diff --git a/podman_compose.py b/podman_compose.py
index 581ca0b..399ccf4 100755
--- a/podman_compose.py
+++ b/podman_compose.py
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ def norm_ulimit(inner_value):
 
 
 def transform(args, project_name, given_containers):
-    if not args.in_pod:
+    if not args.in_pod_bool:
         pod_name = None
         pods = []
     else:
@@ -1911,6 +1911,13 @@ class PodmanCompose:
             for cmd_parser in cmd._parse_args:  # pylint: disable=protected-access
                 cmd_parser(subparser)
         self.global_args = parser.parse_args()
+        if self.global_args.in_pod.lower() not in ('', 'true', '1', 'false', '0'):
+            raise ValueError(
+                f'Invalid --in-pod value: \'{self.global_args.in_pod}\'. '
+                'It must be set to either of: empty value, true, 1, false, 0'
+            )
+        self.global_args.in_pod_bool = self.global_args.in_pod.lower() in ('', 'true', '1')
+
         if self.global_args.version:
             self.global_args.command = "version"
         if not self.global_args.command or self.global_args.command == "help":
@@ -1927,8 +1934,8 @@ class PodmanCompose:
             "--in-pod",
             help="pod creation",
             metavar="in_pod",
-            type=bool,
-            default=True,
+            type=str,
+            default="true",
         )
         parser.add_argument(
             "--pod-args",
diff --git a/pytests/test_can_merge_build.py b/pytests/test_can_merge_build.py
index 3b09482..b89c53e 100644
--- a/pytests/test_can_merge_build.py
+++ b/pytests/test_can_merge_build.py
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ def set_args(podman_compose: PodmanCompose, file_names: list[str]) -> None:
     podman_compose.global_args.project_name = None
     podman_compose.global_args.env_file = None
     podman_compose.global_args.profile = []
-    podman_compose.global_args.in_pod = True
+    podman_compose.global_args.in_pod_bool = True
     podman_compose.global_args.no_normalize = True
 
 
diff --git a/pytests/test_can_merge_cmd_ent.py b/pytests/test_can_merge_cmd_ent.py
index 6f50b9e..2fc7aa5 100644
--- a/pytests/test_can_merge_cmd_ent.py
+++ b/pytests/test_can_merge_cmd_ent.py
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ def set_args(podman_compose: PodmanCompose, file_names: list[str]) -> None:
     podman_compose.global_args.project_name = None
     podman_compose.global_args.env_file = None
     podman_compose.global_args.profile = []
-    podman_compose.global_args.in_pod = True
+    podman_compose.global_args.in_pod_bool = True
     podman_compose.global_args.no_normalize = None
 
 
diff --git a/pytests/test_normalize_final_build.py b/pytests/test_normalize_final_build.py
index 508c8ec..6356d3e 100644
--- a/pytests/test_normalize_final_build.py
+++ b/pytests/test_normalize_final_build.py
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ def set_args(podman_compose: PodmanCompose, file_names: list[str], no_normalize:
     podman_compose.global_args.project_name = None
     podman_compose.global_args.env_file = None
     podman_compose.global_args.profile = []
-    podman_compose.global_args.in_pod = True
+    podman_compose.global_args.in_pod_bool = True
     podman_compose.global_args.no_normalize = no_normalize