diff --git a/systemd/systemd_test.go b/systemd/systemd_test.go
index 156e55e..5d34a86 100644
--- a/systemd/systemd_test.go
+++ b/systemd/systemd_test.go
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@ package systemd
 
 import (
 	"os"
+	"os/exec"
 	"reflect"
+	"strconv"
 	"testing"
 
 	systemdDbus "github.com/coreos/go-systemd/v22/dbus"
@@ -157,6 +159,12 @@ func TestUnifiedResToSystemdProps(t *testing.T) {
 				newProp("CPUWeight", uint64(1000)),
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "memory.oom.group handled by Apply method",
+			res: map[string]string{
+				"memory.oom.group": "1",
+			},
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tc := range testCases {
@@ -272,3 +280,116 @@ func TestTasksMax(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("failed to set PidsLimit=nil: %v", err)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestOOMPolicyApply(t *testing.T) {
+	if !IsRunningSystemd() {
+		t.Skip("Test requires systemd.")
+	}
+	if !cgroups.IsCgroup2UnifiedMode() {
+		t.Skip("cgroup v2 is required")
+	}
+	if os.Geteuid() != 0 {
+		t.Skip("Test requires root.")
+	}
+
+	cm := newDbusConnManager(false)
+	if systemdVersion(cm) < oomPolicySupportedVersion {
+		t.Skipf("Test requires systemd >= %d (OOMPolicy on scopes)", oomPolicySupportedVersion)
+	}
+
+	testCases := []struct {
+		name           string
+		oomGroupValue  string
+		expectedPolicy string
+		expectError    bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name:           "memory.oom.group=0 sets OOMPolicy=continue",
+			oomGroupValue:  "0",
+			expectedPolicy: "continue",
+			expectError:    false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:           "memory.oom.group=1 sets OOMPolicy=kill",
+			oomGroupValue:  "1",
+			expectedPolicy: "kill",
+			expectError:    false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:          "invalid memory.oom.group value",
+			oomGroupValue: "invalid",
+			expectError:   true,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			config := &cgroups.Cgroup{
+				ScopePrefix: "test",
+				Name:        "test-oom-policy-" + strconv.FormatInt(int64(os.Getpid()), 10),
+				Resources: &cgroups.Resources{
+					Unified: map[string]string{
+						"memory.oom.group": tc.oomGroupValue,
+					},
+				},
+			}
+
+			manager, err := NewUnifiedManager(config, "")
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("Failed to create manager: %v", err)
+			}
+			defer func() {
+				_ = manager.Destroy()
+			}()
+
+			// Scopes require a process inside.
+			cmd := exec.Command("bash", "-c", "sleep 1m")
+			if err := cmd.Start(); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			// Make sure to not leave a zombie.
+			defer func() {
+				// These may fail, we don't care.
+				_ = cmd.Process.Kill()
+				_ = cmd.Wait()
+			}()
+
+			err = manager.Apply(cmd.Process.Pid)
+			if tc.expectError {
+				if err == nil {
+					t.Fatal("Expected error but got none")
+				}
+				return
+			}
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("Unexpected error: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			unitName := getUnitName(config)
+			conn, err := systemdDbus.NewSystemdConnectionContext(t.Context())
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("Failed to connect to systemd: %v", err)
+			}
+			defer conn.Close()
+
+			properties, err := conn.GetUnitTypePropertiesContext(t.Context(), unitName, "Scope")
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("Failed to get unit type properties: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			oomPolicyValue, exists := properties["OOMPolicy"]
+			if !exists {
+				t.Fatal("OOMPolicy property not found")
+			}
+
+			oomPolicyStr, ok := oomPolicyValue.(string)
+			if !ok {
+				t.Fatalf("OOMPolicy value is not a string: %T", oomPolicyValue)
+			}
+
+			if oomPolicyStr != tc.expectedPolicy {
+				t.Errorf("Expected OOMPolicy=%s, got %s", tc.expectedPolicy, oomPolicyStr)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/systemd/v2.go b/systemd/v2.go
index cb71e9e..bdfd446 100644
--- a/systemd/v2.go
+++ b/systemd/v2.go
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	cpuIdleSupportedVersion = 252
+	cpuIdleSupportedVersion   = 252
+	oomPolicySupportedVersion = 253
 )
 
 type UnifiedManager struct {
@@ -183,13 +184,8 @@ func unifiedResToSystemdProps(cm *dbusConnManager, res map[string]string) (props
 				newProp("TasksMax", num))
 
 		case "memory.oom.group":
-			// Setting this to 1 is roughly equivalent to OOMPolicy=kill
-			// (as per systemd.service(5) and
-			// https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/admin-guide/cgroup-v2.html),
-			// but it's not clear what to do if it is unset or set
-			// to 0 in runc update, as there are two other possible
-			// values for OOMPolicy (continue/stop).
-			fallthrough
+			// This was set before the unit started, so no need to
+			// warn about it here.
 
 		default:
 			// Ignore the unknown resource here -- will still be
@@ -338,6 +334,29 @@ func (m *UnifiedManager) Apply(pid int) error {
 
 	properties = append(properties, c.SystemdProps...)
 
+	// OOMPolicy must be set at unit creation time, systemd does not allow
+	// changing it on a running scope for some reason despite the kernel allowing so
+	// so we do this here in Apply() instead of Set()
+	if c.Resources != nil {
+		if v, ok := c.Resources.Unified["memory.oom.group"]; ok {
+			if systemdVersion(m.dbus) >= oomPolicySupportedVersion {
+				value, err := strconv.ParseUint(v, 10, 64)
+				if err != nil {
+					return fmt.Errorf("unified resource %q value conversion error: %w", "memory.oom.group", err)
+				}
+
+				switch value {
+				case 0:
+					properties = append(properties, newProp("OOMPolicy", "continue"))
+				case 1:
+					properties = append(properties, newProp("OOMPolicy", "kill"))
+				default:
+					logrus.Debugf("don't know how to convert memory.oom.group=%d; skipping (will still be applied to cgroupfs)", value)
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	if err := startUnit(m.dbus, unitName, properties, pid == -1); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("unable to start unit %q (properties %+v): %w", unitName, properties, err)
 	}