diff --git a/src/runtime/Makefile b/src/runtime/Makefile
index 757d0a48a96b..fa07b87deba3 100644
--- a/src/runtime/Makefile
+++ b/src/runtime/Makefile
@@ -158,6 +158,8 @@ DEFMEMSZ := 2048
 # - vm template memory
 # - hugepage memory
 DEFMEMSLOTS := 10
+# Default maximum memory in MiB
+DEFMAXMEMSZ := 0
 #Default number of bridges
 DEFBRIDGES := 1
 DEFENABLEANNOTATIONS := [\"enable_iommu\"]
@@ -442,6 +444,7 @@ USER_VARS += DEFMAXVCPUS
 USER_VARS += DEFMAXVCPUS_ACRN
 USER_VARS += DEFMEMSZ
 USER_VARS += DEFMEMSLOTS
+USER_VARS += DEFMAXMEMSZ
 USER_VARS += DEFBRIDGES
 USER_VARS += DEFNETWORKMODEL_ACRN
 USER_VARS += DEFNETWORKMODEL_CLH
diff --git a/src/runtime/config/configuration-clh.toml.in b/src/runtime/config/configuration-clh.toml.in
index 41d4ae49307c..5d2d9c2f10c6 100644
--- a/src/runtime/config/configuration-clh.toml.in
+++ b/src/runtime/config/configuration-clh.toml.in
@@ -105,6 +105,12 @@ default_memory = @DEFMEMSZ@
 # This is will determine the times that memory will be hotadded to sandbox/VM.
 #memory_slots = @DEFMEMSLOTS@
 
+# Default maximum memory in MiB per SB / VM
+# unspecified or == 0           --> will be set to the actual amount of physical RAM
+# > 0 <= amount of physical RAM --> will be set to the specified number
+# > amount of physical RAM      --> will be set to the actual amount of physical RAM
+default_maxmemory = @DEFMAXMEMSZ@
+
 # Shared file system type:
 #   - virtio-fs (default)
 #   - virtio-fs-nydus
diff --git a/src/runtime/config/configuration-fc.toml.in b/src/runtime/config/configuration-fc.toml.in
index b6892bd17cfc..8761d8a02e1d 100644
--- a/src/runtime/config/configuration-fc.toml.in
+++ b/src/runtime/config/configuration-fc.toml.in
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ default_bridges = @DEFBRIDGES@
 # Default memory size in MiB for SB/VM.
 # If unspecified then it will be set @DEFMEMSZ@ MiB.
 default_memory = @DEFMEMSZ@
+
 #
 # Default memory slots per SB/VM.
 # If unspecified then it will be set @DEFMEMSLOTS@.
@@ -104,6 +105,12 @@ default_memory = @DEFMEMSZ@
 # Default 0
 #memory_offset = 0
 
+# Default maximum memory in MiB per SB / VM
+# unspecified or == 0           --> will be set to the actual amount of physical RAM
+# > 0 <= amount of physical RAM --> will be set to the specified number
+# > amount of physical RAM      --> will be set to the actual amount of physical RAM
+default_maxmemory = @DEFMAXMEMSZ@
+
 # Block storage driver to be used for the hypervisor in case the container
 # rootfs is backed by a block device. This is virtio-scsi, virtio-blk
 # or nvdimm.
diff --git a/src/runtime/config/configuration-qemu.toml.in b/src/runtime/config/configuration-qemu.toml.in
index 702b71aadde1..115cd19ccd95 100644
--- a/src/runtime/config/configuration-qemu.toml.in
+++ b/src/runtime/config/configuration-qemu.toml.in
@@ -134,6 +134,12 @@ default_memory = @DEFMEMSZ@
 # This is will determine the times that memory will be hotadded to sandbox/VM.
 #memory_slots = @DEFMEMSLOTS@
 
+# Default maximum memory in MiB per SB / VM
+# unspecified or == 0           --> will be set to the actual amount of physical RAM
+# > 0 <= amount of physical RAM --> will be set to the specified number
+# > amount of physical RAM      --> will be set to the actual amount of physical RAM
+default_maxmemory = @DEFMAXMEMSZ@
+
 # The size in MiB will be plused to max memory of hypervisor.
 # It is the memory address space for the NVDIMM devie.
 # If set block storage driver (block_device_driver) to "nvdimm",