diff --git a/examples/podman.yaml b/examples/podman.yaml
index aeb679bbc2a..539c937aa53 100644
--- a/examples/podman.yaml
+++ b/examples/podman.yaml
@@ -56,4 +56,4 @@ portForwards:
 message: |
   To run `podman` on the host (assumes podman-remote is installed):
   $ export CONTAINER_HOST=unix://{{.Dir}}/sock/podman.sock
-  $ podman --remote ...
+  $ podman{{if eq .HostOS "linux"}}-remote{{end}} ...
diff --git a/pkg/limayaml/default.yaml b/pkg/limayaml/default.yaml
index c1dc0ba73d5..0eef97cdb0d 100644
--- a/pkg/limayaml/default.yaml
+++ b/pkg/limayaml/default.yaml
@@ -199,6 +199,7 @@ networks:
 # Message. Information to be shown to the user, given as a Go template for the instance.
 # The same template variables as for listing instances can be used, for example {{.Dir}}.
 # You can view the complete list of variables using `limactl list --list-fields` command.
+# It also includes {{.HostOS}} and {{.HostArch}} vars, for the runtime GOOS and GOARCH.
 # message: |
 #   This will be shown to the user.
 
diff --git a/pkg/store/instance.go b/pkg/store/instance.go
index 274d3c23a37..57c875768ef 100644
--- a/pkg/store/instance.go
+++ b/pkg/store/instance.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"syscall"
@@ -170,6 +171,8 @@ func ReadPIDFile(path string) (int, error) {
 
 type FormatData struct {
 	Instance
+	HostOS       string
+	HostArch     string
 	LimaHome     string
 	IdentityFile string
 }
@@ -177,6 +180,10 @@ type FormatData struct {
 func AddGlobalFields(inst *Instance) (FormatData, error) {
 	var data FormatData
 	data.Instance = *inst
+	// Add HostOS
+	data.HostOS = runtime.GOOS
+	// Add HostArch
+	data.HostArch = runtime.GOARCH
 	// Add IdentityFile
 	configDir, err := dirnames.LimaConfigDir()
 	if err != nil {