diff --git a/openvpn-install.sh b/openvpn-install.sh
index 42a7a10..0c75bb2 100755
--- a/openvpn-install.sh
+++ b/openvpn-install.sh
@@ -3071,6 +3071,15 @@ function installOpenVPN() {
 	# Select the firewall backend before installing dependencies so native
 	# firewalld and nftables systems do not need the iptables package.
 	FIREWALL_BACKEND=$(detect_firewall_backend)
+	FIREWALLD_PORT_ZONE=""
+	if [[ $FIREWALL_BACKEND == 'firewalld' ]]; then
+		if [[ -n $NIC ]]; then
+			FIREWALLD_PORT_ZONE=$(firewall-cmd --get-zone-of-interface="$NIC" 2>/dev/null || true)
+		fi
+		if [[ -z $FIREWALLD_PORT_ZONE || $FIREWALLD_PORT_ZONE == 'no zone' ]]; then
+			FIREWALLD_PORT_ZONE=$(firewall-cmd --get-default-zone)
+		fi
+	fi
 
 	# If OpenVPN isn't installed yet, install it. This script is more-or-less
 	# idempotent on multiple runs, but will only install OpenVPN from upstream
@@ -3525,6 +3534,7 @@ verb 3"
 	# Record installer-owned policy so firewall rules can be removed exactly.
 	{
 		echo "FIREWALL_BACKEND=$FIREWALL_BACKEND"
+		echo "FIREWALLD_PORT_ZONE=$FIREWALLD_PORT_ZONE"
 		echo "ROUTE_INTERNET=$ROUTE_INTERNET"
 		echo "CLIENT_TO_CLIENT=$CLIENT_TO_CLIENT"
 		echo "LOCAL_NETWORKS=$LOCAL_NETWORKS"
@@ -3651,7 +3661,7 @@ verb 3"
 		# destination rules to forwarded traffic; zone rich rules alone only
 		# govern traffic addressed to the server.
 		log_info "firewalld detected, using firewall-cmd..."
-		run_cmd_fatal "Adding OpenVPN port to firewalld" firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port="$PORT/$PROTOCOL"
+		run_cmd_fatal "Adding OpenVPN port to firewalld zone $FIREWALLD_PORT_ZONE" firewall-cmd --permanent --zone="$FIREWALLD_PORT_ZONE" --add-port="$PORT/$PROTOCOL"
 		run_cmd_fatal "Creating OpenVPN firewalld zone" firewall-cmd --permanent --new-zone=openvpn-install
 		run_cmd_fatal "Creating OpenVPN firewalld policy" firewall-cmd --permanent --new-policy=openvpn-egress
 		run_cmd_fatal "Setting OpenVPN policy ingress" firewall-cmd --permanent --policy=openvpn-egress --add-ingress-zone=openvpn-install
@@ -5045,6 +5055,7 @@ function removeOpenVPN() {
 		if [[ -f $install_config ]]; then
 			has_policy_manifest=y
 			FIREWALL_BACKEND=$(grep '^FIREWALL_BACKEND=' "$install_config" | cut -d= -f2-)
+			FIREWALLD_PORT_ZONE=$(grep '^FIREWALLD_PORT_ZONE=' "$install_config" | cut -d= -f2- || true)
 			ROUTE_INTERNET=$(grep '^ROUTE_INTERNET=' "$install_config" | cut -d= -f2-)
 			CLIENT_TO_CLIENT=$(grep '^CLIENT_TO_CLIENT=' "$install_config" | cut -d= -f2-)
 			LOCAL_NETWORKS=$(grep '^LOCAL_NETWORKS=' "$install_config" | cut -d= -f2-)
@@ -5064,7 +5075,14 @@ function removeOpenVPN() {
 		# Remove firewall rules
 		log_info "Removing firewall rules..."
 		if systemctl is-active --quiet firewalld && { [[ $has_policy_manifest == 'y' && $FIREWALL_BACKEND == 'firewalld' ]] || { [[ $has_policy_manifest == 'n' ]] && firewall-cmd --list-ports | grep -q "$PORT/$PROTOCOL_BASE"; }; }; then
-			run_cmd "Removing OpenVPN port from firewalld" firewall-cmd --permanent --remove-port="$PORT/$PROTOCOL_BASE"
+			if [[ $has_policy_manifest == 'y' ]]; then
+				if [[ -z $FIREWALLD_PORT_ZONE ]]; then
+					FIREWALLD_PORT_ZONE=$(firewall-cmd --get-default-zone)
+				fi
+				run_cmd "Removing OpenVPN port from firewalld zone $FIREWALLD_PORT_ZONE" firewall-cmd --permanent --zone="$FIREWALLD_PORT_ZONE" --remove-port="$PORT/$PROTOCOL_BASE"
+			else
+				run_cmd "Removing OpenVPN port from firewalld" firewall-cmd --permanent --remove-port="$PORT/$PROTOCOL_BASE"
+			fi
 			if [[ $has_policy_manifest == 'y' ]]; then
 				firewall-cmd --permanent --delete-policy=openvpn-egress 2>/dev/null || true
 				firewall-cmd --permanent --delete-zone=openvpn-install 2>/dev/null || true
diff --git a/test/server-entrypoint.sh b/test/server-entrypoint.sh
index af0f893..ddcd6ee 100755
--- a/test/server-entrypoint.sh
+++ b/test/server-entrypoint.sh
@@ -6,6 +6,15 @@ echo "=== OpenVPN Server Container ==="
 /opt/test/local-network-detection.sh /opt/openvpn-install.sh
 /opt/test/interactive-install-flow.sh /opt/openvpn-install.sh
 
+# Verify that the installer uses the zone bound to the public interface, not
+# firewalld's default zone.
+if systemctl is-active --quiet firewalld; then
+	FIREWALLD_TEST_INTERFACE=$(ip -4 route ls | awk '/^default / { for (i = 1; i <= NF; i++) if ($i == "dev") { print $(i + 1); exit } }')
+	firewall-cmd --set-default-zone=public >/dev/null
+	firewall-cmd --permanent --zone=external --change-interface="$FIREWALLD_TEST_INTERFACE" >/dev/null
+	firewall-cmd --reload >/dev/null
+fi
+
 # Create TUN device if it doesn't exist
 if [ ! -c /dev/net/tun ]; then
 	mkdir -p /dev/net
@@ -301,6 +310,10 @@ for setting in "ROUTE_INTERNET=$ROUTE_INTERNET" "CLIENT_TO_CLIENT=$CLIENT_TO_CLI
 		exit 1
 	}
 done
+if systemctl is-active --quiet firewalld && ! grep -Fxq 'FIREWALLD_PORT_ZONE=external' /etc/openvpn/server/openvpn-install.conf; then
+	echo "FAIL: Policy manifest is missing the public interface's firewalld zone"
+	exit 1
+fi
 
 echo "PASS: Access policy configuration is correct"
 
@@ -831,11 +844,17 @@ if systemctl is-active --quiet firewalld; then
 		echo "FAIL: firewalld zone-wide masquerade should not be enabled"
 		exit 1
 	fi
-	if firewall-cmd --list-ports | grep -q "1194/udp"; then
-		echo "PASS: OpenVPN port is open in firewalld"
+	FIREWALLD_PORT_ZONE=$(grep '^FIREWALLD_PORT_ZONE=' /etc/openvpn/server/openvpn-install.conf | cut -d= -f2-)
+	if firewall-cmd --zone="$FIREWALLD_PORT_ZONE" --query-port="1194/udp"; then
+		echo "PASS: OpenVPN port is open in the public interface's firewalld zone"
 	else
-		echo "FAIL: OpenVPN port not found in firewalld"
-		firewall-cmd --list-ports
+		echo "FAIL: OpenVPN port not found in firewalld zone $FIREWALLD_PORT_ZONE"
+		firewall-cmd --zone="$FIREWALLD_PORT_ZONE" --list-ports
+		exit 1
+	fi
+	FIREWALLD_DEFAULT_ZONE=$(firewall-cmd --get-default-zone)
+	if [ "$FIREWALLD_DEFAULT_ZONE" != "$FIREWALLD_PORT_ZONE" ] && firewall-cmd --zone="$FIREWALLD_DEFAULT_ZONE" --query-port="1194/udp"; then
+		echo "FAIL: OpenVPN port was also added to firewalld's default zone"
 		exit 1
 	fi
 elif systemctl is-active --quiet nftables; then