diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/managed/managed.go b/pkg/kubelet/managed/managed.go
index 4063d5381d6e2..d9266e440f0d8 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/managed/managed.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/managed/managed.go
@@ -117,14 +117,36 @@ func GenerateResourceName(workloadName string) v1.ResourceName {
 func updateContainers(workloadName string, pod *v1.Pod) error {
 	updateContainer := func(container *v1.Container) error {
 		if container.Resources.Requests == nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("managed container %v does not have Resource.Requests", container.Name)
+			// Nothing to modify, but that is OK, it will not
+			// change the QoS class of the modified Pod
+			return nil
 		}
-		if _, ok := container.Resources.Requests[v1.ResourceCPU]; !ok {
+
+		_, cpuOk := container.Resources.Requests[v1.ResourceCPU]
+		_, memoryOk := container.Resources.Requests[v1.ResourceMemory]
+
+		// It is possible memory is configured using limits only and that implies
+		// requests with the same value, check for that in case memory requests
+		// are not present by themselves.
+		if !memoryOk && container.Resources.Limits != nil {
+			_, memoryOk = container.Resources.Limits[v1.ResourceMemory]
+		}
+
+		// When both cpu and memory requests are missing, there is nothing
+		// to do
+		if !cpuOk && !memoryOk {
+			return nil
+		}
+
+		// Both memory and cpu have to be set to make sure stripping them
+		// will not change the QoS class of the Pod
+		if !cpuOk {
 			return fmt.Errorf("managed container %v does not have cpu requests", container.Name)
 		}
-		if _, ok := container.Resources.Requests[v1.ResourceMemory]; !ok {
+		if !memoryOk {
 			return fmt.Errorf("managed container %v does not have memory requests", container.Name)
 		}
+
 		if container.Resources.Limits == nil {
 			container.Resources.Limits = v1.ResourceList{}
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/managed/managed_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/managed/managed_test.go
index e4973f8a01db8..6cd19abca2b31 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/managed/managed_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/managed/managed_test.go
@@ -19,17 +19,6 @@ func TestModifyStaticPodForPinnedManagementErrorStates(t *testing.T) {
 		pod           *v1.Pod
 		expectedError error
 	}{
-		{
-			pod: createPod(workloadAnnotations, nil,
-				&v1.Container{
-					Name:  "nginx",
-					Image: "test/image",
-					Resources: v1.ResourceRequirements{
-						Requests: nil,
-					},
-				}),
-			expectedError: fmt.Errorf("managed container nginx does not have Resource.Requests"),
-		},
 		{
 			pod: createPod(workloadAnnotations, nil,
 				&v1.Container{
@@ -129,6 +118,7 @@ func TestStaticPodManaged(t *testing.T) {
 		pod                 *v1.Pod
 		expectedAnnotations map[string]string
 		isGuaranteed        bool
+		isBestEffort        bool
 	}{
 		{
 			pod: &v1.Pod{
@@ -168,6 +158,46 @@ func TestStaticPodManaged(t *testing.T) {
 				"resources.workload.openshift.io/nginx":   `{"cpushares":102}`,
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			pod: &v1.Pod{
+				TypeMeta: metav1.TypeMeta{
+					Kind:       "Pod",
+					APIVersion: "",
+				},
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Name:      "test",
+					UID:       "12345",
+					Namespace: "mynamespace",
+					Annotations: map[string]string{
+						"target.workload.openshift.io/management": `{"effect": "PreferredDuringScheduling"}`,
+					},
+				},
+				Spec: v1.PodSpec{
+					Containers: []v1.Container{
+						{
+							Name:  "nginx",
+							Image: "test/image",
+							Resources: v1.ResourceRequirements{
+								Requests: v1.ResourceList{
+									v1.ResourceName(v1.ResourceCPU): resource.MustParse("100m"),
+								},
+								Limits: v1.ResourceList{
+									v1.ResourceName(v1.ResourceMemory): resource.MustParse("100m"),
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+					SecurityContext: &v1.PodSecurityContext{},
+				},
+				Status: v1.PodStatus{
+					Phase: v1.PodPending,
+				},
+			},
+			expectedAnnotations: map[string]string{
+				"target.workload.openshift.io/management": `{"effect": "PreferredDuringScheduling"}`,
+				"resources.workload.openshift.io/nginx":   `{"cpushares":102}`,
+			},
+		},
 		{
 			pod: &v1.Pod{
 				TypeMeta: metav1.TypeMeta{
@@ -270,6 +300,164 @@ func TestStaticPodManaged(t *testing.T) {
 				"resources.workload.openshift.io/c1":      `{"cpushares":20,"cpulimit":100}`,
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			pod: &v1.Pod{
+				TypeMeta: metav1.TypeMeta{
+					Kind:       "Pod",
+					APIVersion: "",
+				},
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Name:      "test",
+					UID:       "12345",
+					Namespace: "mynamespace",
+					Annotations: map[string]string{
+						"target.workload.openshift.io/management": `{"effect": "PreferredDuringScheduling"}`,
+					},
+				},
+				Spec: v1.PodSpec{
+					Containers: []v1.Container{
+						{
+							Name:      "c1",
+							Image:     "test/nginx",
+							Resources: v1.ResourceRequirements{},
+						},
+					},
+					SecurityContext: &v1.PodSecurityContext{},
+				},
+				Status: v1.PodStatus{
+					Phase: v1.PodPending,
+				},
+			},
+			expectedAnnotations: map[string]string{
+				"target.workload.openshift.io/management": `{"effect": "PreferredDuringScheduling"}`,
+			},
+			isBestEffort: true,
+		},
+		{
+			pod: &v1.Pod{
+				TypeMeta: metav1.TypeMeta{
+					Kind:       "Pod",
+					APIVersion: "",
+				},
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Name:      "test",
+					UID:       "12345",
+					Namespace: "mynamespace",
+					Annotations: map[string]string{
+						"target.workload.openshift.io/management": `{"effect": "PreferredDuringScheduling"}`,
+					},
+				},
+				Spec: v1.PodSpec{
+					Containers: []v1.Container{
+						{
+							Name:  "c1",
+							Image: "test/nginx",
+							Resources: v1.ResourceRequirements{
+								Requests: v1.ResourceList{
+									v1.ResourceName("dummy"): resource.MustParse("20m"),
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+					SecurityContext: &v1.PodSecurityContext{},
+				},
+				Status: v1.PodStatus{
+					Phase: v1.PodPending,
+				},
+			},
+			expectedAnnotations: map[string]string{
+				"target.workload.openshift.io/management": `{"effect": "PreferredDuringScheduling"}`,
+			},
+			isBestEffort: true,
+		},
+		{
+			pod: &v1.Pod{
+				TypeMeta: metav1.TypeMeta{
+					Kind:       "Pod",
+					APIVersion: "",
+				},
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Name:      "test",
+					UID:       "12345",
+					Namespace: "mynamespace",
+					Annotations: map[string]string{
+						"target.workload.openshift.io/management": `{"effect": "PreferredDuringScheduling"}`,
+					},
+				},
+				Spec: v1.PodSpec{
+					Containers: []v1.Container{
+						{
+							Name:      "c1",
+							Image:     "test/nginx",
+							Resources: v1.ResourceRequirements{},
+						},
+					},
+					InitContainers: []v1.Container{
+						{
+							Name:      "ic1",
+							Image:     "test/nginx",
+							Resources: v1.ResourceRequirements{},
+						},
+					},
+					SecurityContext: &v1.PodSecurityContext{},
+				},
+				Status: v1.PodStatus{
+					Phase: v1.PodPending,
+				},
+			},
+			expectedAnnotations: map[string]string{
+				"target.workload.openshift.io/management": `{"effect": "PreferredDuringScheduling"}`,
+			},
+			isBestEffort: true,
+		},
+		{
+			pod: &v1.Pod{
+				TypeMeta: metav1.TypeMeta{
+					Kind:       "Pod",
+					APIVersion: "",
+				},
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Name:      "test",
+					UID:       "12345",
+					Namespace: "mynamespace",
+					Annotations: map[string]string{
+						"target.workload.openshift.io/management": `{"effect": "PreferredDuringScheduling"}`,
+					},
+				},
+				Spec: v1.PodSpec{
+					Containers: []v1.Container{
+						{
+							Name:  "c1",
+							Image: "test/nginx",
+							Resources: v1.ResourceRequirements{
+								Requests: v1.ResourceList{
+									v1.ResourceName("dummy"): resource.MustParse("20m"),
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+					InitContainers: []v1.Container{
+						{
+							Name:  "ic1",
+							Image: "test/nginx",
+							Resources: v1.ResourceRequirements{
+								Requests: v1.ResourceList{
+									v1.ResourceName("dummy"): resource.MustParse("20m"),
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+					SecurityContext: &v1.PodSecurityContext{},
+				},
+				Status: v1.PodStatus{
+					Phase: v1.PodPending,
+				},
+			},
+			expectedAnnotations: map[string]string{
+				"target.workload.openshift.io/management": `{"effect": "PreferredDuringScheduling"}`,
+			},
+			isBestEffort: true,
+		},
 		{
 			pod: &v1.Pod{
 				TypeMeta: metav1.TypeMeta{
@@ -481,15 +669,24 @@ func TestStaticPodManaged(t *testing.T) {
 			if container.Resources.Requests.Cpu().String() != "0" && !tc.isGuaranteed {
 				t.Errorf("cpu requests should be 0 got %v", container.Resources.Requests.Cpu().String())
 			}
-			if container.Resources.Requests.Memory().String() == "0" && !tc.isGuaranteed {
+			if container.Resources.Requests.Memory().String() == "0" && !tc.isGuaranteed && !tc.isBestEffort {
 				t.Errorf("memory requests were %v but should be %v", container.Resources.Requests.Memory().String(), container.Resources.Requests.Memory().String())
 			}
-			if _, exists := container.Resources.Requests[GenerateResourceName(workloadName)]; !exists && !tc.isGuaranteed {
+			if container.Resources.Requests.Memory().String() != "0" && !tc.isGuaranteed && tc.isBestEffort {
+				t.Errorf("memory requests should be 0 got %v", container.Resources.Requests.Memory().String())
+			}
+			if _, exists := container.Resources.Requests[GenerateResourceName(workloadName)]; !exists && !tc.isGuaranteed && !tc.isBestEffort {
 				t.Errorf("managed capacity label missing from pod %v and container %v", tc.pod.Name, container.Name)
 			}
-			if _, exists := container.Resources.Limits[GenerateResourceName(workloadName)]; !exists && !tc.isGuaranteed {
+			if _, exists := container.Resources.Limits[GenerateResourceName(workloadName)]; !exists && !tc.isGuaranteed && !tc.isBestEffort {
 				t.Errorf("managed capacity label missing from pod %v and container %v limits", tc.pod.Name, container.Name)
 			}
+			if _, exists := container.Resources.Requests[GenerateResourceName(workloadName)]; exists && tc.isBestEffort {
+				t.Errorf("managed capacity label present in best-effort pod %v and container %v requests", tc.pod.Name, container.Name)
+			}
+			if _, exists := container.Resources.Limits[GenerateResourceName(workloadName)]; exists && tc.isBestEffort {
+				t.Errorf("managed capacity label present in best-effort pod %v and container %v limits", tc.pod.Name, container.Name)
+			}
 		}
 	}
 }