diff --git a/salt/modules/cmdmod.py b/salt/modules/cmdmod.py
index 2c51c45e0b6..d5e54d24c84 100644
--- a/salt/modules/cmdmod.py
+++ b/salt/modules/cmdmod.py
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
 
     import salt.platform.win
     from salt.utils.win_functions import escape_argument as _cmd_quote
-    from salt.utils.win_runas import runas as win_runas
+    import salt.utils.win_runas as win_runas
 
     HAS_WIN_RUNAS = True
 else:
@@ -102,6 +102,24 @@ def _check_cb(cb_):
     return lambda x: x
 
 
+def _validate_windows_runas(runas):
+    """
+    Validate the requested runas user on Windows systems.
+    """
+    if not runas or not salt.utils.platform.is_windows():
+        return True
+    if not HAS_WIN_RUNAS:
+        raise CommandExecutionError("missing salt/utils/win_runas.py")
+    if not getattr(win_runas, "HAS_WIN32", False):
+        raise CommandExecutionError("This utility requires pywin32")
+    try:
+        win_runas.validate_username(runas, raise_on_error=True)
+    except CommandExecutionError as exc:
+        log.debug("runas validation failed for %s: %s", runas, exc)
+        raise CommandExecutionError(f"Invalid user: {runas}")
+    return True
+
+
 def _python_shell_default(python_shell, __pub_jid):
     """
     Set python_shell default based on the shell parameter and __opts__['cmd_safe']
@@ -788,7 +806,7 @@ def _run(
                 if change_windows_codepage:
                     salt.utils.win_chcp.set_codepage_id(windows_codepage)
                 try:
-                    proc = win_runas(cmd, runas, password, **new_kwargs)
+                    proc = win_runas.runas(cmd, runas, password, **new_kwargs)
                 except (OSError, pywintypes.error) as exc:
                     msg = "Unable to run command '{}' with the context '{}', reason: {}".format(
                         cmd if output_loglevel is not None else "REDACTED",
@@ -3023,10 +3041,7 @@ def _cleanup_tempfile(path):
 
     win_cwd = False
     if salt.utils.platform.is_windows() and runas:
-        # Let's make sure the user exists first
-        if not __salt__["user.info"](runas):
-            msg = f"Invalid user: {runas}"
-            raise CommandExecutionError(msg)
+        _validate_windows_runas(runas)
         if cwd is None:
             # Create a temp working directory
             cwd = tempfile.mkdtemp(dir=__opts__["cachedir"])
diff --git a/salt/states/cmd.py b/salt/states/cmd.py
index e9fb2a2315f..1a018faaccc 100644
--- a/salt/states/cmd.py
+++ b/salt/states/cmd.py
@@ -364,6 +364,20 @@ def _is_true(val):
     raise ValueError(f"Failed parsing boolean value: {val}")
 
 
+def _validate_windows_runas(runas):
+    if not runas or not salt.utils.platform.is_windows():
+        return True, ""
+    try:
+        import salt.utils.win_runas as win_runas
+    except Exception:  # pylint: disable=broad-except
+        return False, "win_runas is not available"
+    if not getattr(win_runas, "HAS_WIN32", False):
+        return False, "win_runas is not available"
+    if not win_runas.validate_username(runas):
+        return False, f"Invalid user: {runas}"
+    return True, ""
+
+
 def wait(
     name,
     cwd=None,
@@ -872,6 +886,11 @@ def run(
         ret["comment"] = "Invalidly-formatted 'env' parameter. See documentation."
         return ret
 
+    valid_runas, runas_comment = _validate_windows_runas(runas)
+    if not valid_runas:
+        ret["comment"] = runas_comment
+        return ret
+
     cmd_kwargs = copy.deepcopy(kwargs)
     cmd_kwargs.update(
         {
@@ -1158,6 +1177,11 @@ def script(
         ret["comment"] = "Must supply a password if runas argument is used on Windows."
         return ret
 
+    valid_runas, runas_comment = _validate_windows_runas(runas)
+    if not valid_runas:
+        ret["comment"] = runas_comment
+        return ret
+
     tmpctx = defaults if defaults else {}
     if context:
         tmpctx.update(context)
diff --git a/salt/utils/win_runas.py b/salt/utils/win_runas.py
index ea426e8a51b..5518c9518cf 100644
--- a/salt/utils/win_runas.py
+++ b/salt/utils/win_runas.py
@@ -81,6 +81,52 @@ def split_username(username):
     return str(user_name), str(domain)
 
 
+def _is_upn(username):
+    """
+    Return True when the username is in UPN format (user@domain).
+    """
+    return "@" in username and "\\" not in username
+
+
+def resolve_logon_credentials(username):
+    """
+    Resolve logon credentials for Windows logon APIs.
+    """
+    if not isinstance(username, str):
+        username = str(username)
+    is_upn = _is_upn(username)
+    try:
+        _, lookup_domain, _ = win32security.LookupAccountName(None, username)
+    except pywintypes.error as exc:
+        message = win32api.FormatMessage(exc.winerror).rstrip("\n")
+        raise CommandExecutionError(message)
+    user_name, domain_name = split_username(username)
+    logon_name = username if is_upn else user_name
+    logon_domain = "" if is_upn else lookup_domain
+    return {
+        "input": username,
+        "user_name": user_name,
+        "domain_name": domain_name,
+        "logon_name": logon_name,
+        "logon_domain": logon_domain,
+        "lookup_domain": lookup_domain,
+        "is_upn": is_upn,
+    }
+
+
+def validate_username(username, raise_on_error=False):
+    """
+    Validate that a username can be resolved on this host.
+    """
+    try:
+        resolve_logon_credentials(username)
+    except CommandExecutionError:
+        if raise_on_error:
+            raise
+        return False
+    return True
+
+
 def create_env(user_token, inherit, timeout=1):
     """
     CreateEnvironmentBlock might fail when we close a login session and then
@@ -173,13 +219,10 @@ def runas(cmd, username, password=None, **kwargs):
     # Let's make it a string if it's anything other than a string
     if not isinstance(username, str):
         username = str(username)
-    # Validate the domain and sid exist for the username
-    try:
-        _, domain, _ = win32security.LookupAccountName(None, username)
-        username, _ = split_username(username)
-    except pywintypes.error as exc:
-        message = win32api.FormatMessage(exc.winerror).rstrip("\n")
-        raise CommandExecutionError(message)
+    resolved = resolve_logon_credentials(username)
+    domain = resolved["lookup_domain"]
+    logon_name = resolved["logon_name"]
+    logon_domain = resolved["logon_domain"]
 
     # Elevate the token from the current process
     access = win32security.TOKEN_QUERY | win32security.TOKEN_ADJUST_PRIVILEGES
@@ -216,8 +259,8 @@ def runas(cmd, username, password=None, **kwargs):
         # Logon as a system level account, SYSTEM, LOCAL SERVICE, or NETWORK
         # SERVICE.
         user_token = win32security.LogonUser(
-            username,
-            domain,
+            logon_name,
+            logon_domain,
             "",
             win32con.LOGON32_LOGON_SERVICE,
             win32con.LOGON32_PROVIDER_DEFAULT,
@@ -225,15 +268,15 @@ def runas(cmd, username, password=None, **kwargs):
     elif password:
         # Login with a password.
         user_token = win32security.LogonUser(
-            username,
-            domain,
+            logon_name,
+            logon_domain,
             password,
             win32con.LOGON32_LOGON_INTERACTIVE,
             win32con.LOGON32_PROVIDER_DEFAULT,
         )
     else:
         # Login without a password. This always returns an elevated token.
-        user_token = salt.platform.win.logon_msv1_s4u(username).Token
+        user_token = salt.platform.win.logon_msv1_s4u(logon_name).Token
 
     # Get a linked user token to elevate if needed
     elevation_type = win32security.GetTokenInformation(
@@ -374,13 +417,10 @@ def runas_unpriv(cmd, username, password, **kwargs):
     # Let's make it a string if it's anything other than a string
     if not isinstance(username, str):
         username = str(username)
-    # Validate the domain and sid exist for the username
-    try:
-        _, domain, _ = win32security.LookupAccountName(None, username)
-        username, _ = split_username(username)
-    except pywintypes.error as exc:
-        message = win32api.FormatMessage(exc.winerror).rstrip("\n")
-        raise CommandExecutionError(message)
+    resolved = resolve_logon_credentials(username)
+    username = resolved["user_name"]
+    logon_name = resolved["logon_name"]
+    logon_domain = resolved["logon_domain"]
 
     # Create inheritable copy of the stdin
     stdin = salt.platform.win.kernel32.GetStdHandle(
@@ -445,8 +485,8 @@ def runas_unpriv(cmd, username, password, **kwargs):
     try:
         # Run command and return process info structure
         process_info = salt.platform.win.CreateProcessWithLogonW(
-            username=username,
-            domain=domain,
+            username=logon_name,
+            domain=logon_domain,
             password=password,
             logonflags=salt.platform.win.LOGON_WITH_PROFILE,
             applicationname=None,
diff --git a/tests/pytests/unit/utils/test_win_runas.py b/tests/pytests/unit/utils/test_win_runas.py
index 95443691920..208327b9672 100644
--- a/tests/pytests/unit/utils/test_win_runas.py
+++ b/tests/pytests/unit/utils/test_win_runas.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import pytest
 
 from salt.utils import win_runas
+from salt.exceptions import CommandExecutionError
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
@@ -21,3 +22,35 @@ def test_split_username(input_value, expected):
     """
     result = win_runas.split_username(input_value)
     assert result == expected
+
+
+def test_validate_username_returns_false(monkeypatch):
+    def _raise(_):
+        raise CommandExecutionError("lookup failed")
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(win_runas, "resolve_logon_credentials", _raise)
+    assert win_runas.validate_username("DOMAIN\\user") is False
+
+
+def test_validate_username_raises(monkeypatch):
+    def _raise(_):
+        raise CommandExecutionError("lookup failed")
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(win_runas, "resolve_logon_credentials", _raise)
+    with pytest.raises(CommandExecutionError):
+        win_runas.validate_username("DOMAIN\\user", raise_on_error=True)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(
+    not win_runas.HAS_WIN32, reason="win32 libraries are required for this test"
+)
+def test_resolve_logon_credentials_upn(monkeypatch):
+    def _lookup(_, username):
+        return "sid", "DOMAIN", 1
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(win_runas.win32security, "LookupAccountName", _lookup)
+    result = win_runas.resolve_logon_credentials("user@domain.com")
+    assert result["user_name"] == "user"
+    assert result["domain_name"] == "domain.com"
+    assert result["logon_name"] == "user@domain.com"
+    assert result["logon_domain"] == ""