diff --git a/cluster-operator/src/main/java/io/strimzi/operator/cluster/model/KafkaBrokerConfigurationBuilder.java b/cluster-operator/src/main/java/io/strimzi/operator/cluster/model/KafkaBrokerConfigurationBuilder.java
index bbcd0de844..bbbe72c3b0 100644
--- a/cluster-operator/src/main/java/io/strimzi/operator/cluster/model/KafkaBrokerConfigurationBuilder.java
+++ b/cluster-operator/src/main/java/io/strimzi/operator/cluster/model/KafkaBrokerConfigurationBuilder.java
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 import io.strimzi.operator.cluster.model.cruisecontrol.CruiseControlMetricsReporter;
 import io.strimzi.operator.cluster.model.metrics.MetricsModel;
 import io.strimzi.operator.cluster.model.metrics.StrimziMetricsReporterModel;
+import io.strimzi.operator.common.InvalidConfigurationException;
 import io.strimzi.operator.common.Reconciliation;
 import io.strimzi.operator.common.model.cruisecontrol.CruiseControlConfigurationParameters;
 
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@
 import java.time.Duration;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.Comparator;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
@@ -780,16 +782,14 @@ private void configProviders(KafkaConfiguration userConfig)    {
         } else {
             strimziConfigProviders = "strimzienv";
         }
-
-        if (userConfig != null
-                && !userConfig.getConfiguration().isEmpty()
-                && userConfig.getConfigOption("config.providers") != null) {
-            writer.println("# Configuration providers configured by the user and by Strimzi");
-            writer.println("config.providers=" + userConfig.getConfigOption("config.providers") + "," + strimziConfigProviders);
-            userConfig.removeConfigOption("config.providers");
-        } else {
+        
+        final String userConfigProviders = getUserConfigProviderAliases(strimziConfigProviders, userConfig);
+        if ("".equals(userConfigProviders)) {
             writer.println("# Configuration providers configured by Strimzi");
             writer.println("config.providers=" + strimziConfigProviders);
+        } else {
+            writer.println("# Configuration providers configured by the user and by Strimzi");
+            writer.println("config.providers=" + userConfigProviders + "," + strimziConfigProviders);
         }
 
         writer.println("config.providers.strimzienv.class=org.apache.kafka.common.config.provider.EnvVarConfigProvider");
@@ -805,6 +805,32 @@ private void configProviders(KafkaConfiguration userConfig)    {
 
         writer.println();
     }
+    
+    /**
+     * Get the user provided Kafka configuration provider aliases, throwing an InvalidConfigurationException if any are found that would overwrite the Strimzi defined configuration providers
+     * 
+     * @param strimziConfigProviders    The Strimzi defined configuration providers
+     * @param userConfig                The user configuration to extract the possible user-provided config provider configuration from
+     * @return                          The user defined Kafka configuration provider aliases or empty string
+     */
+    private String getUserConfigProviderAliases(String strimziConfigProviders, KafkaConfiguration userConfig) {
+        String userConfigProviderAliases = "";
+        if (userConfig != null
+                && !userConfig.getConfiguration().isEmpty()
+                && userConfig.getConfigOption("config.providers") != null) {
+            userConfigProviderAliases = userConfig.getConfigOption("config.providers");
+            Collection<String> userAliases = Arrays.asList(userConfigProviderAliases.split(","));
+            Collection<String> strimziAliases = Arrays.asList(strimziConfigProviders.split(","));
+            
+            userAliases.stream().forEach(alias -> {
+                if (strimziAliases.contains(alias)) {
+                    throw new InvalidConfigurationException("config.provider " + alias + " not permitted as it reserved for Strimzi. Not permitted aliases: " + strimziAliases); 
+                }
+            });
+            userConfig.removeConfigOption("config.providers");
+        }
+        return userConfigProviderAliases;
+    }
 
     /**
      * Adds the configurations passed by the user in the Kafka CR, injecting Strimzi configurations when needed.
diff --git a/cluster-operator/src/test/java/io/strimzi/operator/cluster/model/KafkaBrokerConfigurationBuilderTest.java b/cluster-operator/src/test/java/io/strimzi/operator/cluster/model/KafkaBrokerConfigurationBuilderTest.java
index 8017c93776..c206ca8bd4 100644
--- a/cluster-operator/src/test/java/io/strimzi/operator/cluster/model/KafkaBrokerConfigurationBuilderTest.java
+++ b/cluster-operator/src/test/java/io/strimzi/operator/cluster/model/KafkaBrokerConfigurationBuilderTest.java
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 import io.strimzi.operator.cluster.model.cruisecontrol.CruiseControlMetricsReporter;
 import io.strimzi.operator.cluster.model.metrics.MetricsModel;
 import io.strimzi.operator.cluster.model.metrics.StrimziMetricsReporterModel;
+import io.strimzi.operator.common.InvalidConfigurationException;
 import io.strimzi.operator.common.Reconciliation;
 import io.strimzi.operator.common.model.cruisecontrol.CruiseControlConfigurationParameters;
 import io.strimzi.test.annotations.ParallelSuite;
@@ -600,6 +601,22 @@ public void testUserConfigurationWithConfigProviders()  {
                 "config.providers.strimzienv.param.allowlist.pattern=.*",
                 "config.providers.env.class=org.apache.kafka.common.config.provider.EnvVarConfigProvider"));
     }
+    
+    @ParallelTest
+    public void testUserConfigurationWithInvalidConfigProviders()  {
+        Map<String, Object> userConfiguration = new HashMap<>();
+        userConfiguration.put("config.providers", "env,strimzienv");
+        userConfiguration.put("config.providers.env.class", "org.apache.kafka.common.config.provider.EnvVarConfigProvider");
+        userConfiguration.put("config.providers.strimzienv.class", "org.apache.kafka.common.config.provider.UserConfigProvider");
+
+        KafkaConfiguration kafkaConfiguration = new KafkaConfiguration(Reconciliation.DUMMY_RECONCILIATION, userConfiguration.entrySet());
+
+        assertThrows(InvalidConfigurationException.class, () -> {
+            new KafkaBrokerConfigurationBuilder(Reconciliation.DUMMY_RECONCILIATION, NODE_REF)
+                .withUserConfiguration(kafkaConfiguration, false, false, false)
+                .build();
+        }, "InvalidConfigurationException was expected");
+    }
 
     @ParallelTest
     public void testNullUserConfigurationWithJmxMetricsReporter()  {