const bindMountConfigDirSystemService = `
 [Unit]
 Description=Bind mount for config directory
-Before=podman.socket
+Before=multi-user.target
+After=local-fs.target
 
 [Service]
 RemainAfterExit=true
@@ -157,12 +158,13 @@ const (
 	podmanSocketDropin     = "podman.socket.d"
 	podmanSocketDropinPath = sysSystemdPath + "/" + podmanSocketDropin
 
-	configBindSysUnitName = "podman-mnt-config.service"
-	configBindSysUnitPath = sysSystemdPath + "/" + configBindSysUnitName
-	configBindSysUnitWant = sysSystemdWants + "/" + configBindSysUnitName
+	configBindSysUnitName           = "podman-mnt-config.service"
+	configBindSysUnitPath           = sysSystemdPath + "/" + configBindSysUnitName
+	configBindSysUnitWantsDirectory = sysSystemdPath + "/local-fs.target.wants"
+	configBindSysUnitWant           = configBindSysUnitWantsDirectory + "/" + configBindSysUnitName
 )
 
-const configBindServices = "mkdir -p " + userSystemdWants + " " + sysSystemdWants + " " + podmanSocketDropinPath + "\n" +
+const configBindServices = "mkdir -p " + userSystemdWants + " " + sysSystemdWants + " " + podmanSocketDropinPath + " " + configBindSysUnitWantsDirectory + "\n" +
 	"ln -fs " + bindUserUnitPath + " " + bindUserUnitWant + "\n" +
 	"ln -fs " + bindSysUnitPath + " " + bindSysUnitWant + "\n" +
 	"ln -fs " + configBindSysUnitPath + " " + configBindSysUnitWant + "\n"