diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/cm/cgroup_manager_linux.go b/pkg/kubelet/cm/cgroup_manager_linux.go
index 81994640038..1e2579ea6cf 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/cm/cgroup_manager_linux.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/cm/cgroup_manager_linux.go
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ const (
 	systemdSuffix string = ".slice"
 	// Cgroup2MemoryMin is memory.min for cgroup v2
 	Cgroup2MemoryMin string = "memory.min"
+	// Cgroup2MemoryLow is memory.low for cgroup v2
+	Cgroup2MemoryLow string = "memory.low"
 	// Cgroup2MemoryHigh is memory.high for cgroup v2
 	Cgroup2MemoryHigh      string = "memory.high"
 	Cgroup2MaxCpuLimit     string = "max"
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/cm/helpers_linux.go b/pkg/kubelet/cm/helpers_linux.go
index 6eff274b497..70f5beaf9cd 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/cm/helpers_linux.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/cm/helpers_linux.go
@@ -209,13 +209,19 @@ func ResourceConfigForPod(allocatedPod *v1.Pod, enforceCPULimits bool, cpuPeriod
 	result.HugePageLimit = hugePageLimits
 
 	if enforceMemoryQoS && memoryReservationPolicy == kubeletconfig.HardReservationMemoryReservationPolicy {
-		memoryMin := int64(0)
+		memoryRequest := int64(0)
 		if request, found := reqs[v1.ResourceMemory]; found {
-			memoryMin = request.Value()
+			memoryRequest = request.Value()
 		}
-		if memoryMin > 0 {
+		if memoryRequest > 0 {
+			// Guaranteed pods get memory.min (hard protection, kernel never reclaims).
+			// Burstable pods get memory.low (soft protection, kernel prefers not to reclaim).
+			cgroupKey := Cgroup2MemoryLow
+			if qosClass == v1.PodQOSGuaranteed {
+				cgroupKey = Cgroup2MemoryMin
+			}
 			result.Unified = map[string]string{
-				Cgroup2MemoryMin: strconv.FormatInt(memoryMin, 10),
+				cgroupKey: strconv.FormatInt(memoryRequest, 10),
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/cm/helpers_linux_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/cm/helpers_linux_test.go
index f6378fd5d04..aaf51239cfa 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/cm/helpers_linux_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/cm/helpers_linux_test.go
@@ -698,7 +698,7 @@ func TestResourceConfigForPodWithEnforceMemoryQoS(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			enforceCPULimits: true,
 			quotaPeriod:      defaultQuotaPeriod,
-			expected:         &ResourceConfig{CPUShares: &burstableShares, Unified: map[string]string{"memory.min": "104857600"}},
+			expected:         &ResourceConfig{CPUShares: &burstableShares, Unified: map[string]string{"memory.low": "104857600"}},
 		},
 		"burstable-with-limits": {
 			pod: &v1.Pod{
@@ -712,7 +712,7 @@ func TestResourceConfigForPodWithEnforceMemoryQoS(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			enforceCPULimits: true,
 			quotaPeriod:      defaultQuotaPeriod,
-			expected:         &ResourceConfig{CPUShares: &burstableShares, CPUQuota: &burstableQuota, CPUPeriod: &defaultQuotaPeriod, Memory: &burstableMemory, Unified: map[string]string{"memory.min": "104857600"}},
+			expected:         &ResourceConfig{CPUShares: &burstableShares, CPUQuota: &burstableQuota, CPUPeriod: &defaultQuotaPeriod, Memory: &burstableMemory, Unified: map[string]string{"memory.low": "104857600"}},
 		},
 		"burstable-with-limits-no-cpu-enforcement": {
 			pod: &v1.Pod{
@@ -726,7 +726,7 @@ func TestResourceConfigForPodWithEnforceMemoryQoS(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			enforceCPULimits: false,
 			quotaPeriod:      defaultQuotaPeriod,
-			expected:         &ResourceConfig{CPUShares: &burstableShares, CPUQuota: &cpuNoLimit, CPUPeriod: &defaultQuotaPeriod, Memory: &burstableMemory, Unified: map[string]string{"memory.min": "104857600"}},
+			expected:         &ResourceConfig{CPUShares: &burstableShares, CPUQuota: &cpuNoLimit, CPUPeriod: &defaultQuotaPeriod, Memory: &burstableMemory, Unified: map[string]string{"memory.low": "104857600"}},
 		},
 		"burstable-partial-limits": {
 			pod: &v1.Pod{
@@ -743,7 +743,7 @@ func TestResourceConfigForPodWithEnforceMemoryQoS(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			enforceCPULimits: true,
 			quotaPeriod:      defaultQuotaPeriod,
-			expected:         &ResourceConfig{CPUShares: &burstablePartialShares, Unified: map[string]string{"memory.min": "209715200"}},
+			expected:         &ResourceConfig{CPUShares: &burstablePartialShares, Unified: map[string]string{"memory.low": "209715200"}},
 		},
 		"burstable-with-limits-with-tuned-quota": {
 			pod: &v1.Pod{
@@ -757,7 +757,7 @@ func TestResourceConfigForPodWithEnforceMemoryQoS(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			enforceCPULimits: true,
 			quotaPeriod:      tunedQuotaPeriod,
-			expected:         &ResourceConfig{CPUShares: &burstableShares, CPUQuota: &burstableQuota, CPUPeriod: &tunedQuotaPeriod, Memory: &burstableMemory, Unified: map[string]string{"memory.min": "104857600"}},
+			expected:         &ResourceConfig{CPUShares: &burstableShares, CPUQuota: &burstableQuota, CPUPeriod: &tunedQuotaPeriod, Memory: &burstableMemory, Unified: map[string]string{"memory.low": "104857600"}},
 		},
 		"burstable-with-limits-no-cpu-enforcement-with-tuned-quota": {
 			pod: &v1.Pod{
@@ -771,7 +771,7 @@ func TestResourceConfigForPodWithEnforceMemoryQoS(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			enforceCPULimits: false,
 			quotaPeriod:      tunedQuotaPeriod,
-			expected:         &ResourceConfig{CPUShares: &burstableShares, CPUQuota: &cpuNoLimit, CPUPeriod: &tunedQuotaPeriod, Memory: &burstableMemory, Unified: map[string]string{"memory.min": "104857600"}},
+			expected:         &ResourceConfig{CPUShares: &burstableShares, CPUQuota: &cpuNoLimit, CPUPeriod: &tunedQuotaPeriod, Memory: &burstableMemory, Unified: map[string]string{"memory.low": "104857600"}},
 		},
 		"burstable-partial-limits-with-tuned-quota": {
 			pod: &v1.Pod{
@@ -788,7 +788,7 @@ func TestResourceConfigForPodWithEnforceMemoryQoS(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			enforceCPULimits: true,
 			quotaPeriod:      tunedQuotaPeriod,
-			expected:         &ResourceConfig{CPUShares: &burstablePartialShares, Unified: map[string]string{"memory.min": "209715200"}},
+			expected:         &ResourceConfig{CPUShares: &burstablePartialShares, Unified: map[string]string{"memory.low": "209715200"}},
 		},
 		"guaranteed": {
 			pod: &v1.Pod{
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kuberuntime/kuberuntime_container_linux.go b/pkg/kubelet/kuberuntime/kuberuntime_container_linux.go
index 6bc4544f84e..167e6a2cc97 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kuberuntime/kuberuntime_container_linux.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kuberuntime/kuberuntime_container_linux.go
@@ -156,9 +156,16 @@ func (m *kubeGenericRuntimeManager) generateLinuxContainerResources(ctx context.
 		memoryRequest := container.Resources.Requests.Memory().Value()
 		memoryLimit := container.Resources.Limits.Memory().Value()
 		if memoryRequest != 0 && m.memoryReservationPolicy == kubeletconfiginternal.HardReservationMemoryReservationPolicy {
-			unified[cm.Cgroup2MemoryMin] = strconv.FormatInt(memoryRequest, 10)
+			// Guaranteed pods get memory.min (hard protection).
+			// Burstable pods get memory.low (soft protection).
+			if kubeapiqos.GetPodQOS(pod) == v1.PodQOSGuaranteed {
+				unified[cm.Cgroup2MemoryMin] = strconv.FormatInt(memoryRequest, 10)
+			} else {
+				unified[cm.Cgroup2MemoryLow] = strconv.FormatInt(memoryRequest, 10)
+			}
 		} else {
 			unified[cm.Cgroup2MemoryMin] = "0"
+			unified[cm.Cgroup2MemoryLow] = "0"
 		}
 
 		// Guaranteed pods by their QoS definition requires that memory request equals memory limit and cpu request must equal cpu limit.
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kuberuntime/kuberuntime_container_linux_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/kuberuntime/kuberuntime_container_linux_test.go
index 419085e3547..6b0115ee008 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kuberuntime/kuberuntime_container_linux_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kuberuntime/kuberuntime_container_linux_test.go
@@ -658,7 +658,7 @@ func TestGenerateContainerConfigWithMemoryQoSEnforced(t *testing.T) {
 		linuxConfig, err := m.generateLinuxContainerConfig(tCtx, &test.pod.Spec.Containers[0], test.pod, new(int64), "", nil, true)
 		assert.NoError(t, err)
 		assert.Equal(t, test.expected.containerConfig, linuxConfig, test.name)
-		assert.Equal(t, linuxConfig.GetResources().GetUnified()["memory.min"], strconv.FormatInt(test.expected.memoryLow, 10), test.name)
+		assert.Equal(t, linuxConfig.GetResources().GetUnified()["memory.low"], strconv.FormatInt(test.expected.memoryLow, 10), test.name)
 		assert.Equal(t, linuxConfig.GetResources().GetUnified()["memory.high"], strconv.FormatInt(test.expected.memoryHigh, 10), test.name)
 	}
 }