diff --git a/cluster/saltbase/salt/kube-proxy/kube-proxy.manifest b/cluster/saltbase/salt/kube-proxy/kube-proxy.manifest
index af43473c6da..1891491030e 100644
--- a/cluster/saltbase/salt/kube-proxy/kube-proxy.manifest
+++ b/cluster/saltbase/salt/kube-proxy/kube-proxy.manifest
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ spec:
     command:
     - /bin/sh
     - -c
-    - kube-proxy {{api_servers_with_port}} {{kubeconfig}} {{cluster_cidr}} --resource-container="" {{params}} 1>>/var/log/kube-proxy.log 2>&1
+    - echo -998 > /proc/$$$/oom_score_adj && kube-proxy {{api_servers_with_port}} {{kubeconfig}} {{cluster_cidr}} --resource-container="" {{params}} 1>>/var/log/kube-proxy.log 2>&1
     securityContext:
       privileged: true
     volumeMounts:
diff --git a/hack/verify-flags/exceptions.txt b/hack/verify-flags/exceptions.txt
index 92877d925e1..fc7f7c83b09 100644
--- a/hack/verify-flags/exceptions.txt
+++ b/hack/verify-flags/exceptions.txt
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ cluster/saltbase/salt/kube-apiserver/kube-apiserver.manifest:{% set params = add
 cluster/saltbase/salt/kube-controller-manager/kube-controller-manager.manifest:{% if pillar.get('enable_hostpath_provisioner', '').lower() == 'true' -%}
 cluster/saltbase/salt/kube-controller-manager/kube-controller-manager.manifest:{% set params = "--master=127.0.0.1:8080" + " " + cluster_name + " " + cluster_cidr + " " + allocate_node_cidrs + " " + service_cluster_ip_range + " " + terminated_pod_gc + " " + enable_garbage_collector + " " + cloud_provider  + " " + cloud_config + " " + service_account_key + " " + log_level + " " + root_ca_file -%}
 cluster/saltbase/salt/kube-controller-manager/kube-controller-manager.manifest:{% set params = params + " " + feature_gates -%}
+cluster/saltbase/salt/kube-proxy/kube-proxy.manifest:    - echo -998 > /proc/$$$/oom_score_adj && kube-proxy {{api_servers_with_port}} {{kubeconfig}} {{cluster_cidr}} --resource-container="" {{params}} 1>>/var/log/kube-proxy.log 2>&1
 cluster/saltbase/salt/kube-proxy/kube-proxy.manifest:  {% set api_servers_with_port = api_servers + ":6443" -%}
 cluster/saltbase/salt/kube-proxy/kube-proxy.manifest:  {% set api_servers_with_port = api_servers -%}
 cluster/saltbase/salt/kube-proxy/kube-proxy.manifest:  {% set cluster_cidr=" --cluster-cidr=" + pillar['cluster_cidr'] %}