diff --git a/src/Aspire.Hosting/Publishing/ResourceContainerImageManager.cs b/src/Aspire.Hosting/Publishing/ResourceContainerImageManager.cs
index fee77df27b2..f3b999d0cbb 100644
--- a/src/Aspire.Hosting/Publishing/ResourceContainerImageManager.cs
+++ b/src/Aspire.Hosting/Publishing/ResourceContainerImageManager.cs
@@ -192,8 +192,8 @@ public async Task BuildImagesAsync(IEnumerable<IResource> resources, Cancellatio
 
             if (!containerRuntimeHealthy)
             {
-                logger.LogError("Container runtime is not running or is unhealthy. Cannot build container images.");
-                throw new InvalidOperationException("Container runtime is not running or is unhealthy.");
+                logger.LogError("Container runtime '{ContainerRuntimeName}' is not running or is unhealthy. Cannot build container images.", ContainerRuntime.Name);
+                throw new InvalidOperationException($"Container runtime '{ContainerRuntime.Name}' is not running or is unhealthy.");
             }
 
             logger.LogDebug("{ContainerRuntimeName} is healthy", ContainerRuntime.Name);
@@ -214,6 +214,22 @@ public async Task BuildImageAsync(IResource resource, CancellationToken cancella
 
         var options = await ResolveContainerBuildOptionsAsync(resource, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
 
+        // Check if this resource needs a container runtime
+        if (await ResourcesRequireContainerRuntimeAsync([resource], cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false))
+        {
+            logger.LogDebug("Checking {ContainerRuntimeName} health", ContainerRuntime.Name);
+
+            var containerRuntimeHealthy = await ContainerRuntime.CheckIfRunningAsync(cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+
+            if (!containerRuntimeHealthy)
+            {
+                logger.LogError("Container runtime '{ContainerRuntimeName}' is not running or is unhealthy. Cannot build container image.", ContainerRuntime.Name);
+                throw new InvalidOperationException($"Container runtime '{ContainerRuntime.Name}' is not running or is unhealthy.");
+            }
+
+            logger.LogDebug("{ContainerRuntimeName} is healthy", ContainerRuntime.Name);
+        }
+
         if (resource is ProjectResource)
         {
             // If it is a project resource we need to build the container image
diff --git a/tests/Aspire.Hosting.Tests/Publishing/ResourceContainerImageManagerTests.cs b/tests/Aspire.Hosting.Tests/Publishing/ResourceContainerImageManagerTests.cs
index ae66957625d..48db09ccdca 100644
--- a/tests/Aspire.Hosting.Tests/Publishing/ResourceContainerImageManagerTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Aspire.Hosting.Tests/Publishing/ResourceContainerImageManagerTests.cs
@@ -616,12 +616,13 @@ public async Task BuildImageAsync_ThrowsInvalidOperationException_WhenDockerRunt
         var exception = await Assert.ThrowsAsync<InvalidOperationException>(() =>
             imageBuilder.BuildImagesAsync([container.Resource], cts.Token));
 
-        Assert.Equal("Container runtime is not running or is unhealthy.", exception.Message);
+        Assert.Contains("Container runtime", exception.Message);
+        Assert.Contains("is not running or is unhealthy", exception.Message);
 
         var collector = app.Services.GetFakeLogCollector();
         var logs = collector.GetSnapshot();
 
-        Assert.Contains(logs, log => log.Message.Contains("Container runtime is not running or is unhealthy. Cannot build container images."));
+        Assert.Contains(logs, log => log.Message.Contains("is not running or is unhealthy. Cannot build container images."));
     }
 
     [Fact]