diff --git a/runtime/docker/docker.go b/runtime/docker/docker.go
index 5b4a681f77..f79de0ee06 100644
--- a/runtime/docker/docker.go
+++ b/runtime/docker/docker.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/image"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/mount"
 	"github.com/docker/go-units"
 	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
 
@@ -503,8 +504,17 @@ func (d *DockerRuntime) CreateContainer(ctx context.Context, node *types.NodeCon
 		Soft: int64(rlimit.Max),
 	}
 	resources.Ulimits = []*units.Ulimit{&ulimit}
+
+	bindMounts, volumeMounts, err := d.convertMounts(node.Binds)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Errorf("Cannot convert mounts %v: %v", node.Binds, err)
+		bindMounts = nil
+		volumeMounts = nil
+	}
+
 	containerHostConfig := &container.HostConfig{
-		Binds:        node.Binds,
+		Binds:        bindMounts,
+		Mounts:       volumeMounts,
 		PortBindings: node.PortBindings,
 		Sysctls:      node.Sysctls,
 		Privileged:   true,
@@ -1150,3 +1160,58 @@ func (*DockerRuntime) GetCooCBindMounts() types.Binds {
 		types.NewBind("/run/netns", "/run/netns", ""),
 	}
 }
+
+// convertMounts takes a list of filesystem bind mounts from the node "binds"
+// field in docker/clab format (src:dest:options) and separates them into bind
+// mounts (for HostConfig.Binds) and volumes (for HostConfig.Mounts) This
+// maintains backards compatibility with the existing containerlab topology
+// schema where anonymous volumes are sort of supported via the "binds" field.
+// While this does work, it is not technically correct as volumes (anonymous or
+// named) should be specified in the "volumes" field.
+func (*DockerRuntime) convertMounts(binds []string) ([]string, []mount.Mount, error) {
+	if len(binds) == 0 {
+		return nil, nil, nil
+	}
+	log.Debugf("convertMounts function received binds %v", binds)
+
+	var bindMounts []string
+	var volumes []mount.Mount
+
+	// Note: we don't do any input validation here
+	for _, bind := range binds {
+		b, err := types.NewBindFromString(bind)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, nil, err
+		}
+
+		if b.Src() == "" {
+			// This is an anonymous volume - use Mount API
+			volMount := mount.Mount{
+				Target: b.Dst(),
+				Type:   mount.TypeVolume,
+			}
+
+			// Handle volume-specific options (https://docs.docker.com/engine/storage/volumes/#options-for---volume).
+			if b.Mode() != "" {
+				options := strings.Split(b.Mode(), ",")
+				for _, option := range options {
+					if option == "ro" {
+						volMount.ReadOnly = true
+					} else if option == "volume-nocopy" {
+						volMount.VolumeOptions = &mount.VolumeOptions{
+							NoCopy: true,
+						}
+					}
+				}
+			}
+			volumes = append(volumes, volMount)
+			log.Debugf("parsed bind %q as a volume mount %+v", bind, volMount)
+		} else {
+			// This is a bind mount - use legacy Binds format
+			bindMounts = append(bindMounts, bind)
+			log.Debugf("parsed bind %q as a bind mount", bind)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return bindMounts, volumes, nil
+}
diff --git a/runtime/podman/util.go b/runtime/podman/util.go
index 67b21bee28..67333e7f51 100644
--- a/runtime/podman/util.go
+++ b/runtime/podman/util.go
@@ -285,21 +285,20 @@ func (*PodmanRuntime) convertMounts(_ context.Context, mounts []string) ([]specs
 	mntSpec := make([]specs.Mount, len(mounts))
 	// Note: we don't do any input validation here
 	for i, mnt := range mounts {
-		mntSplit := strings.SplitN(mnt, ":", 3)
-
-		if len(mntSplit) == 1 {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w: %s", errInvalidBind, mnt)
+		bind, err := types.NewBind(mnt)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
 		}
 
 		mntSpec[i] = specs.Mount{
-			Destination: mntSplit[1],
+			Destination: bind.Dst(),
 			Type:        "bind",
-			Source:      mntSplit[0],
+			Source:      bind.Src(),
 		}
 
 		// when options are provided in the bind mount spec
-		if len(mntSplit) == 3 {
-			mntSpec[i].Options = strings.Split(mntSplit[2], ",")
+		if bind.Mode() != "" {
+			mntSpec[i].Options = strings.Split(bind.Mode(), ",")
 		}
 	}
 	log.Debugf("convertMounts method received mounts %v and produced %+v as a result", mounts, mntSpec)