diff --git a/cmd/podman/containers/exec.go b/cmd/podman/containers/exec.go
index 2d0b36abde..0daeb58e55 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/containers/exec.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/containers/exec.go
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ func determineTargetCtrAndCmd(args []string, latestSpecified bool, execCidFilePr
 			if err != nil {
 				return "", nil, fmt.Errorf("reading CIDFile: %w", err)
 			}
-			nameOrID = strings.Split(string(content), "\n")[0]
+			nameOrID, _, _ = strings.Cut(string(content), "\n")
 		}
 	}
 	return nameOrID, command, nil
diff --git a/libpod/container_inspect.go b/libpod/container_inspect.go
index d0730eacf3..3543dcf417 100644
--- a/libpod/container_inspect.go
+++ b/libpod/container_inspect.go
@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@ func (c *Container) generateInspectContainerConfig(spec *spec.Spec) *define.Insp
 		envSecrets := c.config.EnvSecrets
 		for envIndex, envValue := range ctrConfig.Env {
 			// env variables come in the style `name=value`
-			envName := strings.Split(envValue, "=")[0]
+			envName, _, _ := strings.Cut(envValue, "=")
 
 			_, ok := envSecrets[envName]
 			if ok {
diff --git a/pkg/domain/infra/abi/images.go b/pkg/domain/infra/abi/images.go
index 2cfdf442ba..93a5323626 100644
--- a/pkg/domain/infra/abi/images.go
+++ b/pkg/domain/infra/abi/images.go
@@ -885,8 +885,8 @@ func transferRootful(source entities.ScpTransferImageOptions, dest entities.ScpT
 	var uSave *user.User
 	var uLoad *user.User
 	var err error
-	source.User = strings.Split(source.User, ":")[0] // split in case provided with uid:gid
-	dest.User = strings.Split(dest.User, ":")[0]
+	source.User, _, _ = strings.Cut(source.User, ":") // In case of uid:gid.
+	dest.User, _, _ = strings.Cut(dest.User, ":")
 	uSave, err = lookupUser(source.User)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/pkg/domain/utils/scp.go b/pkg/domain/utils/scp.go
index 2f806e6329..74ebd184d7 100644
--- a/pkg/domain/utils/scp.go
+++ b/pkg/domain/utils/scp.go
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@ func ParseImageSCPArg(arg string) (*entities.ScpTransferImageOptions, []string,
 
 	switch {
 	case strings.Contains(arg, "@localhost::"): // image transfer between users
-		location.User = strings.Split(arg, "@")[0]
+		location.User, _, _ = strings.Cut(arg, "@")
 		location, err = ValidateImagePortion(location, arg)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, nil, err
diff --git a/pkg/specgen/generate/security_linux.go b/pkg/specgen/generate/security_linux.go
index aec0948011..9e33d0f517 100644
--- a/pkg/specgen/generate/security_linux.go
+++ b/pkg/specgen/generate/security_linux.go
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ func securityConfigureGenerator(s *specgen.SpecGenerator, g *generate.Generator,
 	configSpec.Process.Capabilities.Inheritable = []string{}
 	configSpec.Process.Capabilities.Bounding = caplist
 
-	user := strings.Split(s.User, ":")[0]
+	user, _, _ := strings.Cut(s.User, ":")
 
 	if (user == "" && s.UserNS.NSMode != specgen.KeepID) || user == "root" || user == "0" {
 		configSpec.Process.Capabilities.Effective = caplist
diff --git a/pkg/specgenutil/util.go b/pkg/specgenutil/util.go
index 225b42526e..e9a3935e32 100644
--- a/pkg/specgenutil/util.go
+++ b/pkg/specgenutil/util.go
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ func ReadPodIDFile(path string) (string, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("reading pod ID file: %w", err)
 	}
-	return strings.Split(string(content), "\n")[0], nil
+	id, _, _ := strings.Cut(string(content), "\n")
+	return id, nil
 }
 
 // ReadPodIDFiles reads the specified files and returns their content (i.e.,
diff --git a/pkg/systemd/quadlet/quadlet.go b/pkg/systemd/quadlet/quadlet.go
index c63e305ebd..8cf739700c 100644
--- a/pkg/systemd/quadlet/quadlet.go
+++ b/pkg/systemd/quadlet/quadlet.go
@@ -796,7 +796,8 @@ func ConvertContainer(container *parser.UnitFile, unitsInfoMap map[string]*UnitI
 	for _, device := range devices {
 		if device[0] == '-' {
 			device = device[1:]
-			_, err := os.Stat(strings.Split(device, ":")[0])
+			file, _, _ := strings.Cut(device, ":")
+			_, err := os.Stat(file)
 			if errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
 				continue
 			}