diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d90105d1..296b34ab 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -470,6 +470,10 @@ Using this module you can install dependencies from private hosts. To do this, y
 
     docker_with_ssh_agent = true
 
+Note that by default, the `docker_image` used comes from the registry `public.ecr.aws/sam/`, and will be based on the `runtime` that you specify. In other words, if you specify a runtime of `python3.8` and do not specify `docker_image`, then the `docker_image` will resolve to `public.ecr.aws/sam/build-python3.8`. This ensures that by default the `runtime` is available in the docker container.
+
+If you override `docker_image`, be sure to keep the image in sync with your `runtime`. During the plan phase, when using docker, there is no check that the `runtime` is available to build the package. That means that if you use an image that does not have the runtime, the plan will still succeed, but then the apply will fail.
+
 ## <a name="package"></a> Deployment package - Create or use existing
 
 By default, this module creates deployment package and uses it to create or update Lambda Function or Lambda Layer.
diff --git a/package.py b/package.py
index b378d44e..79b2ea67 100644
--- a/package.py
+++ b/package.py
@@ -657,7 +657,7 @@ def pip_requirements_step(path, prefix=None, required=False, tmp_dir=None):
                     raise RuntimeError(
                         'File not found: {}'.format(requirements))
             else:
-                if not shutil.which(runtime):
+                if not query.docker and not shutil.which(runtime):
                     raise RuntimeError(
                         "Python interpreter version equal "
                         "to defined lambda runtime ({}) should be "
@@ -675,7 +675,7 @@ def npm_requirements_step(path, prefix=None, required=False, tmp_dir=None):
                     raise RuntimeError(
                         'File not found: {}'.format(requirements))
             else:
-                if not shutil.which(runtime):
+                if not query.docker and not shutil.which(runtime):
                     raise RuntimeError(
                         "Nodejs interpreter version equal "
                         "to defined lambda runtime ({}) should be "