diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/hypervisor.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/hypervisor.go
index a1949b056e..0186c397ed 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/hypervisor.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/hypervisor.go
@@ -547,6 +547,10 @@ func (conf *HypervisorConfig) Valid() error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Missing image and initrd path")
 	}
 
+	if conf.ImagePath != "" && conf.InitrdPath != "" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Image and initrd path cannot be both set")
+	}
+
 	if err := conf.CheckTemplateConfig(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/hypervisor_test.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/hypervisor_test.go
index c2eaa107cc..d8c4f6448c 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/hypervisor_test.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/hypervisor_test.go
@@ -134,6 +134,17 @@ func TestHypervisorConfigIsValid(t *testing.T) {
 	testHypervisorConfigValid(t, hypervisorConfig, true)
 }
 
+func TestHypervisorConfigBothInitrdAndImage(t *testing.T) {
+	hypervisorConfig := &HypervisorConfig{
+		KernelPath:     fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", testDir, testKernel),
+		ImagePath:      fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", testDir, testImage),
+		InitrdPath:     fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", testDir, testInitrd),
+		HypervisorPath: "",
+	}
+
+	testHypervisorConfigValid(t, hypervisorConfig, false)
+}
+
 func TestHypervisorConfigValidTemplateConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	hypervisorConfig := &HypervisorConfig{
 		KernelPath:       fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", testDir, testKernel),
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_test.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_test.go
index eb10857dd2..deeb482dc6 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_test.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_test.go
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ import (
 func newQemuConfig() HypervisorConfig {
 	return HypervisorConfig{
 		KernelPath:        testQemuKernelPath,
-		ImagePath:         testQemuImagePath,
 		InitrdPath:        testQemuInitrdPath,
 		HypervisorPath:    testQemuPath,
 		NumVCPUs:          defaultVCPUs,