diff --git a/internal/common/fips.go b/internal/common/fips.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f62ef52d2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/common/fips.go
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+package common
+
+import (
+	"bufio"
+	"os"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+const (
+	FIPSEnabledImageWarning = `The host building this image is not ` +
+		`running in FIPS mode. The image will still be FIPS compliant. ` +
+		`If you have custom steps that generate keys or perform ` +
+		`cryptographic operations, those must be considered non-compliant.`
+)
+
+var (
+	FIPSEnabledFilePath = "/proc/sys/crypto/fips_enabled"
+)
+
+func IsBuildHostFIPSEnabled() (enabled bool) {
+	file, err := os.Open(FIPSEnabledFilePath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	defer file.Close()
+	buf := []byte{}
+	_, err = file.Read(buf)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(file)
+	scanner.Scan()
+	if err := scanner.Err(); err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	return strings.TrimSpace(scanner.Text()) == "1"
+}
diff --git a/internal/common/fips_test.go b/internal/common/fips_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..58d73d48ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/common/fips_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+package common
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func TestFIPSEnabledHost(t *testing.T) {
+	file, err := os.CreateTemp("/tmp", "fips_enabled")
+	assert.NoError(t, err, "unable to create tmp file")
+	defer file.Close()
+	defer os.Remove(file.Name())
+	FIPSEnabledFilePath = file.Name()
+
+	fileContents := []string{
+		"",
+		"0\n",
+		"1\n",
+		"xxxxxx\n",
+	}
+
+	for _, fileContent := range fileContents {
+		err = file.Truncate(0)
+		assert.NoError(t, err, "truncating file: %s", file.Name())
+		_, err = file.Seek(0, 0)
+		assert.NoError(t, err, "seeking the begining of file: %s", file.Name())
+		_, err = file.Write([]byte(fileContent))
+		assert.NoError(t, err, "unable to write to file: %s", file.Name())
+		if strings.TrimSpace(fileContent) == "1" {
+			assert.Equal(t, IsBuildHostFIPSEnabled(), true)
+		} else {
+			assert.Equal(t, IsBuildHostFIPSEnabled(), false)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/distro/fedora/imagetype.go b/pkg/distro/fedora/imagetype.go
index 478004f046..7385d6a27c 100644
--- a/pkg/distro/fedora/imagetype.go
+++ b/pkg/distro/fedora/imagetype.go
@@ -392,5 +392,10 @@ func (t *imageType) checkOptions(bp *blueprint.Blueprint, options distro.ImageOp
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	if customizations.GetFIPS() && !common.IsBuildHostFIPSEnabled() {
+		w := fmt.Sprintln(common.FIPSEnabledImageWarning)
+		return []string{w}, nil
+	}
+
 	return nil, nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/distro/rhel8/imagetype.go b/pkg/distro/rhel8/imagetype.go
index 5343b9dff9..500dc5ecb8 100644
--- a/pkg/distro/rhel8/imagetype.go
+++ b/pkg/distro/rhel8/imagetype.go
@@ -427,5 +427,11 @@ func (t *imageType) checkOptions(bp *blueprint.Blueprint, options distro.ImageOp
 		return warnings, err
 	}
 
+	if customizations.GetFIPS() && !common.IsBuildHostFIPSEnabled() {
+		w := fmt.Sprintln(common.FIPSEnabledImageWarning)
+		log.Print(w)
+		warnings = append(warnings, w)
+	}
+
 	return warnings, nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/distro/rhel9/imagetype.go b/pkg/distro/rhel9/imagetype.go
index d4713ce17f..584fb0cade 100644
--- a/pkg/distro/rhel9/imagetype.go
+++ b/pkg/distro/rhel9/imagetype.go
@@ -442,5 +442,11 @@ func (t *imageType) checkOptions(bp *blueprint.Blueprint, options distro.ImageOp
 		return warnings, err
 	}
 
+	if customizations.GetFIPS() && !common.IsBuildHostFIPSEnabled() {
+		w := fmt.Sprintln(common.FIPSEnabledImageWarning)
+		log.Print(w)
+		warnings = append(warnings, w)
+	}
+
 	return warnings, nil
 }