diff --git a/Sources/Services/ContainerAPIService/Client/Parser.swift b/Sources/Services/ContainerAPIService/Client/Parser.swift
index 2306da739..6342cb9b7 100644
--- a/Sources/Services/ContainerAPIService/Client/Parser.swift
+++ b/Sources/Services/ContainerAPIService/Client/Parser.swift
@@ -772,14 +772,15 @@ public struct Parser {
 
     // Parse a single `--publish-socket`` argument into a `PublishSocket`.
     public static func publishSocket(_ socketText: String) throws -> PublishSocket {
-        // Split by colon to two parts: [host_path, container_path]
-        let parts = socketText.split(separator: ":")
-
-        switch parts.count {
-        case 2:
+        // The host path may itself contain ':' (e.g. a timestamped filename),
+        // so split on the LAST ':' rather than requiring exactly one. The
+        // container path is always a simple absolute path and is validated
+        // as such below, mirroring the approach used for `container cp` path
+        // references.
+        if let colon = socketText.lastIndex(of: ":") {
             // Extract host and container paths
-            let hostPath = String(parts[0])
-            let containerPath = String(parts[1])
+            let hostPath = String(socketText[..<colon])
+            let containerPath = String(socketText[socketText.index(after: colon)...])
 
             if hostPath.isEmpty {
                 throw ContainerizationError(
@@ -789,6 +790,10 @@ public struct Parser {
                 throw ContainerizationError(
                     .invalidArgument, message: "container socket path cannot be empty")
             }
+            guard FilePath(containerPath).isAbsolute else {
+                throw ContainerizationError(
+                    .invalidArgument, message: "containerPath must be absolute: \(containerPath)")
+            }
 
             let absoluteHostPath = FilePathOps.absolutePath(FilePath(hostPath))
 
@@ -820,13 +825,12 @@ public struct Parser {
                 hostPath: absoluteHostPath,
                 permissions: nil
             )
-
-        default:
-            throw ContainerizationError(
-                .invalidArgument,
-                message:
-                    "invalid publish-socket format \(socketText). Expected: host_path:container_path")
         }
+
+        throw ContainerizationError(
+            .invalidArgument,
+            message:
+                "invalid publish-socket format \(socketText). Expected: host_path:container_path")
     }
 
     // MARK: Networks
diff --git a/Tests/ContainerAPIClientTests/ParserTest.swift b/Tests/ContainerAPIClientTests/ParserTest.swift
index dbb3aa3c0..d212bad2e 100644
--- a/Tests/ContainerAPIClientTests/ParserTest.swift
+++ b/Tests/ContainerAPIClientTests/ParserTest.swift
@@ -330,6 +330,83 @@ struct ParserTest {
         }
     }
 
+    @Test
+    func testPublishSocketBasic() throws {
+        let tempDir = FileManager.default.temporaryDirectory.appendingPathComponent("test-publish-socket-\(UUID().uuidString)")
+        defer { try? FileManager.default.removeItem(at: tempDir) }
+        let hostPath = tempDir.appendingPathComponent("app.sock").path
+
+        let result = try Parser.publishSocket("\(hostPath):/var/run/app.sock")
+        #expect(result.hostPath.string == hostPath)
+        #expect(result.containerPath.string == "/var/run/app.sock")
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    func testPublishSocketHostPathWithColon() throws {
+        // Regression: a host path containing ':' (e.g. a timestamped filename)
+        // was rejected because the argument was split on every ':' instead of
+        // only the last one, mirroring the fix for `container cp` path refs.
+        let tempDir = FileManager.default.temporaryDirectory.appendingPathComponent("test-publish-socket-\(UUID().uuidString)")
+        defer { try? FileManager.default.removeItem(at: tempDir) }
+        let hostPath = tempDir.appendingPathComponent("backup-2026-08-18T10:30:00.sock").path
+
+        let result = try Parser.publishSocket("\(hostPath):/var/run/app.sock")
+        #expect(result.hostPath.string == hostPath)
+        #expect(result.containerPath.string == "/var/run/app.sock")
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    func testPublishSocketEmptyHostPath() throws {
+        #expect {
+            _ = try Parser.publishSocket(":/var/run/app.sock")
+        } throws: { error in
+            guard let error = error as? ContainerizationError else {
+                return false
+            }
+            return error.description.contains("host socket path cannot be empty")
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    func testPublishSocketEmptyContainerPath() throws {
+        #expect {
+            _ = try Parser.publishSocket("/tmp/app.sock:")
+        } throws: { error in
+            guard let error = error as? ContainerizationError else {
+                return false
+            }
+            return error.description.contains("container socket path cannot be empty")
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    func testPublishSocketNoColon() throws {
+        #expect {
+            _ = try Parser.publishSocket("/tmp/app.sock")
+        } throws: { error in
+            guard let error = error as? ContainerizationError else {
+                return false
+            }
+            return error.description.contains("invalid publish-socket format")
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    func testPublishSocketNonAbsoluteContainerPath() throws {
+        let tempDir = FileManager.default.temporaryDirectory.appendingPathComponent("test-publish-socket-\(UUID().uuidString)")
+        defer { try? FileManager.default.removeItem(at: tempDir) }
+        let hostPath = tempDir.appendingPathComponent("app.sock").path
+
+        #expect {
+            _ = try Parser.publishSocket("\(hostPath):relative/app.sock")
+        } throws: { error in
+            guard let error = error as? ContainerizationError else {
+                return false
+            }
+            return error.description.contains("containerPath must be absolute")
+        }
+    }
+
     @Test
     func testRelativePaths() throws {
         // Test bind mount with relative path "."