diff --git a/cmd/executor/cmd/root.go b/cmd/executor/cmd/root.go
index fc0aa16f5..bc0231a2e 100644
--- a/cmd/executor/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/executor/cmd/root.go
@@ -32,7 +32,9 @@ import (
 	"github.com/GoogleContainerTools/kaniko/pkg/logging"
 	"github.com/GoogleContainerTools/kaniko/pkg/timing"
 	"github.com/GoogleContainerTools/kaniko/pkg/util"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/platforms"
 	"github.com/genuinetools/bpfd/proc"
+	v1 "github.com/google/go-containerregistry/pkg/v1"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
@@ -223,6 +225,14 @@ func addKanikoOptionsFlags() {
 	if val, ok := os.LookupEnv("KANIKO_REGISTRY_MIRROR"); ok {
 		opts.RegistryMirrors.Set(val)
 	}
+
+	// Default the custom platform flag to our current platform, and validate it.
+	if opts.CustomPlatform == "" {
+		opts.CustomPlatform = platforms.DefaultString()
+	}
+	if _, err := v1.ParsePlatform(opts.CustomPlatform); err != nil {
+		logrus.Fatalf("Invalid platform %q: %v", opts.CustomPlatform, err)
+	}
 }
 
 // addHiddenFlags marks certain flags as hidden from the executor help text
diff --git a/cmd/warmer/cmd/root.go b/cmd/warmer/cmd/root.go
index e60caa5f9..4e50ff657 100644
--- a/cmd/warmer/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/warmer/cmd/root.go
@@ -24,7 +24,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/GoogleContainerTools/kaniko/pkg/cache"
 	"github.com/GoogleContainerTools/kaniko/pkg/config"
 	"github.com/GoogleContainerTools/kaniko/pkg/logging"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/platforms"
+	v1 "github.com/google/go-containerregistry/pkg/v1"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
@@ -84,6 +87,14 @@ func addKanikoOptionsFlags() {
 	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().VarP(&opts.RegistriesCertificates, "registry-certificate", "", "Use the provided certificate for TLS communication with the given registry. Expected format is 'my.registry.url=/path/to/the/server/certificate'.")
 	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().VarP(&opts.RegistryMirrors, "registry-mirror", "", "Registry mirror to use as pull-through cache instead of docker.io. Set it repeatedly for multiple mirrors.")
 	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&opts.CustomPlatform, "customPlatform", "", "", "Specify the build platform if different from the current host")
+
+	// Default the custom platform flag to our current platform, and validate it.
+	if opts.CustomPlatform == "" {
+		opts.CustomPlatform = platforms.DefaultString()
+	}
+	if _, err := v1.ParsePlatform(opts.CustomPlatform); err != nil {
+		logrus.Fatalf("Invalid platform %q: %v", opts.CustomPlatform, err)
+	}
 }
 
 // addHiddenFlags marks certain flags as hidden from the executor help text
diff --git a/pkg/executor/build_test.go b/pkg/executor/build_test.go
index 4796fc7ac..1c383f3f9 100644
--- a/pkg/executor/build_test.go
+++ b/pkg/executor/build_test.go
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/GoogleContainerTools/kaniko/pkg/dockerfile"
 	"github.com/GoogleContainerTools/kaniko/pkg/util"
 	"github.com/GoogleContainerTools/kaniko/testutil"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/platforms"
 	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp"
 	v1 "github.com/google/go-containerregistry/pkg/v1"
 	"github.com/google/go-containerregistry/pkg/v1/empty"
@@ -371,6 +372,7 @@ COPY --from=second /bar /bat
 			ioutil.WriteFile(f.Name(), []byte(tt.args.dockerfile), 0755)
 			opts := &config.KanikoOptions{
 				DockerfilePath: f.Name(),
+				CustomPlatform: platforms.DefaultString(),
 			}
 			testStages, metaArgs, err := dockerfile.ParseStages(opts)
 			if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/image/remote/remote.go b/pkg/image/remote/remote.go
index 990a7a1db..d02638684 100644
--- a/pkg/image/remote/remote.go
+++ b/pkg/image/remote/remote.go
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ limitations under the License.
 package remote
 
 import (
-	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/GoogleContainerTools/kaniko/pkg/config"
@@ -129,28 +128,11 @@ func setNewRegistry(ref name.Reference, newReg name.Registry) name.Reference {
 func remoteOptions(registryName string, opts config.RegistryOptions, customPlatform string) []remote.Option {
 	tr := util.MakeTransport(opts, registryName)
 
-	// on which v1.Platform is this currently running?
-	platform := currentPlatform(customPlatform)
-
-	return []remote.Option{remote.WithTransport(tr), remote.WithAuthFromKeychain(creds.GetKeychain()), remote.WithPlatform(platform)}
-}
-
-// CurrentPlatform returns the v1.Platform on which the code runs
-func currentPlatform(customPlatform string) v1.Platform {
-	if customPlatform != "" {
-		customPlatformArray := strings.Split(customPlatform, "/")
-		imagePlatform := v1.Platform{}
-		imagePlatform.OS = customPlatformArray[0]
-		if len(customPlatformArray) > 1 {
-			imagePlatform.Architecture = customPlatformArray[1]
-			if len(customPlatformArray) > 2 {
-				imagePlatform.Variant = customPlatformArray[2]
-			}
-		}
-		return imagePlatform
-	}
-	return v1.Platform{
-		OS:           runtime.GOOS,
-		Architecture: runtime.GOARCH,
+	// The platform value has previously been validated.
+	platform, err := v1.ParsePlatform(customPlatform)
+	if err != nil {
+		logrus.Fatalf("Invalid platform %q: %v", customPlatform, err)
 	}
+
+	return []remote.Option{remote.WithTransport(tr), remote.WithAuthFromKeychain(creds.GetKeychain()), remote.WithPlatform(*platform)}
 }