diff --git a/libcontainer/cgroups/fs/cpu.go b/libcontainer/cgroups/fs/cpu.go
index 727f7f9184f..5a60f43ada6 100644
--- a/libcontainer/cgroups/fs/cpu.go
+++ b/libcontainer/cgroups/fs/cpu.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"strconv"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/opencontainers/runc/libcontainer/cgroups"
 	"github.com/opencontainers/runc/libcontainer/cgroups/fscommon"
@@ -35,17 +36,60 @@ func (s *CpuGroup) Apply(path string, r *configs.Resources, pid int) error {
 }
 
 func (s *CpuGroup) SetRtSched(path string, r *configs.Resources) error {
-	if r.CpuRtPeriod != 0 {
-		if err := cgroups.WriteFile(path, "cpu.rt_period_us", strconv.FormatUint(r.CpuRtPeriod, 10)); err != nil {
+	const (
+		filePeriod  = "cpu.rt_period_us"
+		fileRuntime = "cpu.rt_runtime_us"
+	)
+
+	if r.CpuRtPeriod == 0 && r.CpuRtRuntime == 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	if r.CpuRtPeriod != 0 && r.CpuRtRuntime == 0 {
+		return cgroups.WriteFile(path, filePeriod, strconv.FormatUint(r.CpuRtPeriod, 10))
+	} else if r.CpuRtRuntime != 0 && r.CpuRtPeriod == 0 {
+		return cgroups.WriteFile(path, fileRuntime, strconv.FormatInt(r.CpuRtRuntime, 10))
+	}
+
+	// When neither CpuRtPeriod nor CpuRtRuntime is equal to 0, let's set them in the correct order
+
+	sOldPeriod, err := cgroups.ReadFile(path, filePeriod)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	oldPeriod, err := strconv.ParseInt(strings.TrimSpace(sOldPeriod), 10, 64)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	sOldRuntime, err := cgroups.ReadFile(path, fileRuntime)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	oldRuntime, err := strconv.ParseInt(strings.TrimSpace(sOldRuntime), 10, 64)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	/*
+		set the cpu.rt_period_us and cpu.rt_runtime_us in the optimal order and
+		try to keep the ratio of the intermediate state within the limit.
+	*/
+
+	// First set cpu.rt_period_us because of (oldRuntime / r.CpuRtPeriod) < (r.CpuRtRuntime / oldPeriod)
+	if uint64(oldRuntime*oldPeriod) < (uint64(r.CpuRtRuntime) * r.CpuRtPeriod) {
+		if err := cgroups.WriteFile(path, filePeriod, strconv.FormatUint(r.CpuRtPeriod, 10)); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-	}
-	if r.CpuRtRuntime != 0 {
-		if err := cgroups.WriteFile(path, "cpu.rt_runtime_us", strconv.FormatInt(r.CpuRtRuntime, 10)); err != nil {
+		if err := cgroups.WriteFile(path, fileRuntime, strconv.FormatInt(r.CpuRtRuntime, 10)); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
-	return nil
+	// First set cpu.rt_runtime_us because of (r.CpuRtRuntime / oldPeriod) < (oldRuntime / r.CpuRtPeriod)
+	if err := cgroups.WriteFile(path, fileRuntime, strconv.FormatInt(r.CpuRtRuntime, 10)); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return cgroups.WriteFile(path, filePeriod, strconv.FormatUint(r.CpuRtPeriod, 10))
 }
 
 func (s *CpuGroup) Set(path string, r *configs.Resources) error {
diff --git a/tests/integration/update.bats b/tests/integration/update.bats
index 5a3dc7f0563..985d5946f82 100644
--- a/tests/integration/update.bats
+++ b/tests/integration/update.bats
@@ -758,6 +758,16 @@ EOF
 
 	check_cgroup_value "cpu.rt_period_us" 900001
 	check_cgroup_value "cpu.rt_runtime_us" 600001
+
+	runc update test_update_rt --cpu-rt-period 10000 --cpu-rt-runtime 3000
+    	[ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+	check_cgroup_value "cpu.rt_period_us" 10000
+	check_cgroup_value "cpu.rt_runtime_us" 3000
+
+    	runc update test_update_rt --cpu-rt-period 100000 --cpu-rt-runtime 20000
+    	[ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+    	check_cgroup_value "cpu.rt_period_us" 100000
+    	check_cgroup_value "cpu.rt_runtime_us" 20000
 }
 
 @test "update devices [minimal transition rules]" {