diff --git a/src/libs/kata-types/src/config/hypervisor/mod.rs b/src/libs/kata-types/src/config/hypervisor/mod.rs
index 69c25200de..fc59e8cd2a 100644
--- a/src/libs/kata-types/src/config/hypervisor/mod.rs
+++ b/src/libs/kata-types/src/config/hypervisor/mod.rs
@@ -653,6 +653,13 @@ pub struct MemoryInfo {
     /// If swap_in_bytes and memory_limit_in_bytes is not set, the size should be default_memory.
     #[serde(default)]
     pub enable_guest_swap: bool,
+
+    /// Default maximum memory in MiB per SB / VM
+    /// unspecified or == 0           --> will be set to the actual amount of physical RAM
+    /// > 0 <= amount of physical RAM --> will be set to the specified number
+    /// > amount of physical RAM      --> will be set to the actual amount of physical RAM
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub default_maxmemory: u32,
 }
 
 impl MemoryInfo {
diff --git a/src/runtime-rs/Makefile b/src/runtime-rs/Makefile
index fef3ee3728..b48b1436a0 100644
--- a/src/runtime-rs/Makefile
+++ b/src/runtime-rs/Makefile
@@ -124,6 +124,8 @@ DEFMEMSZ := 2048
 # - vm template memory
 # - hugepage memory
 DEFMEMSLOTS := 10
+# Default maximum memory in MiB
+DEFMAXMEMSZ := 0
 ##VAR DEFBRIDGES=<number> Default number of bridges
 DEFBRIDGES := 0
 DEFENABLEANNOTATIONS := [\"kernel_params\"]
@@ -307,6 +309,7 @@ USER_VARS += DEFMAXVCPUS_ACRN
 USER_VARS += DEFMAXVCPUS_DB
 USER_VARS += DEFMEMSZ
 USER_VARS += DEFMEMSLOTS
+USER_VARS += DEFMAXMEMSZ
 USER_VARS += DEFBRIDGES
 USER_VARS += DEFNETWORKMODEL_DB
 USER_VARS += DEFNETWORKMODEL_CLH
diff --git a/src/runtime-rs/config/configuration-dragonball.toml.in b/src/runtime-rs/config/configuration-dragonball.toml.in
index 4c057af5c4..7f08a7db92 100644
--- a/src/runtime-rs/config/configuration-dragonball.toml.in
+++ b/src/runtime-rs/config/configuration-dragonball.toml.in
@@ -101,6 +101,13 @@ default_bridges = @DEFBRIDGES@
 # If unspecified then it will be set @DEFMEMSZ@ MiB.
 default_memory = @DEFMEMSZ@
 
+# Default maximum memory in MiB per SB / VM
+# unspecified or == 0           --> will be set to the actual amount of physical RAM
+# > 0 <= amount of physical RAM --> will be set to the specified number
+# > amount of physical RAM      --> will be set to the actual amount of physical RAM
+default_maxmemory = @DEFMAXMEMSZ@
+
+
 # Block storage driver to be used for the hypervisor in case the container
 # rootfs is backed by a block device. DB only supports virtio-blk.
 block_device_driver = "@DEFBLOCKSTORAGEDRIVER_DB@"