diff --git a/core/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/deployment/pkg/steps/NativeImageBuildStep.java b/core/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/deployment/pkg/steps/NativeImageBuildStep.java
index 2210a067887cb..80a8bd6e7431a 100644
--- a/core/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/deployment/pkg/steps/NativeImageBuildStep.java
+++ b/core/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/deployment/pkg/steps/NativeImageBuildStep.java
@@ -231,6 +231,8 @@ public NativeImageBuildItem build(NativeConfig nativeConfig, NativeImageSourceJa
                     new NativeImageBuildItem.GraalVMVersion(graalVMVersion.fullVersion, graalVMVersion.major,
                             graalVMVersion.minor,
                             graalVMVersion.distribution.name()));
+        } catch (ImageGenerationFailureException e) {
+            throw e;
         } catch (Exception e) {
             throw new RuntimeException("Failed to build native image", e);
         } finally {
@@ -362,19 +364,19 @@ private static void copySourcesToSourceCache(OutputTargetBuildItem outputTargetB
         }
     }
 
-    private RuntimeException imageGenerationFailed(int exitValue, List<String> command) {
+    private ImageGenerationFailureException imageGenerationFailed(int exitValue, List<String> command) {
         if (exitValue == OOM_ERROR_VALUE) {
             if (command.contains("docker") && !SystemUtils.IS_OS_LINUX) {
-                return new RuntimeException("Image generation failed. Exit code was " + exitValue
+                return new ImageGenerationFailureException("Image generation failed. Exit code was " + exitValue
                         + " which indicates an out of memory error. The most likely cause is Docker not being given enough memory. Also consider increasing the Xmx value for native image generation by setting the \""
                         + QUARKUS_XMX_PROPERTY + "\" property");
             } else {
-                return new RuntimeException("Image generation failed. Exit code was " + exitValue
+                return new ImageGenerationFailureException("Image generation failed. Exit code was " + exitValue
                         + " which indicates an out of memory error. Consider increasing the Xmx value for native image generation by setting the \""
                         + QUARKUS_XMX_PROPERTY + "\" property");
             }
         } else {
-            return new RuntimeException("Image generation failed. Exit code: " + exitValue);
+            return new ImageGenerationFailureException("Image generation failed. Exit code: " + exitValue);
         }
     }
 
@@ -743,4 +745,11 @@ private void handleAdditionalProperties(NativeConfig nativeConfig, List<String>
             }
         }
     }
+
+    private static class ImageGenerationFailureException extends RuntimeException {
+
+        private ImageGenerationFailureException(String message) {
+            super(message);
+        }
+    }
 }