diff --git a/pkg/skaffold/verify/docker/verify.go b/pkg/skaffold/verify/docker/verify.go
index 38258f269af..cf7c85711b2 100644
--- a/pkg/skaffold/verify/docker/verify.go
+++ b/pkg/skaffold/verify/docker/verify.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"math"
 	"path"
+	"regexp"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
@@ -49,6 +50,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/GoogleContainerTools/skaffold/v2/pkg/skaffold/util"
 )
 
+var validContainerNameRegex = regexp.MustCompile(`^[a-zA-Z0-9][a-zA-Z0-9_.-]*$`)
+
 // Verifier verifies deployments using Docker libs/CLI.
 type Verifier struct {
 	logger  log.Logger
@@ -221,7 +224,10 @@ func (v *Verifier) createAndRunContainer(ctx context.Context, out io.Writer, art
 	if len(tc.Container.Args) != 0 {
 		containerCfg.Cmd = tc.Container.Args
 	}
-	containerName := v.getContainerName(ctx, artifact.ImageName)
+
+	// Use container name from test case if available, otherwise derive from image
+	containerName := v.getContainerName(ctx, artifact.ImageName, tc.Container.Name)
+
 	opts := dockerutil.ContainerCreateOpts{
 		Name:            containerName,
 		Network:         v.network,
@@ -301,9 +307,14 @@ func (v *Verifier) containerConfigFromImage(ctx context.Context, taggedImage str
 	return config.Config, err
 }
 
-func (v *Verifier) getContainerName(ctx context.Context, name string) string {
-	// this is done to fix the for naming convention of non-skaffold built images which verify supports
-	name = path.Base(strings.Split(name, ":")[0])
+func (v *Verifier) getContainerName(ctx context.Context, imageName string, containerName string) string {
+	name := containerName
+
+	// If no container name is provided, derive it from the image name
+	if name == "" || !validContainerNameRegex.MatchString(name) {
+		name = path.Base(strings.Split(imageName, ":")[0])
+	}
+
 	currentName := name
 
 	for {
diff --git a/pkg/skaffold/verify/docker/verify_test.go b/pkg/skaffold/verify/docker/verify_test.go
index bff65de8c01..0021832702c 100644
--- a/pkg/skaffold/verify/docker/verify_test.go
+++ b/pkg/skaffold/verify/docker/verify_test.go
@@ -149,3 +149,50 @@ func Test_UseLocalImages(t *testing.T) {
 		t.CheckDeepEqual(expectedPullImgs, fDockerDaemon.PulledImages)
 	})
 }
+
+func TestGetContainerName(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.TODO()
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		description   string
+		imageName     string
+		containerName string
+		expected      string
+	}{
+		{
+			description:   "container name specified",
+			imageName:     "gcr.io/cloud-builders/gcloud",
+			containerName: "custom-container",
+			expected:      "custom-container",
+		},
+		{
+			description:   "invalid container name specified",
+			imageName:     "gcr.io/cloud-builders/gcloud",
+			containerName: "gcr.io/cloud-builders/gcloud",
+			expected:      "gcloud",
+		},
+		{
+			description:   "container name not specified",
+			imageName:     "gcr.io/cloud-builders/gcloud",
+			containerName: "",
+			expected:      "gcloud",
+		},
+	}
+
+	fakeDockerDaemon := &fakeDockerDaemon{
+		LocalDaemon: docker.NewLocalDaemon(&testutil.FakeAPIClient{}, nil, false, nil),
+	}
+
+	verifier := &Verifier{
+		client: fakeDockerDaemon,
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		testutil.Run(
+			t, test.description, func(t *testutil.T) {
+				actual := verifier.getContainerName(ctx, test.imageName, test.containerName)
+				t.CheckDeepEqual(test.expected, actual)
+			},
+		)
+	}
+}