diff --git a/plugins/in_podman_metrics/podman_metrics.c b/plugins/in_podman_metrics/podman_metrics.c
index 342649bf624..47fc2297ca0 100644
--- a/plugins/in_podman_metrics/podman_metrics.c
+++ b/plugins/in_podman_metrics/podman_metrics.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include <fluent-bit/flb_metrics.h>
 #include <fluent-bit/flb_metrics_exporter.h>
 #include <fluent-bit/flb_jsmn.h>
+#include <fluent-bit/flb_regex.h>
 
 #include <monkey/mk_core/mk_list.h>
 
@@ -119,13 +120,26 @@ static int collect_container_data(struct flb_in_metrics *ctx)
                     image_name[metadata_token_size] = '\0';
 
                     flb_plg_trace(ctx->ins, "Found image name %s", image_name);
-                    add_container_to_list(ctx, id, name, image_name);
                 }
                 else {
                     flb_plg_warn(ctx->ins, "Image name was not found for %s", id);
-                    add_container_to_list(ctx, id, name, "unknown");
+                    strncpy(image_name, "unknown", IMAGE_NAME_SIZE - 1);
+                    image_name[sizeof("unknown") - 1] = '\0';
+                }
+
+                /* Optionally skip containers whose name matches the
+                 * user-provided exclude regex (e.g. pod infra/service
+                 * containers that carry no useful application metrics). */
+                if (ctx->exclude_name_regex &&
+                    flb_regex_match(ctx->exclude_name_regex,
+                                    (unsigned char *) name, strlen(name)) > 0) {
+                    flb_plg_debug(ctx->ins,
+                                  "Skipping excluded container %s", name);
+                }
+                else {
+                    add_container_to_list(ctx, id, name, image_name);
+                    collected_containers++;
                 }
-                collected_containers++;
             }
         }
     }
@@ -427,16 +441,32 @@ static int in_metrics_init(struct flb_input_instance *in, struct flb_config *con
     ctx->rx_errors = NULL;
     ctx->tx_bytes = NULL;
     ctx->tx_errors = NULL;
+    ctx->exclude_name_regex = NULL;
 
     if (flb_input_config_map_set(in, (void *) ctx) == -1) {
         flb_free(ctx);
         return -1;
     }
 
+    if (ctx->exclude_name_regex_text) {
+        ctx->exclude_name_regex =
+            flb_regex_create(ctx->exclude_name_regex_text);
+        if (!ctx->exclude_name_regex) {
+            flb_plg_error(ctx->ins,
+                          "could not compile exclude_name_regex '%s'",
+                          ctx->exclude_name_regex_text);
+            flb_free(ctx);
+            return -1;
+        }
+    }
+
     flb_input_set_context(in, ctx);
     coll_fd_runtime = flb_input_set_collector_time(in, cb_metrics_collect_runtime, ctx->scrape_interval, 0, config);
     if (coll_fd_runtime == -1) {
         flb_plg_error(ctx->ins, "Could not set collector for podman metrics plugin");
+        if (ctx->exclude_name_regex) {
+            flb_regex_destroy(ctx->exclude_name_regex);
+        }
         return -1;
     }
     ctx->coll_fd_runtime = coll_fd_runtime;
@@ -468,6 +498,9 @@ static int in_metrics_init(struct flb_input_instance *in, struct flb_config *con
             flb_plg_error(ctx->ins, "Could not start collector for podman metrics plugin");
             flb_sds_destroy(ctx->config);
             destroy_container_list(ctx);
+            if (ctx->exclude_name_regex) {
+                flb_regex_destroy(ctx->exclude_name_regex);
+            }
             flb_free(ctx);
             return -1;
         }
@@ -491,6 +524,9 @@ static int in_metrics_exit(void *data, struct flb_config *config)
 
     flb_sds_destroy(ctx->config);
     destroy_container_list(ctx);
+    if (ctx->exclude_name_regex) {
+        flb_regex_destroy(ctx->exclude_name_regex);
+    }
     flb_free(ctx);
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/plugins/in_podman_metrics/podman_metrics.h b/plugins/in_podman_metrics/podman_metrics.h
index db503225a3e..45b57ee9eff 100644
--- a/plugins/in_podman_metrics/podman_metrics.h
+++ b/plugins/in_podman_metrics/podman_metrics.h
@@ -68,6 +68,12 @@ static struct flb_config_map config_map[] = {
      0, FLB_TRUE, offsetof(struct flb_in_metrics, podman_config_path),
      "Path to podman config file"
     },
+    {
+     FLB_CONFIG_MAP_STR, "exclude_name_regex", NULL,
+     0, FLB_TRUE, offsetof(struct flb_in_metrics, exclude_name_regex_text),
+     "Exclude containers whose name matches this regular expression, e.g. "
+     "'-(infra|service)$' to skip pod infra and service containers"
+    },
     {
      FLB_CONFIG_MAP_STR, "path.sysfs", SYSFS_PATH,
      0, FLB_TRUE, offsetof(struct flb_in_metrics, sysfs_path),
diff --git a/plugins/in_podman_metrics/podman_metrics_config.h b/plugins/in_podman_metrics/podman_metrics_config.h
index 1f6133e199a..4d87e85a79f 100644
--- a/plugins/in_podman_metrics/podman_metrics_config.h
+++ b/plugins/in_podman_metrics/podman_metrics_config.h
@@ -174,6 +174,8 @@ struct flb_in_metrics {
     int scrape_on_start;
     int scrape_interval;
     flb_sds_t podman_config_path;
+    flb_sds_t exclude_name_regex_text;
+    struct flb_regex *exclude_name_regex;
 
     /* container list */
     struct mk_list items;