diff --git a/cgroup1/pids.go b/cgroup1/pids.go
index 89818332..25421a21 100644
--- a/cgroup1/pids.go
+++ b/cgroup1/pids.go
@@ -47,10 +47,11 @@ func (p *pidsController) Create(path string, resources *specs.LinuxResources) er
 	if err := os.MkdirAll(p.Path(path), defaultDirPerm); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if resources.Pids != nil && resources.Pids.Limit > 0 {
+	if resources.Pids != nil && resources.Pids.Limit != nil &&
+		*resources.Pids.Limit > 0 {
 		return os.WriteFile(
 			filepath.Join(p.Path(path), "pids.max"),
-			[]byte(strconv.FormatInt(resources.Pids.Limit, 10)),
+			[]byte(strconv.FormatInt(*resources.Pids.Limit, 10)),
 			defaultFilePerm,
 		)
 	}
diff --git a/cgroup1/pids_test.go b/cgroup1/pids_test.go
index d67e6716..df873383 100644
--- a/cgroup1/pids_test.go
+++ b/cgroup1/pids_test.go
@@ -43,7 +43,8 @@ func TestPids(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	resources := specs.LinuxResources{}
 	resources.Pids = &specs.LinuxPids{}
-	resources.Pids.Limit = int64(10)
+	pidsLimit := int64(10)
+	resources.Pids.Limit = &pidsLimit
 	err = pids.Create("test", &resources)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
@@ -69,7 +70,7 @@ func TestPids(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("expected pids limit %q but received %q",
 			uint64(5), metrics.Pids.Current)
 	}
-	resources.Pids.Limit = int64(15)
+	pidsLimit = 15
 	err = pids.Update("test", &resources)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
@@ -203,9 +204,10 @@ func BenchmarkTestPids(b *testing.B) {
 	if pids == nil {
 		b.Fatal("pids is nil")
 	}
+	pidsLimit := int64(10)
 	resources := specs.LinuxResources{
 		Pids: &specs.LinuxPids{
-			Limit: 10,
+			Limit: &pidsLimit,
 		},
 	}
 
diff --git a/cgroup2/utils.go b/cgroup2/utils.go
index 1f6ecb09..4bdeac90 100644
--- a/cgroup2/utils.go
+++ b/cgroup2/utils.go
@@ -221,9 +221,9 @@ func ToResources(spec *specs.LinuxResources) *Resources {
 		}
 		resources.HugeTlb = &hugeTlbUsage
 	}
-	if pids := spec.Pids; pids != nil {
+	if pids := spec.Pids; pids != nil && pids.Limit != nil {
 		resources.Pids = &Pids{
-			Max: pids.Limit,
+			Max: *pids.Limit,
 		}
 	}
 	if i := spec.BlockIO; i != nil {
diff --git a/cmd/go.mod b/cmd/go.mod
index 2c8baed5..5ae66a72 100644
--- a/cmd/go.mod
+++ b/cmd/go.mod
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/cpuguy83/go-md2man/v2 v2.0.5 // indirect
 	github.com/godbus/dbus/v5 v5.1.0 // indirect
 	github.com/moby/sys/userns v0.1.0 // indirect
-	github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec v1.2.0 // indirect
+	github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec v1.3.0 // indirect
 	github.com/russross/blackfriday/v2 v2.1.0 // indirect
 	github.com/sirupsen/logrus v1.9.3 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20241108190413-2d47ceb2692f // indirect
diff --git a/cmd/go.sum b/cmd/go.sum
index 44a4bae3..1148b563 100644
--- a/cmd/go.sum
+++ b/cmd/go.sum
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ github.com/mdlayher/socket v0.4.1 h1:eM9y2/jlbs1M615oshPQOHZzj6R6wMT7bX5NPiQvn2U
 github.com/mdlayher/socket v0.4.1/go.mod h1:cAqeGjoufqdxWkD7DkpyS+wcefOtmu5OQ8KuoJGIReA=
 github.com/moby/sys/userns v0.1.0 h1:tVLXkFOxVu9A64/yh59slHVv9ahO9UIev4JZusOLG/g=
 github.com/moby/sys/userns v0.1.0/go.mod h1:IHUYgu/kao6N8YZlp9Cf444ySSvCmDlmzUcYfDHOl28=
-github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec v1.2.0 h1:z97+pHb3uELt/yiAWD691HNHQIF07bE7dzrbT927iTk=
-github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec v1.2.0/go.mod h1:jwyrGlmzljRJv/Fgzds9SsS/C5hL+LL3ko9hs6T5lQ0=
+github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec v1.3.0 h1:YZupQUdctfhpZy3TM39nN9Ika5CBWT5diQ8ibYCRkxg=
+github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec v1.3.0/go.mod h1:jwyrGlmzljRJv/Fgzds9SsS/C5hL+LL3ko9hs6T5lQ0=
 github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0 h1:4DBwDE0NGyQoBHbLQYPwSUPoCMWR5BEzIk/f1lZbAQM=
 github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0/go.mod h1:iKH77koFhYxTK1pcRnkKkqfTogsbg7gZNVY4sRDYZ/4=
 github.com/rogpeppe/go-internal v1.11.0 h1:cWPaGQEPrBb5/AsnsZesgZZ9yb1OQ+GOISoDNXVBh4M=
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 47e5d3e6..a5c1c904 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/docker/go-units v0.5.0
 	github.com/godbus/dbus/v5 v5.1.0
 	github.com/moby/sys/userns v0.1.0
-	github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec v1.2.0
+	github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec v1.3.0
 	github.com/stretchr/testify v1.8.4
 	go.uber.org/goleak v1.1.12
 	golang.org/x/sys v0.27.0
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 33fcf55d..fcce1c62 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ github.com/mdlayher/socket v0.4.1 h1:eM9y2/jlbs1M615oshPQOHZzj6R6wMT7bX5NPiQvn2U
 github.com/mdlayher/socket v0.4.1/go.mod h1:cAqeGjoufqdxWkD7DkpyS+wcefOtmu5OQ8KuoJGIReA=
 github.com/moby/sys/userns v0.1.0 h1:tVLXkFOxVu9A64/yh59slHVv9ahO9UIev4JZusOLG/g=
 github.com/moby/sys/userns v0.1.0/go.mod h1:IHUYgu/kao6N8YZlp9Cf444ySSvCmDlmzUcYfDHOl28=
-github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec v1.2.0 h1:z97+pHb3uELt/yiAWD691HNHQIF07bE7dzrbT927iTk=
-github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec v1.2.0/go.mod h1:jwyrGlmzljRJv/Fgzds9SsS/C5hL+LL3ko9hs6T5lQ0=
+github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec v1.3.0 h1:YZupQUdctfhpZy3TM39nN9Ika5CBWT5diQ8ibYCRkxg=
+github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec v1.3.0/go.mod h1:jwyrGlmzljRJv/Fgzds9SsS/C5hL+LL3ko9hs6T5lQ0=
 github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0 h1:4DBwDE0NGyQoBHbLQYPwSUPoCMWR5BEzIk/f1lZbAQM=
 github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0/go.mod h1:iKH77koFhYxTK1pcRnkKkqfTogsbg7gZNVY4sRDYZ/4=
 github.com/rogpeppe/go-internal v1.11.0 h1:cWPaGQEPrBb5/AsnsZesgZZ9yb1OQ+GOISoDNXVBh4M=