diff --git a/lib/src/privtests.rs b/lib/src/privtests.rs
index e58c060ba..d1290778a 100644
--- a/lib/src/privtests.rs
+++ b/lib/src/privtests.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ use fn_error_context::context;
 use rustix::fd::AsFd;
 use xshell::{cmd, Shell};
 
+use crate::spec::HostType;
+
 use super::cli::TestingOpts;
 use super::spec::Host;
 
@@ -100,10 +102,9 @@ pub(crate) fn impl_run_host() -> Result<()> {
 
 #[context("Container tests")]
 pub(crate) fn impl_run_container() -> Result<()> {
-    assert!(ostree_ext::container_utils::is_ostree_container()?);
     let sh = Shell::new()?;
     let host: Host = serde_yaml::from_str(&cmd!(sh, "bootc status").read()?)?;
-    assert!(host.status.is_container);
+    assert!(matches!(host.status.ty, None));
     println!("ok status");
 
     for c in ["upgrade", "update"] {
diff --git a/lib/src/spec.rs b/lib/src/spec.rs
index b13170669..78e73c2a7 100644
--- a/lib/src/spec.rs
+++ b/lib/src/spec.rs
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ use crate::k8sapitypes;
 
 const API_VERSION: &str = "org.containers.bootc/v1alpha1";
 const KIND: &str = "BootcHost";
+/// The default object name we use; there's only one.
+pub(crate) const OBJECT_NAME: &str = "host";
 
 #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
 #[serde(rename_all = "camelCase")]
@@ -94,6 +96,16 @@ pub struct BootEntry {
     pub ostree: Option<BootEntryOstree>,
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize, PartialEq, Eq, JsonSchema)]
+#[serde(rename_all = "camelCase")]
+#[non_exhaustive]
+/// The detected type of running system.  Note that this is not exhaustive
+/// and new variants may be added in the future.
+pub enum HostType {
+    /// The current system is deployed in a bootc compatible way.
+    BootcHost,
+}
+
 /// The status of the host system
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Default, Deserialize, PartialEq, Eq, JsonSchema)]
 #[serde(rename_all = "camelCase")]
@@ -105,15 +117,16 @@ pub struct HostStatus {
     /// The previously booted image
     pub rollback: Option<BootEntry>,
 
-    /// Whether or not the current system state is an ostree-based container
-    pub is_container: bool,
+    /// The detected type of system
+    #[serde(rename = "type")]
+    pub ty: Option<HostType>,
 }
 
 impl Host {
     /// Create a new host
-    pub fn new(name: &str, spec: HostSpec) -> Self {
+    pub fn new(spec: HostSpec) -> Self {
         let metadata = k8sapitypes::ObjectMeta {
-            name: Some(name.to_owned()),
+            name: Some(OBJECT_NAME.to_owned()),
             ..Default::default()
         };
         Self {
@@ -128,6 +141,12 @@ impl Host {
     }
 }
 
+impl Default for Host {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Self::new(Default::default())
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
diff --git a/lib/src/status.rs b/lib/src/status.rs
index 838ea5740..f882c4917 100644
--- a/lib/src/status.rs
+++ b/lib/src/status.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 use std::collections::VecDeque;
 
-use crate::spec::{BootEntry, Host, HostSpec, HostStatus, ImageStatus};
+use crate::spec::{BootEntry, Host, HostSpec, HostStatus, HostType, ImageStatus};
 use crate::spec::{ImageReference, ImageSignature};
 use anyhow::{Context, Result};
+use camino::Utf8Path;
 use fn_error_context::context;
 use ostree::glib;
 use ostree_container::OstreeImageReference;
@@ -12,8 +13,6 @@ use ostree_ext::oci_spec;
 use ostree_ext::ostree;
 use ostree_ext::sysroot::SysrootLock;
 
-const OBJECT_NAME: &str = "host";
-
 impl From<ostree_container::SignatureSource> for ImageSignature {
     fn from(sig: ostree_container::SignatureSource) -> Self {
         use ostree_container::SignatureSource;
@@ -223,8 +222,6 @@ pub(crate) fn get_status(
         other,
     };
 
-    let is_container = ostree_ext::container_utils::is_ostree_container()?;
-
     let staged = deployments
         .staged
         .as_ref()
@@ -250,12 +247,24 @@ pub(crate) fn get_status(
             image: Some(img.image.clone()),
         })
         .unwrap_or_default();
-    let mut host = Host::new(OBJECT_NAME, spec);
+
+    let ty = if booted
+        .as_ref()
+        .map(|b| b.image.is_some())
+        .unwrap_or_default()
+    {
+        // We're only of type BootcHost if we booted via container image
+        Some(HostType::BootcHost)
+    } else {
+        None
+    };
+
+    let mut host = Host::new(spec);
     host.status = HostStatus {
         staged,
         booted,
         rollback,
-        is_container,
+        ty,
     };
     Ok((deployments, host))
 }
@@ -263,14 +272,8 @@ pub(crate) fn get_status(
 /// Implementation of the `bootc status` CLI command.
 #[context("Status")]
 pub(crate) async fn status(opts: super::cli::StatusOpts) -> Result<()> {
-    let host = if ostree_ext::container_utils::is_ostree_container()? {
-        let status = HostStatus {
-            is_container: true,
-            ..Default::default()
-        };
-        let mut r = Host::new(OBJECT_NAME, HostSpec { image: None });
-        r.status = status;
-        r
+    let host = if !Utf8Path::new("/run/ostree-booted").try_exists()? {
+        Default::default()
     } else {
         crate::cli::require_root()?;
         let sysroot = super::cli::get_locked_sysroot().await?;
diff --git a/tests/kolainst/basic b/tests/kolainst/basic
index f002a14b8..612a3a1c6 100755
--- a/tests/kolainst/basic
+++ b/tests/kolainst/basic
@@ -19,6 +19,13 @@ case "${AUTOPKGTEST_REBOOT_MARK:-}" in
     echo "booted into $image"
     echo "ok status test"
 
+    host_ty=$(jq -r '.status.type' < status.json)
+    test "${host_ty}" = "bootcHost"
+    # Now fake things out with an empty /run
+    unshare -m /bin/sh -c 'mount -t tmpfs tmpfs /run; bootc status --json > status-no-run.json'
+    host_ty_norun=$(jq -r '.status.type' < status-no-run.json)
+    test "${host_ty_norun}" = "null"
+
     test "null" = $(jq '.status.staged' < status.json)
     # Should be a no-op
     bootc update