diff --git a/.github/contributors.yaml b/.github/contributors.yaml
index e0c3131c5..d8f4a6b20 100644
--- a/.github/contributors.yaml
+++ b/.github/contributors.yaml
@@ -92,3 +92,6 @@ users:
   neo-0007:
     name: Hrishikesh Gohain
     email: hrishikeshgohain123@gmail.com
+  rishi-jat:
+    name: Rishi Jat
+    email: rishijat098@gmail.com
diff --git a/pkg/unikontainers/unikontainers.go b/pkg/unikontainers/unikontainers.go
index c16a3a607..b7d61def7 100644
--- a/pkg/unikontainers/unikontainers.go
+++ b/pkg/unikontainers/unikontainers.go
@@ -70,6 +70,10 @@ func New(bundlePath string, containerID string, rootDir string, cfg *UruncConfig
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	if spec == nil || spec.Linux == nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid OCI spec: linux section is required")
+	}
+
 	containerName := spec.Annotations["io.kubernetes.cri.container-name"]
 	if containerName == "queue-proxy" {
 		uniklog.Warn("This is a queue-proxy container. Adding IP env.")
@@ -125,6 +129,9 @@ func Get(containerID string, rootDir string) (*Unikontainer, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	if spec == nil || spec.Linux == nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid OCI spec: linux section is required")
+	}
 	u.BaseDir = containerDir
 	u.RootDir = rootDir
 	u.Spec = spec
@@ -357,7 +364,7 @@ func (u *Unikontainer) Exec(metrics m.Writer) error {
 
 	// ExecArgs
 	// If memory limit is set in spec, use it instead of the config default value
-	if u.Spec.Linux.Resources.Memory != nil {
+	if u.Spec.Linux.Resources != nil && u.Spec.Linux.Resources.Memory != nil {
 		if u.Spec.Linux.Resources.Memory.Limit != nil {
 			if *u.Spec.Linux.Resources.Memory.Limit > 0 {
 				vmmArgs.MemSizeB = uint64(*u.Spec.Linux.Resources.Memory.Limit) // nolint:gosec