diff --git a/pkg/cri/config/config.go b/pkg/cri/config/config.go
index 395ebb8b5..e6f13f90e 100644
--- a/pkg/cri/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/cri/config/config.go
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ func ValidatePluginConfig(ctx context.Context, c *PluginConfig) error {
 		return errors.New("`default_runtime_name` is empty")
 	}
 	if _, ok := c.ContainerdConfig.Runtimes[c.ContainerdConfig.DefaultRuntimeName]; !ok {
-		return errors.New("no corresponding runtime configured in `runtimes` for `default_runtime_name`")
+		return errors.Errorf("no corresponding runtime configured in `containerd.runtimes` for `containerd` `default_runtime_name = \"%s\"", c.ContainerdConfig.DefaultRuntimeName)
 	}
 
 	// Validation for deprecated runtime options.
diff --git a/pkg/cri/config/config_test.go b/pkg/cri/config/config_test.go
index 16cb8e949..15759c636 100644
--- a/pkg/cri/config/config_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cri/config/config_test.go
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ func TestValidateConfig(t *testing.T) {
 					DefaultRuntimeName: RuntimeDefault,
 				},
 			},
-			expectedErr: "no corresponding runtime configured in `runtimes` for `default_runtime_name`",
+			expectedErr: "no corresponding runtime configured in `containerd.runtimes` for `containerd` `default_runtime_name = \"default\"",
 		},
 		"deprecated systemd_cgroup for v1 runtime": {
 			config: &PluginConfig{