diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 05f0c9bce..759879eef 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
   this is a correctness rather than a security fix. (#5403, #5583)
 - Fixed a missing `O_CLOEXEC` when opening the cgroup v2 directory to set up
   device rules. (#5403, #5583)
+- Running a container which does not have its own mount namespace no longer
+  changes the propagation of host's `/` and of the parent mount of the
+  container rootfs (they were made private or slave). (#5537, #5582)
 
 
 ## [1.4.3] - 2026-06-13
diff --git a/libcontainer/rootfs_linux.go b/libcontainer/rootfs_linux.go
index 14a8674dd..d1e67c841 100644
--- a/libcontainer/rootfs_linux.go
+++ b/libcontainer/rootfs_linux.go
@@ -169,7 +169,11 @@ func setupAndMountToRootfs(pipe *syncSocket, config *configs.Config, mountConfig
 // finalizeRootfs after this function to finish setting up the rootfs.
 func prepareRootfs(pipe *syncSocket, iConfig *initConfig) (err error) {
 	config := iConfig.Config
-	if err := prepareRoot(config); err != nil {
+	prepare := prepareRoot
+	if !config.Namespaces.Contains(configs.NEWNS) {
+		prepare = prepareRootInHostMountNS
+	}
+	if err := prepare(config); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error preparing rootfs: %w", err)
 	}
 
@@ -1121,6 +1125,18 @@ func prepareRoot(config *configs.Config) error {
 	return mount(config.Rootfs, config.Rootfs, "bind", unix.MS_BIND|unix.MS_REC, "")
 }
 
+// prepareRootInHostMountNS is like prepareRoot, but for a container that
+// runs in the host mount namespace. The propagation of existing mounts
+// must not be changed, as this would affect the host.
+func prepareRootInHostMountNS(config *configs.Config) error {
+	if err := mount(config.Rootfs, config.Rootfs, "bind", unix.MS_BIND|unix.MS_REC, ""); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	// Make the new rootfs mount a slave, so that container mounts
+	// do not propagate to the host (and other mount namespaces).
+	return mount("", config.Rootfs, "", unix.MS_SLAVE|unix.MS_REC, "")
+}
+
 func setReadonly() error {
 	flags := uintptr(unix.MS_BIND | unix.MS_REMOUNT | unix.MS_RDONLY)
 
diff --git a/tests/integration/host-mntns.bats b/tests/integration/host-mntns.bats
index 7907a5b9e..d5a4f402f 100644
--- a/tests/integration/host-mntns.bats
+++ b/tests/integration/host-mntns.bats
@@ -17,6 +17,25 @@ function teardown() {
 	teardown_bundle
 }
 
+# This test goes first, since without the fix, any test which runs
+# a container in the host mount namespace changes the host mounts
+# propagation, so the bug would go unnoticed.
+@test "runc run [host mount ns] must not change host mounts propagation" {
+	update_config '	  .process.args = ["true"]
+			| .linux.namespaces -= [{"type": "mount"}]
+			| .linux.maskedPaths = []
+			| .linux.readonlyPaths = []
+			| .root.readonly = false'
+
+	# Check / and the mount the container bundle resides on.
+	before=$(findmnt -n -o TARGET,PROPAGATION / && findmnt -n -o TARGET,PROPAGATION -T "$ROOT/bundle")
+	run -0 runc run test_host_mntns
+	after=$(findmnt -n -o TARGET,PROPAGATION / && findmnt -n -o TARGET,PROPAGATION -T "$ROOT/bundle")
+	echo "before: $before"
+	echo "after: $after"
+	[ "$before" = "$after" ]
+}
+
 @test "runc run [host mount ns + hooks]" {
 	update_config '	  .process.args = ["/bin/echo", "Hello World"]
 			| .hooks |= . + {"createRuntime": [{"path": "/bin/sh", "args": ["/bin/sh", "-c", "touch createRuntimeHook.$$"]}]}