diff --git a/cmd/buildah/bud.go b/cmd/buildah/bud.go
index fe5c8a36..ce0df5ea 100644
--- a/cmd/buildah/bud.go
+++ b/cmd/buildah/bud.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/Sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/containers/storage/pkg/archive"
+	"github.com/projectatomic/buildah"
 	"github.com/projectatomic/buildah/imagebuildah"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli"
 )
@@ -39,6 +40,15 @@ var (
 			Name:  "build-arg",
 			Usage: "`argument=value` to supply to the builder",
 		},
+		cli.StringFlag{
+			Name:  "runtime",
+			Usage: "`path` to an alternate runtime",
+			Value: buildah.DefaultRuntime,
+		},
+		cli.StringSliceFlag{
+			Name:  "runtime-flag",
+			Usage: "add global flags for the container runtime",
+		},
 		cli.StringFlag{
 			Name:  "tag, t",
 			Usage: "`tag` to apply to the built image",
@@ -77,6 +87,14 @@ func budCmd(c *cli.Context) error {
 	if c.IsSet("pull-always") {
 		pull = c.Bool("pull-always")
 	}
+	runtimeFlags := []string{}
+	if c.IsSet("runtime-flag") {
+		runtimeFlags = c.StringSlice("runtime-flag")
+	}
+	runtime := ""
+	if c.IsSet("runtime") {
+		runtime = c.String("runtime")
+	}
 
 	pullPolicy := imagebuildah.PullNever
 	if pull {
@@ -178,6 +196,8 @@ func budCmd(c *cli.Context) error {
 		SignaturePolicyPath: signaturePolicy,
 		Args:                args,
 		Output:              output,
+		Runtime:             runtime,
+		RuntimeArgs:         runtimeFlags,
 	}
 
 	return imagebuildah.BuildDockerfiles(store, options, dockerfiles...)
diff --git a/docs/buildah-bud.md b/docs/buildah-bud.md
index bed7f1fc..12901c2c 100644
--- a/docs/buildah-bud.md
+++ b/docs/buildah-bud.md
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ resulting image's configuration.
 
 **--runtime** *path*
 
-The *path* to an alternate runtime, which will be used to run commands
-specified by the **RUN** instruction.
+The *path* to an alternate OCI-compatible runtime, which will be used to run
+commands specified by the **RUN** instruction.
 
 **--runtime-flag** *flag*
 
diff --git a/docs/buildah-run.md b/docs/buildah-run.md
index 82cdf7f2..88270cc8 100644
--- a/docs/buildah-run.md
+++ b/docs/buildah-run.md
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ the *buildah config* command.
 
 **--runtime** *path*
 
-The *path* to an alternate runtime.
+The *path* to an alternate OCI-compatible runtime.
 
 **--runtime-flag** *flag*