diff --git a/cmd/ctr/commands/commands.go b/cmd/ctr/commands/commands.go
index d0e52a652..b3ba7c9ca 100644
--- a/cmd/ctr/commands/commands.go
+++ b/cmd/ctr/commands/commands.go
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ var (
 		},
 		cli.StringFlag{
 			Name:  "runtime",
-			Usage: "runtime name",
+			Usage: "runtime name or absolute path to runtime binary",
 			Value: defaults.DefaultRuntime,
 		},
 		cli.StringFlag{
diff --git a/runtime/v2/manager.go b/runtime/v2/manager.go
index 1927cbb3f..b8db39983 100644
--- a/runtime/v2/manager.go
+++ b/runtime/v2/manager.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/containers"
@@ -244,6 +245,11 @@ func (m *ShimManager) resolveRuntimePath(runtime string) (string, error) {
 		return runtime, nil
 	}
 
+	// Check if relative path to runtime binary provided
+	if strings.Contains(runtime, "/") {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("invalid runtime name %s, correct runtime name should be either format like `io.containerd.runc.v1` or a full path to the binary", runtime)
+	}
+
 	// Preserve existing logic and resolve runtime path from runtime name.
 
 	name := shimbinary.BinaryName(runtime)
diff --git a/runtime/v2/manager_test.go b/runtime/v2/manager_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b6a2b8940
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runtime/v2/manager_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+//go:build !windows && !darwin
+// +build !windows,!darwin
+
+/*
+   Copyright The containerd Authors.
+
+   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+   You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+   limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package v2
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// setupAbsoluteShimPath creates a temporary directory in $PATH with an empty
+// shim executable file in it to test the exec.LookPath branch of resolveRuntimePath
+func setupAbsoluteShimPath(t *testing.T) (string, error) {
+	tempShimDir := t.TempDir()
+
+	_, err := os.Create(tempShimDir + "/containerd-shim-runc-v2")
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	t.Setenv("PATH", tempShimDir+":"+os.Getenv("PATH"))
+	absoluteShimPath := tempShimDir + "/containerd-shim-runc-v2"
+
+	err = os.Chmod(absoluteShimPath, 0777)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	return absoluteShimPath, nil
+}
+
+func TestResolveRuntimePath(t *testing.T) {
+	sm := &ShimManager{}
+	absoluteShimPath, err := setupAbsoluteShimPath(t)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Failed to create temporary shim path: %q", err)
+	}
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		runtime string
+		want    string
+	}{
+		{ // Absolute path
+			runtime: absoluteShimPath,
+			want:    absoluteShimPath,
+		},
+		{ // Binary name
+			runtime: "io.containerd.runc.v2",
+			want:    absoluteShimPath,
+		},
+		{ // Invalid absolute path
+			runtime: "/fake/abs/path",
+			want:    "",
+		},
+		{ // No name
+			runtime: "",
+			want:    "",
+		},
+		{ // Relative Path
+			runtime: "./containerd-shim-runc-v2",
+			want:    "",
+		},
+		{
+			runtime: "fake/containerd-shim-runc-v2",
+			want:    "",
+		},
+		{
+			runtime: "./fake/containerd-shim-runc-v2",
+			want:    "",
+		},
+		{ // Relative Path or Bad Binary Name
+			runtime: ".io.containerd.runc.v2",
+			want:    "",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, c := range tests {
+		have, _ := sm.resolveRuntimePath(c.runtime)
+		if have != c.want {
+			t.Errorf("Expected %q, got %q", c.want, have)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/runtime/v2/shim/util.go b/runtime/v2/shim/util.go
index 28ac9d1e7..a90d004bb 100644
--- a/runtime/v2/shim/util.go
+++ b/runtime/v2/shim/util.go
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ func Command(ctx context.Context, config *CommandConfig) (*exec.Cmd, error) {
 func BinaryName(runtime string) string {
 	// runtime name should format like $prefix.name.version
 	parts := strings.Split(runtime, ".")
-	if len(parts) < 2 {
+	if len(parts) < 2 || parts[0] == "" {
 		return ""
 	}