diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
index d9666f542b..c4b29776a2 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
@@ -1286,7 +1286,7 @@ func validateRuntime(rtime string) error {
 	}
 
 	if (rtime == "crio" || rtime == "cri-o") && strings.HasPrefix(runtime.GOARCH, "ppc64") {
-		return errors.New("The CRI-O runtime is not compatible with the ppc architecture.")
+		out.Error(reason.RuntimeIncompat, "The {{.runtime}} runtime is not compatible with the {{.arch}} architecture.", out.V{"runtime": rtime, "arch": runtime.GOARCH})
 	}
 
 	if !validRuntime {
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/reason/reason.go b/pkg/minikube/reason/reason.go
index a157108374..ca87188a64 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/reason/reason.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/reason/reason.go
@@ -402,6 +402,8 @@ var (
 	RuntimeEnable = Kind{ID: "RUNTIME_ENABLE", ExitCode: ExRuntimeError}
 	// minikube failed to cache images for the current container runtime
 	RuntimeCache = Kind{ID: "RUNTIME_CACHE", ExitCode: ExRuntimeError}
+	// the chosen container runtime doesn't work with the system architecture
+	RuntimeIncompat = Kind{ID: "RUNTIME_INCOMPAT", ExitCode: ExRuntimeError}
 
 	// service check timed out while starting minikube dashboard
 	SvcCheckTimeout = Kind{ID: "SVC_CHECK_TIMEOUT", ExitCode: ExSvcTimeout}