diff --git a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/helm-chart/kata-deploy/templates/_helpers.tpl b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/helm-chart/kata-deploy/templates/_helpers.tpl
index dfd14dc564..6a9266a76e 100644
--- a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/helm-chart/kata-deploy/templates/_helpers.tpl
+++ b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/helm-chart/kata-deploy/templates/_helpers.tpl
@@ -71,6 +71,77 @@ If containerd.configDir is set explicitly, use that instead.
 {{- end -}}
 {{- end -}}
 
+{{/*
+Set the CRI containerd socket URI depending on the k8s distribution.
+If containerd.runtimeSocket is set explicitly, use that instead.
+*/}}
+{{- define "containerdRuntimeSocket" -}}
+{{- if and .containerd .containerd.runtimeSocket -}}
+{{- .containerd.runtimeSocket -}}
+{{- else if or (eq .k8sDistribution "k3s") (eq .k8sDistribution "rke2") -}}
+unix:///run/k3s/containerd/containerd.sock
+{{- else if eq .k8sDistribution "k0s" -}}
+unix:///run/k0s/containerd.sock
+{{- else if eq .k8sDistribution "microk8s" -}}
+unix:///var/snap/microk8s/common/run/containerd.sock
+{{- else -}}
+unix:///run/containerd/containerd.sock
+{{- end -}}
+{{- end -}}
+
+{{/*
+Resolve the kata-monitor CRI runtime endpoint.
+When monitor.runtimeEndpoint is empty, inherit containerd.runtimeSocket or
+derive it from k8sDistribution.
+*/}}
+{{- define "monitorRuntimeEndpoint" -}}
+{{- if .Values.monitor.runtimeEndpoint -}}
+{{- .Values.monitor.runtimeEndpoint -}}
+{{- else -}}
+{{- include "containerdRuntimeSocket" .Values -}}
+{{- end -}}
+{{- end -}}
+
+{{/*
+Filesystem path of the CRI runtime socket, derived from monitorRuntimeEndpoint.
+*/}}
+{{- define "monitorRuntimeSocketPath" -}}
+{{- $endpoint := include "monitorRuntimeEndpoint" . -}}
+{{- if hasPrefix "unix://" $endpoint -}}
+{{- trimPrefix "unix://" $endpoint -}}
+{{- else if hasPrefix "unix:" $endpoint -}}
+{{- trimPrefix "unix:" $endpoint -}}
+{{- else -}}
+{{- $endpoint -}}
+{{- end -}}
+{{- end -}}
+
+{{/*
+Host directory containing the CRI runtime socket, derived from monitorRuntimeEndpoint.
+Used for kata-monitor volume hostPath and mountPath so the socket is reachable in-container.
+*/}}
+{{- define "monitorRuntimeSocketDir" -}}
+{{- include "monitorRuntimeSocketPath" . | dir -}}
+{{- end -}}
+
+{{/*
+Resolve kata-monitor log level.
+Honors monitor.logLevel, then the chart-wide logLevel, then debug:true -> debug.
+*/}}
+{{- define "monitorLogLevel" -}}
+{{- $logLevel := .Values.monitor.logLevel | default "" | trim -}}
+{{- if not $logLevel -}}
+{{- $logLevel = .Values.logLevel | default "" | trim -}}
+{{- end -}}
+{{- if and (not $logLevel) .Values.debug -}}
+{{- $logLevel = "debug" -}}
+{{- end -}}
+{{- if not $logLevel -}}
+{{- $logLevel = "info" -}}
+{{- end -}}
+{{- $logLevel -}}
+{{- end -}}
+
 {{/*
 Check if node-feature-discovery is already installed by someone else
 Returns the namespace where node-feature-discovery is found, or empty string if not found
diff --git a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/helm-chart/kata-deploy/templates/kata-monitor.yaml b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/helm-chart/kata-deploy/templates/kata-monitor.yaml
index 567bb99cf8..a502de2a63 100644
--- a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/helm-chart/kata-deploy/templates/kata-monitor.yaml
+++ b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/helm-chart/kata-deploy/templates/kata-monitor.yaml
@@ -43,15 +43,15 @@ spec:
 {{- toYaml .Values.monitor.securityContext | nindent 10 }}
         args:
           - -listen-address={{ .Values.monitor.listenAddress }}
-          - -log-level={{ .Values.monitor.logLevel }}
-          - -runtime-endpoint={{ .Values.monitor.runtimeEndpoint }}
+          - -log-level={{ include "monitorLogLevel" . }}
+          - -runtime-endpoint={{ include "monitorRuntimeEndpoint" . }}
         ports:
           - containerPort: {{ .Values.monitor.port }}
         resources:
 {{- toYaml .Values.monitor.resources | nindent 10 }}
         volumeMounts:
         - name: containerd-sock
-          mountPath: /run/containerd
+          mountPath: {{ include "monitorRuntimeSocketDir" . }}
           readOnly: true
         - name: sbs
           mountPath: /run/vc/sbs/
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ spec:
       volumes:
       - name: containerd-sock
         hostPath:
-          path: /run/containerd
+          path: {{ include "monitorRuntimeSocketDir" . }}
           type: Directory
       - name: sbs
         hostPath:
diff --git a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/helm-chart/kata-deploy/values.yaml b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/helm-chart/kata-deploy/values.yaml
index 88d9394ae8..760e4058ab 100644
--- a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/helm-chart/kata-deploy/values.yaml
+++ b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/helm-chart/kata-deploy/values.yaml
@@ -119,8 +119,12 @@ monitor:
     reference: quay.io/kata-containers/kata-monitor
     tag: ""
   listenAddress: "0.0.0.0:8090"
-  runtimeEndpoint: "unix:///run/containerd/containerd.sock"
-  logLevel: "info"
+  # CRI runtime socket for kata-monitor. When empty, inherits containerd.runtimeSocket
+  # or derives from k8sDistribution (e.g. k3s uses unix:///run/k3s/containerd/containerd.sock).
+  runtimeEndpoint: ""
+  # Log level for kata-monitor. When empty, inherits chart-wide logLevel and
+  # debug:true implies debug; otherwise defaults to info.
+  logLevel: ""
   port: 8090
   securityContext:
     privileged: false
@@ -144,6 +148,10 @@ containerd:
   # When empty, derived automatically from k8sDistribution.
   # Example: "/etc/my-containerd/"
   configDir: ""
+  # Override the CRI containerd socket URI.
+  # When empty, derived automatically from k8sDistribution.
+  # Example: "unix:///run/k3s/containerd/containerd.sock"
+  runtimeSocket: ""
   # Override the containerd config file name.
   # When empty, the kata-deploy binary uses its built-in default ("config.toml")
   # or auto-detects based on the runtime (k0s, microk8s, k3s/rke2).