diff --git a/sys/env.go b/sys/env.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8450d6275
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sys/env.go
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+// +build !windows
+
+/*
+   Copyright The containerd Authors.
+
+   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+   You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+   limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package sys
+
+import "golang.org/x/sys/unix"
+
+// RunningPrivileged returns true if the effective user ID of the
+// calling process is 0
+func RunningPrivileged() bool {
+	return unix.Geteuid() == 0
+}
+
+// RunningUnprivileged returns true if the effective user ID of the
+// calling process is not 0
+func RunningUnprivileged() bool {
+	return !RunningPrivileged()
+}
diff --git a/sys/oom_unix.go b/sys/oom_unix.go
index 1abe7485b..7192efec1 100644
--- a/sys/oom_unix.go
+++ b/sys/oom_unix.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ func SetOOMScore(pid, score int) error {
 	}
 	defer f.Close()
 	if _, err = f.WriteString(strconv.Itoa(score)); err != nil {
-		if os.IsPermission(err) && system.RunningInUserNS() {
+		if os.IsPermission(err) && (system.RunningInUserNS() || RunningUnprivileged()) {
 			return nil
 		}
 		return err
diff --git a/sys/oom_unix_test.go b/sys/oom_unix_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..214ed890f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sys/oom_unix_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+// +build !windows
+
+/*
+   Copyright The containerd Authors.
+
+   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+   You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+   limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package sys
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+	"strconv"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/gotestyourself/gotestyourself/assert"
+	is "github.com/gotestyourself/gotestyourself/assert/cmp"
+)
+
+func TestSetPositiveOomScoreAdjustment(t *testing.T) {
+	adjustment, err := adjustOom(123)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+		return
+	}
+	assert.Check(t, is.Equal(adjustment, 123))
+}
+
+func TestSetNegativeOomScoreAdjustmentWhenPrivileged(t *testing.T) {
+	if RunningUnprivileged() {
+		t.Skip("Needs to be run as root")
+		return
+	}
+
+	adjustment, err := adjustOom(-123)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+		return
+	}
+	assert.Check(t, is.Equal(adjustment, -123))
+}
+
+func TestSetNegativeOomScoreAdjustmentWhenUnprivilegedHasNoEffect(t *testing.T) {
+	if RunningPrivileged() {
+		t.Skip("Needs to be run as non-root")
+		return
+	}
+
+	adjustment, err := adjustOom(-123)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+		return
+	}
+	assert.Check(t, is.Equal(adjustment, 0))
+}
+
+func adjustOom(adjustment int) (int, error) {
+	cmd := exec.Command("sleep", "100")
+	if err := cmd.Start(); err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+
+	pid, err := waitForPid(cmd.Process)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+
+	if err := SetOOMScore(pid, adjustment); err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+
+	return readOomScoreAdj(pid)
+}
+
+func waitForPid(process *os.Process) (int, error) {
+	c := make(chan int)
+	go func() {
+		for {
+			pid := process.Pid
+			if pid != 0 {
+				c <- pid
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+
+	select {
+	case pid := <-c:
+		return pid, nil
+	case <-time.After(10 * time.Second):
+		return 0, errors.New("Process did not start in 10 seconds")
+	}
+}
+
+func readOomScoreAdj(pid int) (int, error) {
+	oomScore, err := ioutil.ReadFile(fmt.Sprintf("/proc/%d/oom_score_adj", pid))
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+
+	scoreAsInt, err := strconv.Atoi(strings.TrimSpace(string(oomScore)))
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+
+	return scoreAsInt, nil
+}