diff --git a/cmd/nvidia-container-runtime/main_test.go b/cmd/nvidia-container-runtime/main_test.go
index d6ba14ae..ff507f3b 100644
--- a/cmd/nvidia-container-runtime/main_test.go
+++ b/cmd/nvidia-container-runtime/main_test.go
@@ -80,11 +80,6 @@ func TestBadInput(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	cmdRun := exec.Command(nvidiaRuntime, "run", "--bundle")
-	t.Logf("executing: %s\n", strings.Join(cmdRun.Args, " "))
-	output, err := cmdRun.CombinedOutput()
-	require.Errorf(t, err, "runtime should return an error", "output=%v", string(output))
-
 	cmdCreate := exec.Command(nvidiaRuntime, "create", "--bundle")
 	t.Logf("executing: %s\n", strings.Join(cmdCreate.Args, " "))
 	err = cmdCreate.Run()
diff --git a/cmd/nvidia-container-runtime/runtime_factory.go b/cmd/nvidia-container-runtime/runtime_factory.go
index 43d03769..ca06ca17 100644
--- a/cmd/nvidia-container-runtime/runtime_factory.go
+++ b/cmd/nvidia-container-runtime/runtime_factory.go
@@ -33,10 +33,6 @@ const (
 
 // newNVIDIAContainerRuntime is a factory method that constructs a runtime based on the selected configuration and specified logger
 func newNVIDIAContainerRuntime(logger *logrus.Logger, cfg *config.Config, argv []string) (oci.Runtime, error) {
-	ociSpec, err := oci.NewSpec(logger, argv)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error constructing OCI specification: %v", err)
-	}
 
 	lowLevelRuntimeCandidates := []string{dockerRuncExecutableName, runcExecutableName}
 	lowLevelRuntime, err := oci.NewLowLevelRuntime(logger, lowLevelRuntimeCandidates)
@@ -44,7 +40,17 @@ func newNVIDIAContainerRuntime(logger *logrus.Logger, cfg *config.Config, argv [
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error constructing low-level runtime: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	specModifier, err := newSpecModifier(logger, cfg, ociSpec)
+	if !oci.HasCreateSubcommand(argv) {
+		logger.Debugf("Skipping modifier for non-create subcommand")
+		return lowLevelRuntime, nil
+	}
+
+	ociSpec, err := oci.NewSpec(logger, argv)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error constructing OCI specification: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	specModifier, err := newSpecModifier(logger, cfg, ociSpec, argv)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to construct OCI spec modifier: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -61,7 +67,7 @@ func newNVIDIAContainerRuntime(logger *logrus.Logger, cfg *config.Config, argv [
 }
 
 // newSpecModifier is a factory method that creates constructs an OCI spec modifer based on the provided config.
-func newSpecModifier(logger *logrus.Logger, cfg *config.Config, ociSpec oci.Spec) (oci.SpecModifier, error) {
+func newSpecModifier(logger *logrus.Logger, cfg *config.Config, ociSpec oci.Spec, argv []string) (oci.SpecModifier, error) {
 	if !cfg.NVIDIAContainerRuntimeConfig.Experimental {
 		return modifier.NewStableRuntimeModifier(logger), nil
 	}