diff --git a/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/common.go b/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/common.go
index 5c00c0bb..cdf656b8 100644
--- a/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/common.go
+++ b/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/common.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"math"
 	"os"
+	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
@@ -21,6 +22,10 @@ var (
 	connOnce sync.Once
 	connDbus *systemdDbus.Conn
 	connErr  error
+
+	versionOnce sync.Once
+	version     int
+	versionErr  error
 )
 
 // NOTE: This function comes from package github.com/coreos/go-systemd/util
@@ -351,21 +356,56 @@ func stopUnit(dbusConnection *systemdDbus.Conn, unitName string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func addCpuQuota(properties *[]systemdDbus.Property, quota int64, period uint64) {
+func systemdVersion(conn *systemdDbus.Conn) (int, error) {
+	versionOnce.Do(func() {
+		version = -1
+		verStr, err := conn.GetManagerProperty("Version")
+		if err != nil {
+			versionErr = err
+			return
+		}
+
+		// verStr is like "v245.4-1.fc32" (including quotes)
+		if !strings.HasPrefix(verStr, `"v`) {
+			versionErr = fmt.Errorf("can't parse version %s", verStr)
+			return
+		}
+		// remove `"v` prefix and everything after the first dot
+		ver, err := strconv.Atoi(strings.SplitN(verStr[2:], ".", 2)[0])
+		if err != nil {
+			versionErr = err
+		}
+		version = ver
+	})
+
+	return version, versionErr
+}
+
+func addCpuQuota(conn *systemdDbus.Conn, properties *[]systemdDbus.Property, quota int64, period uint64) {
+	if period != 0 {
+		// systemd only supports CPUQuotaPeriodUSec since v242
+		sdVer, err := systemdVersion(conn)
+		if err != nil {
+			logrus.Warnf("systemdVersion: %s", err)
+		} else if sdVer >= 242 {
+			*properties = append(*properties,
+				newProp("CPUQuotaPeriodUSec", period))
+		}
+	}
 	if quota != 0 || period != 0 {
 		// corresponds to USEC_INFINITY in systemd
 		cpuQuotaPerSecUSec := uint64(math.MaxUint64)
 		if quota > 0 {
-			// systemd converts CPUQuotaPerSecUSec (microseconds per CPU second) to CPUQuota
-			// (integer percentage of CPU) internally.  This means that if a fractional percent of
-			// CPU is indicated by Resources.CpuQuota, we need to round up to the nearest
-			// 10ms (1% of a second) such that child cgroups can set the cpu.cfs_quota_us they expect.
 			if period == 0 {
 				// assume the default kernel value of 100000 us (100 ms), same for v1 and v2.
 				// v1: https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/scheduler/sched-bwc.html and
 				// v2: https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/admin-guide/cgroup-v2.html
 				period = 100000
 			}
+			// systemd converts CPUQuotaPerSecUSec (microseconds per CPU second) to CPUQuota
+			// (integer percentage of CPU) internally.  This means that if a fractional percent of
+			// CPU is indicated by Resources.CpuQuota, we need to round up to the nearest
+			// 10ms (1% of a second) such that child cgroups can set the cpu.cfs_quota_us they expect.
 			cpuQuotaPerSecUSec = uint64(quota*1000000) / period
 			if cpuQuotaPerSecUSec%10000 != 0 {
 				cpuQuotaPerSecUSec = ((cpuQuotaPerSecUSec / 10000) + 1) * 10000
diff --git a/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/v1.go b/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/v1.go
index b3e91f30..c4d5e526 100644
--- a/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/v1.go
+++ b/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/v1.go
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ var legacySubsystems = subsystemSet{
 	&fs.NameGroup{GroupName: "name=systemd"},
 }
 
-func genV1ResourcesProperties(c *configs.Cgroup) ([]systemdDbus.Property, error) {
+func genV1ResourcesProperties(c *configs.Cgroup, conn *systemdDbus.Conn) ([]systemdDbus.Property, error) {
 	var properties []systemdDbus.Property
 	r := c.Resources
 
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ func genV1ResourcesProperties(c *configs.Cgroup) ([]systemdDbus.Property, error)
 			newProp("CPUShares", r.CpuShares))
 	}
 
-	addCpuQuota(&properties, r.CpuQuota, r.CpuPeriod)
+	addCpuQuota(conn, &properties, r.CpuQuota, r.CpuPeriod)
 
 	if r.BlkioWeight != 0 {
 		properties = append(properties,
@@ -165,7 +165,11 @@ func (m *legacyManager) Apply(pid int) error {
 	properties = append(properties,
 		newProp("DefaultDependencies", false))
 
-	resourcesProperties, err := genV1ResourcesProperties(c)
+	dbusConnection, err := getDbusConnection(false)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	resourcesProperties, err := genV1ResourcesProperties(c, dbusConnection)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -180,10 +184,6 @@ func (m *legacyManager) Apply(pid int) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	dbusConnection, err := getDbusConnection(false)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
 	if err := startUnit(dbusConnection, unitName, properties); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -368,7 +368,11 @@ func (m *legacyManager) Set(container *configs.Config) error {
 	if m.cgroups.Paths != nil {
 		return nil
 	}
-	properties, err := genV1ResourcesProperties(container.Cgroups)
+	dbusConnection, err := getDbusConnection(false)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	properties, err := genV1ResourcesProperties(container.Cgroups, dbusConnection)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -393,11 +397,6 @@ func (m *legacyManager) Set(container *configs.Config) error {
 		logrus.Infof("freeze container before SetUnitProperties failed: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	dbusConnection, err := getDbusConnection(false)
-	if err != nil {
-		_ = m.Freeze(targetFreezerState)
-		return err
-	}
 	if err := dbusConnection.SetUnitProperties(getUnitName(container.Cgroups), true, properties...); err != nil {
 		_ = m.Freeze(targetFreezerState)
 		return err
diff --git a/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/v2.go b/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/v2.go
index d11b8abb..c44d7734 100644
--- a/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/v2.go
+++ b/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/v2.go
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ func NewUnifiedManager(config *configs.Cgroup, path string, rootless bool) cgrou
 	}
 }
 
-func genV2ResourcesProperties(c *configs.Cgroup) ([]systemdDbus.Property, error) {
+func genV2ResourcesProperties(c *configs.Cgroup, conn *systemdDbus.Conn) ([]systemdDbus.Property, error) {
 	var properties []systemdDbus.Property
 	r := c.Resources
 
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ func genV2ResourcesProperties(c *configs.Cgroup) ([]systemdDbus.Property, error)
 			newProp("CPUWeight", r.CpuWeight))
 	}
 
-	addCpuQuota(&properties, r.CpuQuota, r.CpuPeriod)
+	addCpuQuota(conn, &properties, r.CpuQuota, r.CpuPeriod)
 
 	if r.PidsLimit > 0 || r.PidsLimit == -1 {
 		properties = append(properties,
@@ -136,17 +136,17 @@ func (m *unifiedManager) Apply(pid int) error {
 	properties = append(properties,
 		newProp("DefaultDependencies", false))
 
-	resourcesProperties, err := genV2ResourcesProperties(c)
+	dbusConnection, err := getDbusConnection(m.rootless)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	resourcesProperties, err := genV2ResourcesProperties(c, dbusConnection)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	properties = append(properties, resourcesProperties...)
 	properties = append(properties, c.SystemdProps...)
 
-	dbusConnection, err := getDbusConnection(m.rootless)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
 	if err := startUnit(dbusConnection, unitName, properties); err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrapf(err, "error while starting unit %q with properties %+v", unitName, properties)
 	}
@@ -289,7 +289,11 @@ func (m *unifiedManager) GetStats() (*cgroups.Stats, error) {
 }
 
 func (m *unifiedManager) Set(container *configs.Config) error {
-	properties, err := genV2ResourcesProperties(m.cgroups)
+	dbusConnection, err := getDbusConnection(m.rootless)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	properties, err := genV2ResourcesProperties(m.cgroups, dbusConnection)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -314,11 +318,6 @@ func (m *unifiedManager) Set(container *configs.Config) error {
 		logrus.Infof("freeze container before SetUnitProperties failed: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	dbusConnection, err := getDbusConnection(m.rootless)
-	if err != nil {
-		_ = m.Freeze(targetFreezerState)
-		return err
-	}
 	if err := dbusConnection.SetUnitProperties(getUnitName(m.cgroups), true, properties...); err != nil {
 		_ = m.Freeze(targetFreezerState)
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "error while setting unit properties")
diff --git a/tests/integration/helpers.bash b/tests/integration/helpers.bash
index 5db99320..7cf3580a 100644
--- a/tests/integration/helpers.bash
+++ b/tests/integration/helpers.bash
@@ -105,6 +105,16 @@ function runc_rootless_cgroup() {
 	update_config '.linux.resources += {"memory":{},"cpu":{},"blockio":{},"pids":{}}' $bundle
 }
 
+# Returns systemd version as a number (-1 if systemd is not enabled/supported).
+function systemd_version() {
+	if [ -n "${RUNC_USE_SYSTEMD}" ]; then
+		systemctl --version | awk '/^systemd / {print $2; exit}'
+		return
+	fi
+
+	echo "-1"
+}
+
 function init_cgroup_paths() {
 	# init once
 	test -n "$CGROUP_UNIFIED" && return
@@ -180,15 +190,16 @@ function check_cgroup_value() {
 # Helper to check a value in systemd.
 function check_systemd_value() {
 	[ -z "${RUNC_USE_SYSTEMD}" ] && return
-	source=$1
+	local source=$1
 	[ "$source" = "unsupported" ] && return
-	expected="$2"
-	user=""
+	local expected="$2"
+	local expected2="$3"
+	local user=""
 	[ $(id -u) != "0" ] && user="--user"
 
 	current=$(systemctl show $user --property $source $SD_UNIT_NAME | awk -F= '{print $2}')
-	echo "systemd $source: current $current !? $expected"
-	[ "$current" = "$expected" ]
+	echo "systemd $source: current $current !? $expected $expected2"
+	[ "$current" = "$expected" ] || [ -n "$expected2" -a "$current" = "$expected2" ]
 }
 
 # Helper function to set a resources limit
diff --git a/tests/integration/update.bats b/tests/integration/update.bats
index 261ed99c..72902f4a 100644
--- a/tests/integration/update.bats
+++ b/tests/integration/update.bats
@@ -250,8 +250,18 @@ function check_cpu_quota() {
         check_cgroup_value "cpu.cfs_quota_us" $quota
         check_cgroup_value "cpu.cfs_period_us" $period
     fi
-    # systemd value is the same for v1 and v2
+    # systemd values are the same for v1 and v2
     check_systemd_value "CPUQuotaPerSecUSec" $sd_quota
+
+    # CPUQuotaPeriodUSec requires systemd >= v242
+    [ "$(systemd_version)" -lt 242 ] && return
+
+    local sd_period=$(( period/1000 ))ms
+    [ "$sd_period" = "1000ms" ] && sd_period="1s"
+    local sd_infinity=""
+    # 100ms is the default value, and if not set, shown as infinity
+    [ "$sd_period" = "100ms" ] && sd_infinity="infinity"
+    check_systemd_value "CPUQuotaPeriodUSec" $sd_period $sd_infinity
 }
 
 function check_cpu_shares() {