diff --git a/daemon/daemon_unix.go b/daemon/daemon_unix.go
index 4ed0594c6a..3402f77790 100644
--- a/daemon/daemon_unix.go
+++ b/daemon/daemon_unix.go
@@ -1148,6 +1148,11 @@ func setupOOMScoreAdj(score int) error {
 		return err
 	}
 	_, err = f.WriteString(strconv.Itoa(score))
+	if os.IsPermission(err) {
+		// Setting oom_score_adj does not work in an
+		// unprivileged container. Ignore the error.
+		return nil
+	}
 	f.Close()
 	return err
 }
diff --git a/libcontainerd/remote_linux.go b/libcontainerd/remote_linux.go
index e7fcb257b6..1689f90cc0 100644
--- a/libcontainerd/remote_linux.go
+++ b/libcontainerd/remote_linux.go
@@ -435,6 +435,11 @@ func setOOMScore(pid, score int) error {
 	}
 	_, err = f.WriteString(strconv.Itoa(score))
 	f.Close()
+	if os.IsPermission(err) {
+		// Setting oom_score_adj does not work in an
+		// unprivileged container. Ignore the error.
+		return nil
+	}
 	return err
 }