diff --git a/src/tools/kata-ctl/src/arch/aarch64/mod.rs b/src/tools/kata-ctl/src/arch/aarch64/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6df39ce748
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tools/kata-ctl/src/arch/aarch64/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2022 Intel Corporation
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+//
+
+#[cfg(target_arch = "aarch64")]
+pub use arch_specific::*;
+
+mod arch_specific {
+    use anyhow::Result;
+
+    pub fn check() -> Result<()> {
+        unimplemented!("Check not implemented in aarch64")
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/tools/kata-ctl/src/arch/mod.rs b/src/tools/kata-ctl/src/arch/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ee6f926f75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tools/kata-ctl/src/arch/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2022 Intel Corporation
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+//
+
+use anyhow::{Result};
+
+#[cfg(target_arch = "aarch64")]
+pub mod aarch64;
+
+#[cfg(target_arch = "powerpc64le")]
+pub mod powerpc64le;
+
+#[cfg(target_arch = "s390x")]
+pub mod s390x;
+
+#[cfg(target_arch = "x86_64")]
+pub mod x86_64;
+
+pub fn check(global_args: clap::ArgMatches) -> Result<()> {
+    #[cfg(target_arch = "aarch64")]
+    let result = aarch64::check();
+
+    #[cfg(target_arch = "powerpc64le")]
+    let result = powerpc64le::check();
+
+    #[cfg(target_arch = "s390x")]
+    let result = s390x::check();
+
+    #[cfg(target_arch = "x86_64")]
+    let result = x86_64::check(global_args);
+
+    #[cfg(not(any(
+        target_arch = "aarch64",
+        target_arch = "powerpc64le",
+        target_arch = "s390x",
+        target_arch = "x86_64"
+    )))]
+    panic!("unknown architecture");
+
+    result
+}
diff --git a/src/tools/kata-ctl/src/arch/powerpc64le/mod.rs b/src/tools/kata-ctl/src/arch/powerpc64le/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a87ab02f8c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tools/kata-ctl/src/arch/powerpc64le/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2022 Intel Corporation
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+//
+
+#[cfg(target_arch = "powerpc64le")]
+pub use arch_specific::*;
+
+mod arch_specific {
+    use anyhow::Result;
+
+    pub fn check() -> Result<()> {
+        unimplemented!("Check not implemented in powerpc64le");
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/tools/kata-ctl/src/arch/s390x/mod.rs b/src/tools/kata-ctl/src/arch/s390x/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7f6a424c3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tools/kata-ctl/src/arch/s390x/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2022 Intel Corporation
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+//
+
+#[cfg(target_arch = "s390x")]
+pub use arch_specific::*;
+
+mod arch_specific {
+    use anyhow::Result;
+
+    pub fn check() -> Result<()> {
+        unimplemented!("Check not implemented in s390x");
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/tools/kata-ctl/src/arch/x86_64/mod.rs b/src/tools/kata-ctl/src/arch/x86_64/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2f27dc2a44
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tools/kata-ctl/src/arch/x86_64/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2022 Intel Corporation
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+//
+
+#[cfg(target_arch = "x86_64")]
+pub use arch_specific::*;
+
+mod arch_specific {
+    use anyhow::Result;
+
+    pub fn check(_global_args: clap::ArgMatches) -> Result<()> {
+        println!("INFO: check: x86_64");
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/tools/kata-ctl/src/check.rs b/src/tools/kata-ctl/src/check.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..be39e31e06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tools/kata-ctl/src/check.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2022 Intel Corporation
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+//
+
+// Contains checks that are not architecture-specific
+
+use anyhow::{Result};
+
+pub fn run_network_checks() -> Result<()> {
+    unimplemented!("Tests using network checks not implemented");
+}
diff --git a/src/tools/kata-ctl/src/main.rs b/src/tools/kata-ctl/src/main.rs
index 7368c667e5..9338b4bd61 100644
--- a/src/tools/kata-ctl/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/tools/kata-ctl/src/main.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ use std::process::exit;
 
 mod utils;
 mod version;
+mod arch;
+mod check;
 
 const DESCRIPTION_TEXT: &str = r#"DESCRIPTION:
     kata-ctl description placeholder."#;
@@ -17,6 +19,25 @@ const ABOUT_TEXT: &str = "Kata Containers control tool";
 
 const NAME: &str = "kata-ctl";
 
+fn run_checks(global_args: clap::ArgMatches) -> Result<()> {
+    let args = global_args
+        .subcommand_matches("check")
+        .ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("BUG: missing sub-command arguments"))?;
+
+    let no_network_check = args.is_present("no-network-checks");
+
+    // run architecture-agnostic tests
+    if !no_network_check {
+        // run code that uses network checks
+        let _network_checks = check::run_network_checks();
+    }
+
+    // run architecture-specific tests
+    let _all_checks = arch::check(global_args);
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 fn real_main() -> Result<()> {
     let name = crate_name!();
     let version = version::get();
@@ -28,15 +49,11 @@ fn real_main() -> Result<()> {
         .subcommand(
             SubCommand::with_name("check")
             .about("tests if system can run Kata Containers")
-        )
-        .subcommand(
-            SubCommand::with_name("command-example")
-            .about("(remove when other subcommands have sufficient detail)")
             .arg(
-                Arg::with_name("arg-example-1")
-                .long("arg-example-1")
-                .help("arg example for command-example")
-                .takes_value(true)
+                Arg::with_name("no-network-checks")
+                .long("no-network-checks")
+                .help("run check with no network checks")
+                .takes_value(false)
                 )
         )
         .subcommand(
@@ -80,40 +97,39 @@ fn real_main() -> Result<()> {
         .ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("need sub-command"))?;
 
     match subcmd {
-        "command-example" => {
-            println!("{}", utils::command_example(args));
-            Ok(())
-        }
         "check" => {
-            println!("Not implemented");
+            match run_checks(args) {
+                Ok(_result) => println!("check may not be fully implemented"),
+                Err(err) => println!("{}", err),
+            }
             Ok(())
         }
         "direct-volume" => {
-            println!("Not implemented");
+            unimplemented!("Not implemented");
             Ok(())
         }
         "env" => {
-            println!("Not implemented");
+            unimplemented!("Not implemented");
             Ok(())
         }
         "exec" => {
-            println!("Not implemented");
+            unimplemented!("Not implemented");
             Ok(())
         }
         "factory" => {
-            println!("Not implemented");
+            unimplemented!("Not implemented");
             Ok(())
         }
         "help" => {
-            println!("Not implemented");
+            unimplemented!("Not implemented");
             Ok(())
         }
         "iptables" => {
-            println!("Not implemented");
+            unimplemented!("Not implemented");
             Ok(())
         }
         "metrics" => {
-            println!("Not implemented");
+            unimplemented!("Not implemented");
             Ok(())
         }
         "version" => {
diff --git a/src/tools/kata-ctl/src/utils.rs b/src/tools/kata-ctl/src/utils.rs
index b779c2147b..59289ad4a9 100644
--- a/src/tools/kata-ctl/src/utils.rs
+++ b/src/tools/kata-ctl/src/utils.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,3 @@
 //
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 //
-
-pub fn command_example(_global_args: clap::ArgMatches) -> String {
-   "test utils command".to_string() 
-}