diff --git a/Atomic/install.py b/Atomic/install.py
index d898929..e1831fb 100644
--- a/Atomic/install.py
+++ b/Atomic/install.py
@@ -56,27 +56,22 @@ def cli(subparser):
         help=_("preview the command that %s would execute") % sys.argv[0])
     installp.add_argument("image", help=_("container image"))
     if OSTREE_PRESENT:
-        bwrap_oci_available = util.bwrap_oci_available()
-        runc_available = util.runc_available()
-        if bwrap_oci_available or runc_available:
-            system_xor_user = installp.add_mutually_exclusive_group()
-            if bwrap_oci_available:
-                system_xor_user.add_argument("--user", dest="user", action="store_true", default=False,
-                                             help=_("Flag to specify if user is non-root privileged."))
-            if runc_available:
-                system_xor_user.add_argument("--system", dest="system",
-                                             action='store_true', default=False,
-                                             help=_('install a system container'))
+        system_xor_user = installp.add_mutually_exclusive_group()
+        system_xor_user.add_argument("--user", dest="user", action="store_true", default=False,
+                                     help=_("install the image as an user image."))
+        system_xor_user.add_argument("--system", dest="system",
+                                     action='store_true', default=False,
+                                     help=_('install a system container'))
         installp.add_argument("--rootfs", dest="remote",
                               help=_("choose an existing exploded container/image to use "
                                      "its rootfs as a remote, read-only rootfs for the "
                                      "container to be installed"))
         installp.add_argument("--set", dest="setvalues",
                               action='append',
-                              help=_("Specify a variable in the VARIABLE=VALUE "
+                              help=_("specify a variable in the VARIABLE=VALUE "
                                      "form for a system container"))
     installp.add_argument("args", nargs=argparse.REMAINDER,
-                          help=_("Additional arguments appended to the image "
+                          help=_("additional arguments appended to the image "
                                  "install method"))
 
 
diff --git a/Atomic/syscontainers.py b/Atomic/syscontainers.py
index 9278eef..bd7b2ee 100644
--- a/Atomic/syscontainers.py
+++ b/Atomic/syscontainers.py
@@ -184,12 +184,6 @@ class SystemContainers(object):
         if self.args.system and self.user:
             raise ValueError("Only root can use --system")
 
-        if not self.user:
-            try:
-                util.check_call([util.RUNC_PATH, "--version"], stdout=DEVNULL)
-            except util.FileNotFound:
-                raise ValueError("Cannot install the container: runc is needed to run system containers")
-
         image = self._pull_image_to_ostree(repo, image, False)
 
         if self.get_checkout(name):
@@ -210,6 +204,9 @@ class SystemContainers(object):
                 configuration = json.loads(conf.read())
             except ValueError:
                 raise ValueError("Invalid json in configuration file: {}.".format(conf_path))
+        # empty file, nothing to do here
+        if len(configuration) == 0:
+            return []
         if not 'root' in configuration or \
            not 'readonly' in configuration['root'] or \
            not configuration['root']['readonly']:
@@ -230,9 +227,17 @@ class SystemContainers(object):
         return missing_source_paths
 
     def _generate_default_oci_configuration(self, destination):
+        conf_path = os.path.join(destination, "config.json")
+
+        # If runc is not installed we are not able to generate the default configuration,
+        # write an empty JSON file
+        if not util.runc_available():
+            with open(conf_path, 'w') as conf:
+                conf.write('{}')
+            return
+
         args = [util.RUNC_PATH, 'spec']
         util.subp(args, cwd=destination)
-        conf_path = os.path.join(destination, "config.json")
         with open(conf_path, 'r') as conf:
             configuration = json.loads(conf.read())
         configuration['root']['readonly'] = True
@@ -246,7 +251,10 @@ class SystemContainers(object):
         if self.user:
             return ["%s '%s'" % (util.BWRAP_OCI_PATH, name), ""]
 
-        version = str(util.check_output([util.RUNC_PATH, "--version"], stderr=DEVNULL))
+        try:
+            version = str(util.check_output([util.RUNC_PATH, "--version"], stderr=DEVNULL))
+        except util.FileNotFound:
+            version = ""
         if "version 0" in version:
             runc_commands = ["start", "kill"]
         else:
diff --git a/Atomic/util.py b/Atomic/util.py
index e1e5950..b75327a 100644
--- a/Atomic/util.py
+++ b/Atomic/util.py
@@ -40,9 +40,6 @@ def gomtree_available():
 def runc_available():
     return os.path.exists(RUNC_PATH)
 
-def bwrap_oci_available():
-    return os.path.exists(BWRAP_OCI_PATH)
-
 def check_if_python2():
     if int(sys.version_info[0]) < 3:
         _input = raw_input # pylint: disable=undefined-variable,raw_input-builtin