diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/fc.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/fc.go
index cb6e3a2601..384ce15a12 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/fc.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/fc.go
@@ -930,7 +930,7 @@ func (fc *firecracker) fcAddNetDevice(ctx context.Context, endpoint Endpoint) {
 	// The implementation of rate limiter is based on TBF.
 	// Rate Limiter defines a token bucket with a maximum capacity (size) to store tokens, and an interval for refilling purposes (refill_time).
 	// The refill-rate is derived from size and refill_time, and it is the constant rate at which the tokens replenish.
-	refillTime := uint64(1000)
+	refillTime := uint64(utils.DefaultRateLimiterRefillTimeMilliSecs)
 	var rxRateLimiter models.RateLimiter
 	rxSize := fc.config.RxRateLimiterMaxRate
 	if rxSize > 0 {
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/utils/utils.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/utils/utils.go
index 048446fd76..5a6bb71501 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/utils/utils.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/utils/utils.go
@@ -25,6 +25,11 @@ const cpBinaryName = "cp"
 
 const fileMode0755 = os.FileMode(0755)
 
+// The DefaultRateLimiterRefillTime is used for calculating the rate at
+// which a TokenBucket is replinished, in cases where a RateLimiter is
+// applied to either network or disk I/O.
+const DefaultRateLimiterRefillTimeMilliSecs = 1000
+
 // MibToBytesShift the number to shift needed to convert MiB to Bytes
 const MibToBytesShift = 20