diff --git a/specerror/error.go b/specerror/error.go
index c75bb6b14..eec6785c0 100644
--- a/specerror/error.go
+++ b/specerror/error.go
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ const (
 	// ReadonlyOnWindows represents the error code of readonly setting test on Windows
 	ReadonlyOnWindows
 
+	// PosixProcRlimitsValueError represents "valid values are defined in the ... man page"
+	PosixProcRlimitsValueError
+
 	// DefaultFilesystems represents the error code of default filesystems test
 	DefaultFilesystems
 
@@ -79,6 +82,9 @@ var (
 	rootRef = func(version string) (reference string, err error) {
 		return fmt.Sprintf(referenceTemplate, version, "config.md#root"), nil
 	}
+	posixProcRef = func(version string) (reference string, err error) {
+		return fmt.Sprintf(referenceTemplate, version, "config.md#posix-process"), nil
+	}
 	defaultFSRef = func(version string) (reference string, err error) {
 		return fmt.Sprintf(referenceTemplate, version, "config-linux.md#default-filesystems"), nil
 	}
@@ -106,6 +112,8 @@ var ociErrors = map[Code]errorTemplate{
 	ReadonlyFilesystem:  {Level: rfc2119.Must, Reference: rootRef},
 	ReadonlyOnWindows:   {Level: rfc2119.Must, Reference: rootRef},
 
+	PosixProcRlimitsValueError: {Level: rfc2119.Should, Reference: posixProcRef},
+
 	// Config-Linux.md
 	// Default Filesystems
 	DefaultFilesystems: {Level: rfc2119.Should, Reference: defaultFSRef},
diff --git a/validate/validate.go b/validate/validate.go
index 496f40c12..e570242c1 100644
--- a/validate/validate.go
+++ b/validate/validate.go
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ var (
 		"RLIMIT_RTPRIO",
 		"RLIMIT_RTTIME",
 		"RLIMIT_SIGPENDING",
-	})
+	}...)
 
 	configSchemaTemplate = "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec/v%s/schema/config-schema.json"
 )
@@ -423,6 +423,10 @@ func (v *Validator) CheckCapabilities() (errs error) {
 
 // CheckRlimits checks v.spec.Process.Rlimits
 func (v *Validator) CheckRlimits() (errs error) {
+	if v.platform == "windows" {
+		return
+	}
+
 	process := v.spec.Process
 	for index, rlimit := range process.Rlimits {
 		for i := index + 1; i < len(process.Rlimits); i++ {
@@ -878,14 +882,14 @@ func (v *Validator) rlimitValid(rlimit rspec.POSIXRlimit) (errs error) {
 				return
 			}
 		}
-		errs = multierror.Append(errs, fmt.Errorf("rlimit type %q is invalid", rlimit.Type))
+		errs = multierror.Append(errs, specerror.NewError(specerror.PosixProcRlimitsValueError, fmt.Errorf("rlimit type %q may not be valid", rlimit.Type), v.spec.Version))
 	} else if v.platform == "solaris" {
 		for _, val := range posixRlimits {
 			if val == rlimit.Type {
 				return
 			}
 		}
-		errs = multierror.Append(errs, fmt.Errorf("rlimit type %q is invalid", rlimit.Type))
+		errs = multierror.Append(errs, specerror.NewError(specerror.PosixProcRlimitsValueError, fmt.Errorf("rlimit type %q may not be valid", rlimit.Type), v.spec.Version))
 	} else {
 		logrus.Warnf("process.rlimits validation not yet implemented for platform %q", v.platform)
 	}
diff --git a/validate/validate_test.go b/validate/validate_test.go
index ba50e6eba..8e403d268 100644
--- a/validate/validate_test.go
+++ b/validate/validate_test.go
@@ -154,3 +154,105 @@ func TestCheckSemVer(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.Equal(t, c.expected, specerror.FindError(err, c.expected), "Fail to check SemVer "+c.val)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestCheckProcess(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := []struct {
+		val      rspec.Spec
+		platform string
+		expected specerror.Code
+	}{
+		{
+			val: rspec.Spec{
+				Version: "1.0.0",
+				Process: &rspec.Process{
+					Args: []string{"sh"},
+					Cwd:  "/",
+				},
+			},
+			platform: "linux",
+			expected: specerror.NonError,
+		},
+		{
+			val: rspec.Spec{
+				Version: "1.0.0",
+				Process: &rspec.Process{
+					Args: []string{"sh"},
+					Cwd:  "/",
+					Rlimits: []rspec.POSIXRlimit{
+						{
+							Type: "RLIMIT_NOFILE",
+							Hard: 1024,
+							Soft: 1024,
+						},
+						{
+							Type: "RLIMIT_NPROC",
+							Hard: 512,
+							Soft: 512,
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			platform: "linux",
+			expected: specerror.NonError,
+		},
+		{
+			val: rspec.Spec{
+				Version: "1.0.0",
+				Process: &rspec.Process{
+					Args: []string{"sh"},
+					Cwd:  "/",
+					Rlimits: []rspec.POSIXRlimit{
+						{
+							Type: "RLIMIT_NOFILE",
+							Hard: 1024,
+							Soft: 1024,
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			platform: "solaris",
+			expected: specerror.NonError,
+		},
+		{
+			val: rspec.Spec{
+				Version: "1.0.0",
+				Process: &rspec.Process{
+					Args: []string{"sh"},
+					Cwd:  "/",
+					Rlimits: []rspec.POSIXRlimit{
+						{
+							Type: "RLIMIT_DOES_NOT_EXIST",
+							Hard: 512,
+							Soft: 512,
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			platform: "linux",
+			expected: specerror.PosixProcRlimitsValueError,
+		},
+		{
+			val: rspec.Spec{
+				Version: "1.0.0",
+				Process: &rspec.Process{
+					Args: []string{"sh"},
+					Cwd:  "/",
+					Rlimits: []rspec.POSIXRlimit{
+						{
+							Type: "RLIMIT_NPROC",
+							Hard: 512,
+							Soft: 512,
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			platform: "solaris",
+			expected: specerror.PosixProcRlimitsValueError,
+		},
+	}
+	for _, c := range cases {
+		v := NewValidator(&c.val, ".", false, c.platform)
+		err := v.CheckProcess()
+		assert.Equal(t, c.expected, specerror.FindError(err, c.expected), fmt.Sprintf("failed CheckProcess: %v %d", err, c.expected))
+	}
+}