diff --git a/src/Aspire.Hosting/Dcp/ContainerCreator.cs b/src/Aspire.Hosting/Dcp/ContainerCreator.cs
index 8d329f24a6d..d67d2199e99 100644
--- a/src/Aspire.Hosting/Dcp/ContainerCreator.cs
+++ b/src/Aspire.Hosting/Dcp/ContainerCreator.cs
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ internal record struct HostResourceWithEndpoints(
 /// </summary>
 internal sealed class ContainerCreator : IObjectCreator<Container, ContainerCreationContext>, IObjectCreator<ContainerExec, EmptyCreationContext>
 {
+    private const string ContainerTunnelContainerName = "aspire";
+
     private readonly IConfiguration _configuration;
     private readonly IOptions<DcpOptions> _options;
     private readonly DcpNameGenerator _nameGenerator;
@@ -123,7 +125,9 @@ internal void PrepareContainerNetworks()
 
     public IEnumerable<RenderedModelResource<Container>> PrepareObjects()
     {
-        var modelContainerResources = _model.GetContainerResources();
+        var modelContainerResources = _model.GetContainerResources().ToArray();
+        ValidateContainerTunnelContainerNameConflicts(modelContainerResources);
+
         var result = new List<RenderedModelResource<Container>>();
 
         foreach (var container in modelContainerResources)
@@ -194,6 +198,39 @@ public IEnumerable<RenderedModelResource<Container>> PrepareObjects()
         return result;
     }
 
+    private void ValidateContainerTunnelContainerNameConflicts(IEnumerable<IResource> modelContainerResources)
+    {
+        if (!_options.Value.EnableAspireContainerTunnel)
+        {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        foreach (var container in modelContainerResources)
+        {
+            if (IsContainerTunnelContainerName(container.Name))
+            {
+                throw new DistributedApplicationException($"Container resource name '{container.Name}' conflicts with the Aspire container tunnel container name '{ContainerTunnelContainerName}'. Rename the resource or disable the Aspire container tunnel.");
+            }
+
+            if (container.TryGetLastAnnotation<ContainerNameAnnotation>(out var containerNameAnnotation) &&
+                IsContainerTunnelContainerName(containerNameAnnotation.Name))
+            {
+                throw new DistributedApplicationException($"Container resource '{container.Name}' uses container name '{containerNameAnnotation.Name}', which conflicts with the Aspire container tunnel container name '{ContainerTunnelContainerName}'. Rename the container or disable the Aspire container tunnel.");
+            }
+
+            foreach (var aliasAnnotation in container.Annotations.OfType<ContainerNetworkAliasAnnotation>())
+            {
+                if (IsContainerTunnelContainerName(aliasAnnotation.Alias))
+                {
+                    throw new DistributedApplicationException($"Container resource '{container.Name}' uses network alias '{aliasAnnotation.Alias}', which conflicts with the Aspire container tunnel container name '{ContainerTunnelContainerName}'. Rename the alias or disable the Aspire container tunnel.");
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        static bool IsContainerTunnelContainerName(string name)
+            => string.Equals(name, ContainerTunnelContainerName, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+    }
+
     public bool IsReadyToCreate(RenderedModelResource<Container> resource, ContainerCreationContext cctx)
     {
         // Containers are always "created" (submitted to DCP), they just get Spec.Start = false initially
diff --git a/tests/Aspire.Hosting.Tests/Dcp/DcpExecutorTests.cs b/tests/Aspire.Hosting.Tests/Dcp/DcpExecutorTests.cs
index 0dee41d64fe..e39ecadbbe2 100644
--- a/tests/Aspire.Hosting.Tests/Dcp/DcpExecutorTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Aspire.Hosting.Tests/Dcp/DcpExecutorTests.cs
@@ -293,6 +293,96 @@ public async Task CreateContainer_ArgsResolvedInSnapshot_UsesEffectiveArgsFromCr
         Assert.Equal(effectiveArgs, GetEnumerablePropertyValue<string>(snapshot, KnownProperties.Container.Args).ToArray());
     }
 
+    [Theory]
+    [InlineData("aspire")]
+    [InlineData("ASPIRE")]
+    public async Task RunApplicationAsync_ThrowsWhenContainerResourceNameConflictsWithContainerTunnelName(string containerName)
+    {
+        var builder = DistributedApplication.CreateBuilder();
+
+        builder.AddContainer(containerName, "image");
+
+        using var app = builder.Build();
+        var distributedAppModel = app.Services.GetRequiredService<DistributedApplicationModel>();
+
+        var appExecutor = CreateAppExecutor(
+            distributedAppModel,
+            kubernetesService: new TestKubernetesService(),
+            dcpOptions: new DcpOptions { EnableAspireContainerTunnel = true });
+
+        var ex = await Assert.ThrowsAsync<DistributedApplicationException>(() => appExecutor.RunApplicationAsync());
+        Assert.Contains("container tunnel container name", ex.Message);
+    }
+
+    [Theory]
+    [InlineData("aspire")]
+    [InlineData("ASPIRE")]
+    public async Task RunApplicationAsync_ThrowsWhenExplicitContainerNameConflictsWithContainerTunnelName(string containerName)
+    {
+        var builder = DistributedApplication.CreateBuilder();
+
+        builder.AddContainer("aContainer", "image")
+            .WithContainerName(containerName);
+
+        using var app = builder.Build();
+        var distributedAppModel = app.Services.GetRequiredService<DistributedApplicationModel>();
+
+        var appExecutor = CreateAppExecutor(
+            distributedAppModel,
+            kubernetesService: new TestKubernetesService(),
+            dcpOptions: new DcpOptions { EnableAspireContainerTunnel = true });
+
+        var ex = await Assert.ThrowsAsync<DistributedApplicationException>(() => appExecutor.RunApplicationAsync());
+        Assert.Contains("container tunnel container name", ex.Message);
+    }
+
+    [Theory]
+    [InlineData("aspire")]
+    [InlineData("ASPIRE")]
+    public async Task RunApplicationAsync_ThrowsWhenNetworkAliasConflictsWithContainerTunnelName(string alias)
+    {
+        var builder = DistributedApplication.CreateBuilder();
+
+        builder.AddContainer("aContainer", "image")
+            .WithContainerNetworkAlias(alias);
+
+        using var app = builder.Build();
+        var distributedAppModel = app.Services.GetRequiredService<DistributedApplicationModel>();
+
+        var appExecutor = CreateAppExecutor(
+            distributedAppModel,
+            kubernetesService: new TestKubernetesService(),
+            dcpOptions: new DcpOptions { EnableAspireContainerTunnel = true });
+
+        var ex = await Assert.ThrowsAsync<DistributedApplicationException>(() => appExecutor.RunApplicationAsync());
+        Assert.Contains("container tunnel container name", ex.Message);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task RunApplicationAsync_AllowsContainerNameMatchingContainerTunnelNameWhenContainerTunnelDisabled()
+    {
+        var builder = DistributedApplication.CreateBuilder();
+
+        builder.AddContainer("aspire", "image");
+        builder.AddContainer("aContainer", "image")
+            .WithContainerName("ASPIRE");
+        builder.AddContainer("bContainer", "image")
+            .WithContainerNetworkAlias("ASPIRE");
+
+        var kubernetesService = new TestKubernetesService();
+        using var app = builder.Build();
+        var distributedAppModel = app.Services.GetRequiredService<DistributedApplicationModel>();
+
+        var appExecutor = CreateAppExecutor(
+            distributedAppModel,
+            kubernetesService: kubernetesService,
+            dcpOptions: new DcpOptions { EnableAspireContainerTunnel = false });
+
+        await appExecutor.RunApplicationAsync();
+
+        Assert.Equal(3, kubernetesService.CreatedResources.OfType<Container>().Count());
+    }
+
     [Fact]
     public async Task ResourceRestarted_EnvironmentCallbacksApplied()
     {