diff --git a/container.go b/container.go
index 2890bfdc4..7863b742b 100644
--- a/container.go
+++ b/container.go
@@ -281,6 +281,7 @@ func (c *container) NewTask(ctx context.Context, ioCreate cio.Creator, opts ...N
 			})
 		}
 	}
+	request.RuntimePath = info.RuntimePath
 	if info.Options != nil {
 		any, err := typeurl.MarshalAny(info.Options)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/task.go b/task.go
index 8d127dae1..7c5de6c76 100644
--- a/task.go
+++ b/task.go
@@ -139,6 +139,11 @@ type TaskInfo struct {
 	RootFS []mount.Mount
 	// Options hold runtime specific settings for task creation
 	Options interface{}
+	// RuntimePath is an absolute path that can be used to overwrite path
+	// to a shim runtime binary.
+	RuntimePath string
+
+	// runtime is the runtime name for the container, and cannot be changed.
 	runtime string
 }
 
diff --git a/task_opts.go b/task_opts.go
index e1802f7a8..442e24bd2 100644
--- a/task_opts.go
+++ b/task_opts.go
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ func WithRootFS(mounts []mount.Mount) NewTaskOpts {
 // instead of resolving it from runtime name.
 func WithRuntimePath(absRuntimePath string) NewTaskOpts {
 	return func(ctx context.Context, client *Client, info *TaskInfo) error {
-		info.runtime = absRuntimePath
+		info.RuntimePath = absRuntimePath
 		return nil
 	}
 }