diff --git a/config-vm.md b/config-vm.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ff551d317
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config-vm.md
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+# <a name="VirtualMachineSpecificContainerConfiguration" /> Virtual-machine-specific Container Configuration
+
+This section describes the schema for the [virtual-machine-specific section](config.md#platform-specific-configuration) of the [container configuration](config.md).
+The virtual-machine container specification provides additional configuration for the hypervisor, kernel, and image.
+
+## <a name="HypervisorObject" /> Hypervisor Object
+
+**`hypervisor`** (object, OPTIONAL) specifies details of the hypervisor that manages the container virtual machine.
+* **`path`** (string, REQUIRED) path to the hypervisor binary that manages the container virtual machine.
+    This value MUST be an absolute path in the [runtime mount namespace](glossary.md#runtime-namespace).
+* **`parameters`** (array of strings, OPTIONAL) specifies an array of parameters to pass to the hypervisor.
+
+### Example
+
+```json
+    "hypervisor": {
+        "path": "/path/to/vmm",
+        "parameters": ["opts1=foo", "opts2=bar"]
+    }
+```
+
+## <a name="KernelObject" /> Kernel Object
+
+**`kernel`** (object, REQUIRED) specifies details of the kernel to boot the container virtual machine with.
+* **`path`** (string, REQUIRED) path to the kernel used to boot the container virtual machine.
+    This value MUST be an absolute path in the [runtime mount namespace](glossary.md#runtime-namespace).
+* **`parameters`** (array of strings, OPTIONAL) specifies an array of parameters to pass to the kernel.
+* **`initrd`** (string, OPTIONAL) path to an initial ramdisk to be used by the container virtual machine.
+    This value MUST be an absolute path in the [runtime mount namespace](glossary.md#runtime-namespace).
+
+### Example
+
+```json
+    "kernel": {
+        "path": "/path/to/vmlinuz",
+        "parameters": ["foo=bar", "hello world"],
+        "initrd": "/path/to/initrd.img"
+    }
+```
+
+## <a name="ImageObject" /> Image Object
+
+**`image`** (object, OPTIONAL) specifies details of the image that contains the root filesystem for the container virtual machine.
+* **`path`** (string, REQUIRED) path to the container virtual machine root image.
+    This value MUST be an absolute path in the [runtime mount namespace](glossary.md#runtime-namespace).
+* **`format`** (string, REQUIRED) format of the container virtual machine root image. Commonly supported formats are:
+    * **`raw`** [raw disk image format][raw-image-format]. Unset values for `format` will default to that format.
+    * **`qcow2`** [QEMU image format][qcow2-image-format].
+    * **`vdi`** [VirtualBox 1.1 compatible image format][vdi-image-format].
+    * **`vmdk`** [VMware compatible image format][vmdk-image-format].
+    * **`vhd`** [Virtual Hard Disk image format][vhd-image-format].
+
+This image contains the root filesystem that the virtual machine **`kernel`** will boot into, not to be confused with the container root filesystem itself. The latter, as specified by **`path`** from the [Root Configuration](config.md#Root-Configuration) section, will be mounted inside the virtual machine at a location chosen by the virtual-machine-based runtime.
+
+### Example
+
+```json
+    "image": {
+        "path": "/path/to/vm/rootfs.img",
+	"format": "raw"
+    }
+```
+
+[raw-image-format]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMG_(file_format)
+[qcow2-image-format]: https://git.qemu.org/?p=qemu.git;a=blob_plain;f=docs/interop/qcow2.txt;hb=HEAD
+[vdi-image-format]: https://forensicswiki.org/wiki/Virtual_Disk_Image_(VDI)
+[vmdk-image-format]: http://www.vmware.com/app/vmdk/?src=vmdk
+[vhd-image-format]: https://github.com/libyal/libvhdi/blob/master/documentation/Virtual%20Hard%20Disk%20(VHD)%20image%20format.asciidoc
diff --git a/config.md b/config.md
index 333b98300..21b18e805 100644
--- a/config.md
+++ b/config.md
@@ -349,6 +349,8 @@ For Windows based systems the user structure has the following fields:
     This MUST be set if the target platform of this spec is `windows`.
 * **`solaris`** (object, OPTIONAL) [Solaris-specific configuration](config-solaris.md).
     This MAY be set if the target platform of this spec is `solaris`.
+* **`vm`** (object, OPTIONAL) [Virtual-machine-specific configuration](config-vm.md).
+    This MAY be set if the target platform and architecture of this spec support hardware virtualization.
 
 ### Example (Linux)
 
diff --git a/schema/config-schema.json b/schema/config-schema.json
index 9ef6ec2e0..f90bd4b7d 100644
--- a/schema/config-schema.json
+++ b/schema/config-schema.json
@@ -163,6 +163,9 @@
         },
         "windows": {
             "$ref": "config-windows.json#/windows"
+        },
+        "vm": {
+            "$ref": "config-vm.json#/vm"
         }
     },
     "required": [
diff --git a/schema/config-vm.json b/schema/config-vm.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6b1fb4baf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/schema/config-vm.json
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+{
+    "vm": {
+        "description": "configuration for virtual-machine-based containers",
+        "type": "object",
+        "required": [
+            "kernel"
+        ],
+        "properties": {
+            "hypervisor": {
+                "description": "hypervisor config used by VM-based containers",
+                "type": "object",
+                "required": [
+                    "path"
+                ],
+                "properties": {
+                    "path": {
+                        "$ref": "defs.json#/definitions/FilePath"
+                    },
+                    "parameters": {
+                        "$ref": "defs.json#/definitions/ArrayOfStrings"
+                    }
+                }
+            },
+            "kernel": {
+                "description": "kernel config used by VM-based containers",
+                "type": "object",
+                "required": [
+                    "path"
+                ],
+                "properties": {
+                    "path": {
+                        "$ref": "defs.json#/definitions/FilePath"
+                    },
+                    "parameters": {
+                        "$ref": "defs.json#/definitions/ArrayOfStrings"
+                    },
+                    "initrd": {
+                        "$ref": "defs.json#/definitions/FilePath"
+                    }
+                }
+            },
+            "image": {
+                "description": "root image config used by VM-based containers",
+                "type": "object",
+                "required": [
+                    "path",
+                    "format"
+                ],
+                "properties": {
+                    "path": {
+                        "$ref": "defs.json#/definitions/FilePath"
+                    },
+                    "format": {
+                        "$ref": "defs-vm.json#/definitions/RootImageFormat"
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/schema/defs-vm.json b/schema/defs-vm.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4dae91506
--- /dev/null
+++ b/schema/defs-vm.json
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+{
+    "definitions": {
+        "RootImageFormat": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "enum": [
+                "raw",
+                "qcow2",
+                "vdi",
+                "vmdk",
+                "vhd"
+            ]
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/spec.md b/spec.md
index 8bbe2203d..684713adb 100644
--- a/spec.md
+++ b/spec.md
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ Platforms defined by this specification are:
 * `linux`: [runtime.md](runtime.md), [config.md](config.md), [config-linux.md](config-linux.md), and [runtime-linux.md](runtime-linux.md).
 * `solaris`: [runtime.md](runtime.md), [config.md](config.md), and [config-solaris.md](config-solaris.md).
 * `windows`: [runtime.md](runtime.md), [config.md](config.md), and [config-windows.md](config-windows.md).
+* `vm`: [runtime.md](runtime.md), [config.md](config.md), and [config-vm.md](config-vm.md).
 
 # <a name="ociRuntimeSpecTOC" />Table of Contents
 
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@ Platforms defined by this specification are:
     - [Linux-specific Configuration](config-linux.md)
     - [Solaris-specific Configuration](config-solaris.md)
     - [Windows-specific Configuration](config-windows.md)
+    - [Virtual-Machine-specific Configuration](config-vm.md)
 - [Glossary](glossary.md)
 
 # <a name="ociRuntimeSpecNotationalConventions" />Notational Conventions
diff --git a/specs-go/config.go b/specs-go/config.go
index ad265bf2c..c9e848db6 100644
--- a/specs-go/config.go
+++ b/specs-go/config.go
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ type Spec struct {
 	Solaris *Solaris `json:"solaris,omitempty" platform:"solaris"`
 	// Windows is platform-specific configuration for Windows based containers.
 	Windows *Windows `json:"windows,omitempty" platform:"windows"`
+	// VM specifies configuration for virtual-machine-based containers.
+	VM *VM `json:"vm,omitempty" platform:"vm"`
 }
 
 // Process contains information to start a specific application inside the container.
@@ -499,6 +501,42 @@ type WindowsHyperV struct {
 	UtilityVMPath string `json:"utilityVMPath,omitempty"`
 }
 
+// VM contains information for virtual-machine-based containers.
+type VM struct {
+	// Hypervisor specifies hypervisor-related configuration for virtual-machine-based containers.
+	Hypervisor VMHypervisor `json:"hypervisor,omitempty"`
+	// Kernel specifies kernel-related configuration for virtual-machine-based containers.
+	Kernel VMKernel `json:"kernel"`
+	// Image specifies guest image related configuration for virtual-machine-based containers.
+	Image VMImage `json:"image,omitempty"`
+}
+
+// VMHypervisor contains information about the hypervisor to use for a virtual machine.
+type VMHypervisor struct {
+	// Path is the host path to the hypervisor used to manage the virtual machine.
+	Path string `json:"path"`
+	// Parameters specifies parameters to pass to the hypervisor.
+	Parameters string `json:"parameters,omitempty"`
+}
+
+// VMKernel contains information about the kernel to use for a virtual machine.
+type VMKernel struct {
+	// Path is the host path to the kernel used to boot the virtual machine.
+	Path string `json:"path"`
+	// Parameters specifies parameters to pass to the kernel.
+	Parameters string `json:"parameters,omitempty"`
+	// InitRD is the host path to an initial ramdisk to be used by the kernel.
+	InitRD string `json:"initrd,omitempty"`
+}
+
+// VMImage contains information about the virtual machine root image.
+type VMImage struct {
+	// Path is the host path to the root image that the VM kernel would boot into.
+	Path string `json:"path"`
+	// Format is the root image format type (e.g. "qcow2", "raw", "vhd", etc).
+	Format string `json:"format"`
+}
+
 // LinuxSeccomp represents syscall restrictions
 type LinuxSeccomp struct {
 	DefaultAction LinuxSeccompAction `json:"defaultAction"`