diff --git a/copy/copy.go b/copy/copy.go
index f0982b36bc..b560a9b2e4 100644
--- a/copy/copy.go
+++ b/copy/copy.go
@@ -524,7 +524,7 @@ func (c *copier) copyOneImage(ctx context.Context, policyContext *signature.Poli
 		}
 	}
 
-	if err := checkImageDestinationForCurrentRuntimeOS(ctx, options.DestinationCtx, src, c.dest); err != nil {
+	if err := checkImageDestinationForCurrentRuntime(ctx, options.DestinationCtx, src, c.dest); err != nil {
 		return nil, "", "", err
 	}
 
@@ -651,21 +651,28 @@ func (c *copier) Printf(format string, a ...interface{}) {
 	fmt.Fprintf(c.reportWriter, format, a...)
 }
 
-func checkImageDestinationForCurrentRuntimeOS(ctx context.Context, sys *types.SystemContext, src types.Image, dest types.ImageDestination) error {
+// checkImageDestinationForCurrentRuntime enforces dest.MustMatchRuntimeOS, if necessary.
+func checkImageDestinationForCurrentRuntime(ctx context.Context, sys *types.SystemContext, src types.Image, dest types.ImageDestination) error {
 	if dest.MustMatchRuntimeOS() {
+		c, err := src.OCIConfig(ctx)
+		if err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrapf(err, "Error parsing image configuration")
+		}
+
 		wantedOS := runtime.GOOS
 		if sys != nil && sys.OSChoice != "" {
 			wantedOS = sys.OSChoice
 		}
-		c, err := src.OCIConfig(ctx)
-		if err != nil {
-			return errors.Wrapf(err, "Error parsing image configuration")
+		if wantedOS != c.OS {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Image operating system mismatch: image uses %q, expecting %q", c.OS, wantedOS)
+		}
+
+		wantedArch := runtime.GOARCH
+		if sys != nil && sys.ArchitectureChoice != "" {
+			wantedArch = sys.ArchitectureChoice
 		}
-		osErr := fmt.Errorf("image operating system %q cannot be used on %q", c.OS, wantedOS)
-		if wantedOS == "windows" && c.OS == "linux" {
-			return osErr
-		} else if wantedOS != "windows" && c.OS == "windows" {
-			return osErr
+		if wantedArch != c.Architecture {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Image architecture mismatch: image uses %q, expecting %q", c.Architecture, wantedArch)
 		}
 	}
 	return nil
diff --git a/directory/directory_dest.go b/directory/directory_dest.go
index 2d6650de71..caa7a207fe 100644
--- a/directory/directory_dest.go
+++ b/directory/directory_dest.go
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ func (d *dirImageDestination) AcceptsForeignLayerURLs() bool {
 	return false
 }
 
-// MustMatchRuntimeOS returns true iff the destination can store only images targeted for the current runtime OS. False otherwise.
+// MustMatchRuntimeOS returns true iff the destination can store only images targeted for the current runtime architecture and OS. False otherwise.
 func (d *dirImageDestination) MustMatchRuntimeOS() bool {
 	return false
 }
diff --git a/docker/daemon/daemon_dest.go b/docker/daemon/daemon_dest.go
index 0f27ca5dab..af7418fd11 100644
--- a/docker/daemon/daemon_dest.go
+++ b/docker/daemon/daemon_dest.go
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ func (d *daemonImageDestination) DesiredLayerCompression() types.LayerCompressio
 	return types.PreserveOriginal
 }
 
-// MustMatchRuntimeOS returns true iff the destination can store only images targeted for the current runtime OS. False otherwise.
+// MustMatchRuntimeOS returns true iff the destination can store only images targeted for the current runtime architecture and OS. False otherwise.
 func (d *daemonImageDestination) MustMatchRuntimeOS() bool {
 	return d.mustMatchRuntimeOS
 }
diff --git a/docker/docker_image_dest.go b/docker/docker_image_dest.go
index 417d97aec9..47a73d8686 100644
--- a/docker/docker_image_dest.go
+++ b/docker/docker_image_dest.go
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ func (d *dockerImageDestination) AcceptsForeignLayerURLs() bool {
 	return true
 }
 
-// MustMatchRuntimeOS returns true iff the destination can store only images targeted for the current runtime OS. False otherwise.
+// MustMatchRuntimeOS returns true iff the destination can store only images targeted for the current runtime architecture and OS. False otherwise.
 func (d *dockerImageDestination) MustMatchRuntimeOS() bool {
 	return false
 }
diff --git a/docker/tarfile/dest.go b/docker/tarfile/dest.go
index b8e474dfc4..fa7fad1592 100644
--- a/docker/tarfile/dest.go
+++ b/docker/tarfile/dest.go
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ func (d *Destination) AcceptsForeignLayerURLs() bool {
 	return false
 }
 
-// MustMatchRuntimeOS returns true iff the destination can store only images targeted for the current runtime OS. False otherwise.
+// MustMatchRuntimeOS returns true iff the destination can store only images targeted for the current runtime architecture and OS. False otherwise.
 func (d *Destination) MustMatchRuntimeOS() bool {
 	return false
 }
diff --git a/oci/archive/oci_dest.go b/oci/archive/oci_dest.go
index 6918f7fb0f..33bd731024 100644
--- a/oci/archive/oci_dest.go
+++ b/oci/archive/oci_dest.go
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ func (d *ociArchiveImageDestination) AcceptsForeignLayerURLs() bool {
 	return d.unpackedDest.AcceptsForeignLayerURLs()
 }
 
-// MustMatchRuntimeOS returns true iff the destination can store only images targeted for the current runtime OS. False otherwise
+// MustMatchRuntimeOS returns true iff the destination can store only images targeted for the current runtime architecture and OS. False otherwise
 func (d *ociArchiveImageDestination) MustMatchRuntimeOS() bool {
 	return d.unpackedDest.MustMatchRuntimeOS()
 }
diff --git a/oci/layout/oci_dest.go b/oci/layout/oci_dest.go
index 370e8d2cd2..fb0449ca52 100644
--- a/oci/layout/oci_dest.go
+++ b/oci/layout/oci_dest.go
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ func (d *ociImageDestination) AcceptsForeignLayerURLs() bool {
 	return true
 }
 
-// MustMatchRuntimeOS returns true iff the destination can store only images targeted for the current runtime OS. False otherwise.
+// MustMatchRuntimeOS returns true iff the destination can store only images targeted for the current runtime architecture and OS. False otherwise.
 func (d *ociImageDestination) MustMatchRuntimeOS() bool {
 	return false
 }
diff --git a/openshift/openshift.go b/openshift/openshift.go
index 016de48034..2fdcc81ab0 100644
--- a/openshift/openshift.go
+++ b/openshift/openshift.go
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ func (d *openshiftImageDestination) AcceptsForeignLayerURLs() bool {
 	return true
 }
 
-// MustMatchRuntimeOS returns true iff the destination can store only images targeted for the current runtime OS. False otherwise.
+// MustMatchRuntimeOS returns true iff the destination can store only images targeted for the current runtime architecture and OS. False otherwise.
 func (d *openshiftImageDestination) MustMatchRuntimeOS() bool {
 	return false
 }
diff --git a/ostree/ostree_dest.go b/ostree/ostree_dest.go
index c442b4d2ee..1150970559 100644
--- a/ostree/ostree_dest.go
+++ b/ostree/ostree_dest.go
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ func (d *ostreeImageDestination) AcceptsForeignLayerURLs() bool {
 	return false
 }
 
-// MustMatchRuntimeOS returns true iff the destination can store only images targeted for the current runtime OS. False otherwise.
+// MustMatchRuntimeOS returns true iff the destination can store only images targeted for the current runtime architecture and OS. False otherwise.
 func (d *ostreeImageDestination) MustMatchRuntimeOS() bool {
 	return true
 }
diff --git a/storage/storage_image.go b/storage/storage_image.go
index 409619b210..35cdfa3bdc 100644
--- a/storage/storage_image.go
+++ b/storage/storage_image.go
@@ -930,7 +930,7 @@ func (s *storageImageDestination) AcceptsForeignLayerURLs() bool {
 	return false
 }
 
-// MustMatchRuntimeOS returns true iff the destination can store only images targeted for the current runtime OS. False otherwise.
+// MustMatchRuntimeOS returns true iff the destination can store only images targeted for the current runtime architecture and OS. False otherwise.
 func (s *storageImageDestination) MustMatchRuntimeOS() bool {
 	return true
 }
diff --git a/types/types.go b/types/types.go
index 13a8ef78d6..7efcb12928 100644
--- a/types/types.go
+++ b/types/types.go
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ type ImageDestination interface {
 	// AcceptsForeignLayerURLs returns false iff foreign layers in manifest should be actually
 	// uploaded to the image destination, true otherwise.
 	AcceptsForeignLayerURLs() bool
-	// MustMatchRuntimeOS returns true iff the destination can store only images targeted for the current runtime OS. False otherwise.
+	// MustMatchRuntimeOS returns true iff the destination can store only images targeted for the current runtime architecture and OS. False otherwise.
 	MustMatchRuntimeOS() bool
 	// IgnoresEmbeddedDockerReference() returns true iff the destination does not care about Image.EmbeddedDockerReferenceConflicts(),
 	// and would prefer to receive an unmodified manifest instead of one modified for the destination.