diff --git a/src/tools/genpolicy/rules.rego b/src/tools/genpolicy/rules.rego
index 203dfc634..d9309004e 100644
--- a/src/tools/genpolicy/rules.rego
+++ b/src/tools/genpolicy/rules.rego
@@ -268,7 +268,10 @@ allow_by_anno(p_oci, i_oci, p_storages, i_storages) {
     i_s_name := i_oci.Annotations[S_NAME_KEY]
     print("allow_by_anno 1: i_s_name =", i_s_name)
 
-    allow_by_sandbox_name(p_oci, i_oci, p_storages, i_storages, i_s_name)
+    i_s_namespace := i_oci.Annotations[S_NAMESPACE_KEY]
+    print("allow_by_anno 1: i_s_namespace =", i_s_namespace)
+
+    allow_by_sandbox_name(p_oci, i_oci, p_storages, i_storages, i_s_name, i_s_namespace)
 
     print("allow_by_anno 1: true")
 }
@@ -280,19 +283,23 @@ allow_by_anno(p_oci, i_oci, p_storages, i_storages) {
     print("allow_by_anno 2: i_s_name =", i_s_name, "p_s_name =", p_s_name)
 
     allow_sandbox_name(p_s_name, i_s_name)
-    allow_by_sandbox_name(p_oci, i_oci, p_storages, i_storages, i_s_name)
+
+    i_s_namespace := i_oci.Annotations[S_NAMESPACE_KEY]
+    print("allow_by_anno 2: i_s_namespace =", i_s_namespace)
+
+    allow_by_sandbox_name(p_oci, i_oci, p_storages, i_storages, i_s_name, i_s_namespace)
 
     print("allow_by_anno 2: true")
 }
 
-allow_by_sandbox_name(p_oci, i_oci, p_storages, i_storages, s_name) {
+allow_by_sandbox_name(p_oci, i_oci, p_storages, i_storages, s_name, s_namespace) {
     print("allow_by_sandbox_name: start")
 
     i_namespace := i_oci.Annotations[S_NAMESPACE_KEY]
 
     allow_by_container_types(p_oci, i_oci, s_name, i_namespace)
     allow_by_bundle_or_sandbox_id(p_oci, i_oci, p_storages, i_storages)
-    allow_process(p_oci.Process, i_oci.Process, s_name)
+    allow_process(p_oci.Process, i_oci.Process, s_name, s_namespace)
 
     print("allow_by_sandbox_name: true")
 }
@@ -668,7 +675,7 @@ allow_by_bundle_or_sandbox_id(p_oci, i_oci, p_storages, i_storages) {
     print("allow_by_bundle_or_sandbox_id: true")
 }
 
-allow_process_common(p_process, i_process, s_name) {
+allow_process_common(p_process, i_process, s_name, s_namespace) {
     print("allow_process_common: p_process =", p_process)
     print("allow_process_common: i_process = ", i_process)
     print("allow_process_common: s_name =", s_name)
@@ -677,17 +684,17 @@ allow_process_common(p_process, i_process, s_name) {
     p_process.NoNewPrivileges == i_process.NoNewPrivileges
 
     allow_user(p_process, i_process)
-    allow_env(p_process, i_process, s_name)
+    allow_env(p_process, i_process, s_name, s_namespace)
 
     print("allow_process_common: true")
 }
 
 # Compare the OCI Process field of a policy container with the input OCI Process from a CreateContainerRequest
-allow_process(p_process, i_process, s_name) {
+allow_process(p_process, i_process, s_name, s_namespace) {
     print("allow_process: start")
 
     allow_args(p_process, i_process, s_name)
-    allow_process_common(p_process, i_process, s_name)
+    allow_process_common(p_process, i_process, s_name, s_namespace)
     allow_caps(p_process.Capabilities, i_process.Capabilities)
     p_process.Terminal == i_process.Terminal
 
@@ -695,10 +702,10 @@ allow_process(p_process, i_process, s_name) {
 }
 
 # Compare the OCI Process field of a policy container with the input process field from ExecProcessRequest
-allow_interactive_process(p_process, i_process, s_name) {
+allow_interactive_process(p_process, i_process, s_name, s_namespace) {
     print("allow_interactive_process: start")
 
-    allow_process_common(p_process, i_process, s_name)
+    allow_process_common(p_process, i_process, s_name, s_namespace)
     allow_exec_caps(i_process.Capabilities)
 
     # These are commands enabled using ExecProcessRequest commands and/or regex from the settings file.
@@ -708,10 +715,10 @@ allow_interactive_process(p_process, i_process, s_name) {
 }
 
 # Compare the OCI Process field of a policy container with the input process field from ExecProcessRequest
-allow_probe_process(p_process, i_process, s_name) {
+allow_probe_process(p_process, i_process, s_name, s_namespace) {
     print("allow_probe_process: start")
 
-    allow_process_common(p_process, i_process, s_name)
+    allow_process_common(p_process, i_process, s_name, s_namespace)
     allow_exec_caps(i_process.Capabilities)
     p_process.Terminal == i_process.Terminal
 
@@ -783,38 +790,48 @@ allow_arg(i, i_arg, p_process, s_name) {
 }
 
 # OCI process.Env field
-allow_env(p_process, i_process, s_name) {
+allow_env(p_process, i_process, s_name, s_namespace) {
     print("allow_env: p env =", p_process.Env)
     print("allow_env: i env =", i_process.Env)
 
     every i_var in i_process.Env {
         print("allow_env: i_var =", i_var)
-        allow_var(p_process, i_process, i_var, s_name)
+        allow_var(p_process, i_process, i_var, s_name, s_namespace)
     }
 
     print("allow_env: true")
 }
 
 # Allow input env variables that are present in the policy data too.
-allow_var(p_process, i_process, i_var, s_name) {
+allow_var(p_process, i_process, i_var, s_name, s_namespace) {
     some p_var in p_process.Env
     p_var == i_var
     print("allow_var 1: true")
 }
 
 # Match input with one of the policy variables, after substituting $(sandbox-name).
-allow_var(p_process, i_process, i_var, s_name) {
+allow_var(p_process, i_process, i_var, s_name, s_namespace) {
     some p_var in p_process.Env
     p_var2 := replace(p_var, "$(sandbox-name)", s_name)
 
-    print("allow_var 2: p_var2 =", p_var2)
-    p_var2 == i_var
+    print("allow_var 2: p_var =", p_var)
+
+    p_var_split := split(p_var, "=")
+    count(p_var_split) == 2
+
+    p_var_split[1] == "$(sandbox-name)"
+
+    i_var_split := split(i_var, "=")
+    count(i_var_split) == 2
+
+    i_var_split[0] == p_var_split[0]
+    regex.match(s_name, i_var_split[1])
 
     print("allow_var 2: true")
 }
 
 # Allow input env variables that match with a request_defaults regex.
-allow_var(p_process, i_process, i_var, s_name) {
+allow_var(p_process, i_process, i_var, s_name, s_namespace) {
     some p_regex1 in policy_data.request_defaults.CreateContainerRequest.allow_env_regex
     p_regex2 := replace(p_regex1, "$(ipv4_a)", policy_data.common.ipv4_a)
     p_regex3 := replace(p_regex2, "$(ip_p)", policy_data.common.ip_p)
@@ -828,7 +845,7 @@ allow_var(p_process, i_process, i_var, s_name) {
 }
 
 # Allow fieldRef "fieldPath: status.podIP" values.
-allow_var(p_process, i_process, i_var, s_name) {
+allow_var(p_process, i_process, i_var, s_name, s_namespace) {
     name_value := split(i_var, "=")
     count(name_value) == 2
     is_ip(name_value[1])
@@ -840,7 +857,7 @@ allow_var(p_process, i_process, i_var, s_name) {
 }
 
 # Allow common fieldRef variables.
-allow_var(p_process, i_process, i_var, s_name) {
+allow_var(p_process, i_process, i_var, s_name, s_namespace) {
     name_value := split(i_var, "=")
     count(name_value) == 2
 
@@ -859,7 +876,7 @@ allow_var(p_process, i_process, i_var, s_name) {
 }
 
 # Allow fieldRef "fieldPath: status.hostIP" values.
-allow_var(p_process, i_process, i_var, s_name) {
+allow_var(p_process, i_process, i_var, s_name, s_namespace) {
     name_value := split(i_var, "=")
     count(name_value) == 2
     is_ip(name_value[1])
@@ -871,7 +888,7 @@ allow_var(p_process, i_process, i_var, s_name) {
 }
 
 # Allow resourceFieldRef values (e.g., "limits.cpu").
-allow_var(p_process, i_process, i_var, s_name) {
+allow_var(p_process, i_process, i_var, s_name, s_namespace) {
     name_value := split(i_var, "=")
     count(name_value) == 2
 
@@ -889,6 +906,16 @@ allow_var(p_process, i_process, i_var, s_name) {
     print("allow_var 7: true")
 }
 
+allow_var(p_process, i_process, i_var, s_name, s_namespace) {
+    some p_var in p_process.Env
+    p_var2 := replace(p_var, "$(sandbox-namespace)", s_namespace)
+
+    print("allow_var 8: p_var2 =", p_var2)
+    p_var2 == i_var
+
+    print("allow_var 8: true")
+}
+
 allow_pod_ip_var(var_name, p_var) {
     print("allow_pod_ip_var: var_name =", var_name, "p_var =", p_var)
 
@@ -1337,7 +1364,8 @@ allow_exec(p_container, i_process) {
 
     p_oci = p_container.OCI
     p_s_name = p_oci.Annotations[S_NAME_KEY]
-    allow_probe_process(p_oci.Process, i_process, p_s_name)
+    s_namespace = get_state_val("namespace")
+    allow_probe_process(p_oci.Process, i_process, p_s_name, s_namespace)
 
     print("allow_exec: true")
 }
@@ -1347,7 +1375,8 @@ allow_interactive_exec(p_container, i_process) {
 
     p_oci = p_container.OCI
     p_s_name = p_oci.Annotations[S_NAME_KEY]
-    allow_interactive_process(p_oci.Process, i_process, p_s_name)
+    s_namespace = get_state_val("namespace")
+    allow_interactive_process(p_oci.Process, i_process, p_s_name, s_namespace)
 
     print("allow_interactive_exec: true")
 }
diff --git a/src/tools/genpolicy/src/pod.rs b/src/tools/genpolicy/src/pod.rs
index 231c3bc2c..bab8b3478 100644
--- a/src/tools/genpolicy/src/pod.rs
+++ b/src/tools/genpolicy/src/pod.rs
@@ -782,7 +782,13 @@ impl EnvVar {
                 let path: &str = &field_ref.fieldPath;
                 match path {
                     "metadata.name" => return "$(sandbox-name)".to_string(),
-                    "metadata.namespace" => return namespace.to_string(),
+                    "metadata.namespace" => {
+                        return if namespace.is_empty() {
+                            "$(sandbox-namespace)".to_string()
+                        } else {
+                            namespace.to_string()
+                        };
+                    }
                     "metadata.uid" => return "$(pod-uid)".to_string(),
                     "status.hostIP" => return "$(host-ip)".to_string(),
                     "status.podIP" => return "$(pod-ip)".to_string(),