diff --git a/cmd/kubelet/app/server.go b/cmd/kubelet/app/server.go
index 8d1b4e815e3..8721fd4344f 100644
--- a/cmd/kubelet/app/server.go
+++ b/cmd/kubelet/app/server.go
@@ -1112,7 +1112,9 @@ func RunKubelet(kubeServer *options.KubeletServer, kubeDeps *kubelet.Dependencie
 	}
 	podCfg := kubeDeps.PodConfig
 
-	rlimit.RlimitNumFiles(uint64(kubeServer.MaxOpenFiles))
+	if err := rlimit.RlimitNumFiles(uint64(kubeServer.MaxOpenFiles)); err != nil {
+		klog.Errorf("Failed to set rlimit on max file handles: %v", err)
+	}
 
 	// process pods and exit.
 	if runOnce {
diff --git a/pkg/util/rlimit/rlimit_linux.go b/pkg/util/rlimit/rlimit_linux.go
index 17e8a713179..263fced6c4b 100644
--- a/pkg/util/rlimit/rlimit_linux.go
+++ b/pkg/util/rlimit/rlimit_linux.go
@@ -22,6 +22,6 @@ import (
 	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
 )
 
-func RlimitNumFiles(maxOpenFiles uint64) {
-	unix.Setrlimit(unix.RLIMIT_NOFILE, &unix.Rlimit{Max: maxOpenFiles, Cur: maxOpenFiles})
+func RlimitNumFiles(maxOpenFiles uint64) error {
+	return unix.Setrlimit(unix.RLIMIT_NOFILE, &unix.Rlimit{Max: maxOpenFiles, Cur: maxOpenFiles})
 }