diff --git a/contrib/check-config.sh b/contrib/check-config.sh
index 3a043658e7..11b525c184 100755
--- a/contrib/check-config.sh
+++ b/contrib/check-config.sh
@@ -115,6 +115,17 @@ check_device() {
 	fi
 }
 
+check_distro_userns() {
+	source /etc/os-release 2>/dev/null || /bin/true
+	if [[ "${ID}" =~ ^(centos|rhel)$ && "${VERSION_ID}" =~ ^7 ]]; then
+		# this is a CentOS7 or RHEL7 system
+		grep -q "user_namespace.enable=1" /proc/cmdline || {
+			# no user namespace support enabled
+			wrap_bad "  (RHEL7/CentOS7" "User namespaces disabled; add 'user_namespace.enable=1' to boot command line)"
+		}
+	fi
+}
+
 if [ ! -e "$CONFIG" ]; then
 	wrap_warning "warning: $CONFIG does not exist, searching other paths for kernel config ..."
 	for tryConfig in "${possibleConfigs[@]}"; do
@@ -185,6 +196,7 @@ echo
 echo 'Optional Features:'
 {
 	check_flags USER_NS
+	check_distro_userns
 }
 {
 	check_flags SECCOMP