diff --git a/crates/lib/src/store/mod.rs b/crates/lib/src/store/mod.rs
index 500216d9..ff166018 100644
--- a/crates/lib/src/store/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/lib/src/store/mod.rs
@@ -145,28 +145,27 @@ pub(crate) enum BootedStorageKind<'a> {
     Composefs(BootedComposefs),
 }
 
+/// Open the physical root (/sysroot) and /run directories for a booted system.
+fn get_physical_root_and_run() -> Result<(Dir, Dir)> {
+    let physical_root = {
+        let d = Dir::open_ambient_dir("/sysroot", cap_std::ambient_authority())
+            .context("Opening /sysroot")?;
+        open_dir_remount_rw(&d, ".".into())?
+    };
+    let run =
+        Dir::open_ambient_dir("/run", cap_std::ambient_authority()).context("Opening /run")?;
+    Ok((physical_root, run))
+}
+
 impl BootedStorage {
     /// Create a new booted storage accessor for the given environment.
     ///
     /// The caller must have already called `prepare_for_write()` if
     /// `env.needs_mount_namespace()` is true.
     pub(crate) async fn new(env: Environment) -> Result<Option<Self>> {
-        let physical_root = {
-            let d = Dir::open_ambient_dir("/sysroot", cap_std::ambient_authority())
-                .context("Opening /sysroot")?;
-            // Remount /sysroot rw only if we are in a new mount ns
-            if env.needs_mount_namespace() {
-                open_dir_remount_rw(&d, ".".into())?
-            } else {
-                d
-            }
-        };
-
-        let run =
-            Dir::open_ambient_dir("/run", cap_std::ambient_authority()).context("Opening /run")?;
-
         let r = match &env {
             Environment::ComposefsBooted(cmdline) => {
+                let (physical_root, run) = get_physical_root_and_run()?;
                 let mut composefs = ComposefsRepository::open_path(&physical_root, COMPOSEFS)?;
                 if cmdline.insecure {
                     composefs.set_insecure(true);
@@ -204,6 +203,7 @@ impl BootedStorage {
                 // remount /sysroot as writable, and we call set_mount_namespace_in_use()
                 // to indicate we're in a mount namespace. Without actually being in a
                 // mount namespace, this would leave the global /sysroot writable.
+                let (physical_root, run) = get_physical_root_and_run()?;
 
                 let sysroot = ostree::Sysroot::new_default();
                 sysroot.set_mount_namespace_in_use();
@@ -223,6 +223,7 @@ impl BootedStorage {
 
                 Some(Self { storage })
             }
+            // For container or non-bootc environments, there's no storage
             Environment::Container | Environment::Other => None,
         };
         Ok(r)
diff --git a/hack/provision-packit.sh b/hack/provision-packit.sh
index 3a3abafa..7f1848bf 100755
--- a/hack/provision-packit.sh
+++ b/hack/provision-packit.sh
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ set -exuo pipefail
 # Check environment
 printenv
 
+# This must work outside of a container too
+bootc status
+
 # temp folder to save building files and folders
 BOOTC_TEMPDIR=$(mktemp -d)
 trap 'rm -rf -- "$BOOTC_TEMPDIR"' EXIT
diff --git a/tests/container/status-outside-container/run b/tests/container/status-outside-container/run
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..06e98fe9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/container/status-outside-container/run
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Test that `bootc status` works on a non-bootc-deployed system.
+#
+# This simulates a "package mode" environment where bootc is installed
+# via RPM on a traditional system (not deployed via ostree/composefs).
+# The key is hiding /run/.containerenv so bootc doesn't think it's in a container.
+#
+# xref: https://issues.redhat.com/browse/RHEL-135687
+set -euo pipefail
+image=$1
+
+# Run the container with:
+# - A tmpfs over /run to hide .containerenv (simulates bare metal)
+# - Unset the 'container' environment variable
+# - No /sysroot (simulates package mode)
+# Use --format=humanreadable to get consistent output
+output=$(podman run --rm \
+    --tmpfs /run \
+    --env container= \
+    "$image" \
+    bootc status --format=humanreadable 2>&1)
+
+# Verify the output indicates this is not a bootc-deployed system
+if echo "$output" | grep -q "System is not deployed via bootc"; then
+    echo "ok status-outside-container: correctly reports non-bootc system"
+else
+    echo "FAIL: unexpected output from bootc status:" >&2
+    echo "$output" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi