diff --git a/pkg/rancher-desktop/config/settings.ts b/pkg/rancher-desktop/config/settings.ts
index fa9f271ca04..191403eb2d2 100644
--- a/pkg/rancher-desktop/config/settings.ts
+++ b/pkg/rancher-desktop/config/settings.ts
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ export const ContainerEngineNames: Record<ContainerEngine, string> = {
 export enum MountType {
   NINEP = '9p',
   REVERSE_SSHFS = 'reverse-sshfs',
+  VIRTIOFS = 'virtiofs',
 }
 
 export enum ProtocolVersion {
diff --git a/pkg/rancher-desktop/main/commandServer/settingsValidator.ts b/pkg/rancher-desktop/main/commandServer/settingsValidator.ts
index f434a6e2445..febe6983db1 100644
--- a/pkg/rancher-desktop/main/commandServer/settingsValidator.ts
+++ b/pkg/rancher-desktop/main/commandServer/settingsValidator.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,14 @@ import Electron from 'electron';
 import _ from 'lodash';
 
 import {
-  CacheMode, defaultSettings, LockedSettingsType, MountType, ProtocolVersion, SecurityModel, Settings, VMType,
+  CacheMode,
+  defaultSettings,
+  LockedSettingsType,
+  MountType,
+  ProtocolVersion,
+  SecurityModel,
+  Settings,
+  VMType,
 } from '@pkg/config/settings';
 import { NavItemName, navItemNames, TransientSettings } from '@pkg/config/transientSettings';
 import { PathManagementStrategy } from '@pkg/integrations/pathManager';
@@ -92,7 +99,10 @@ export default class SettingsValidator {
       experimental: {
         virtualMachine: {
           mount: {
-            type: this.checkLima(this.checkEnum(...Object.values(MountType))),
+            type: this.checkLima(this.checkMulti(
+              this.checkEnum(...Object.values(MountType)),
+              this.checkMountType),
+            ),
             '9p': {
               securityModel:   this.checkLima(this.check9P(this.checkEnum(...Object.values(SecurityModel)))),
               protocolVersion: this.checkLima(this.check9P(this.checkEnum(...Object.values(ProtocolVersion)))),
@@ -287,6 +297,16 @@ export default class SettingsValidator {
     return currentValue !== desiredValue;
   }
 
+  protected checkMountType(mergedSettings: Settings, currentValue: string, desiredValue: string, errors: string[], fqname: string): boolean {
+    if (desiredValue === MountType.VIRTIOFS && mergedSettings.experimental.virtualMachine.type !== VMType.VZ) {
+      errors.push(`Setting ${ fqname } to "${ MountType.VIRTIOFS }" requires that experimental.virtual-machine.vm-type is "${ VMType.VZ }".`);
+
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    return currentValue !== desiredValue;
+  }
+
   protected checkPlatform<C, D>(platform: NodeJS.Platform, validator: ValidatorFunc<Settings, C, D>) {
     return (mergedSettings: Settings, currentValue: C, desiredValue: D, errors: string[], fqname: string) => {
       if (!_.isEqual(currentValue, desiredValue)) {