diff --git a/pkg/katautils/config.go b/pkg/katautils/config.go
index a982a3f499..c19a0733d4 100644
--- a/pkg/katautils/config.go
+++ b/pkg/katautils/config.go
@@ -326,11 +326,11 @@ func (h hypervisor) defaultMaxVCPUs() uint32 {
 }
 
 func (h hypervisor) defaultMemSz() uint32 {
-	if h.MemorySize < vc.MinHypervisorMemory {
-		return defaultMemSize // MiB
+	if h.MemorySize > 0 {
+		return h.MemorySize
 	}
 
-	return h.MemorySize
+	return defaultMemSize
 }
 
 func (h hypervisor) defaultMemSlots() uint32 {
diff --git a/virtcontainers/hypervisor.go b/virtcontainers/hypervisor.go
index aa441b23a8..3f910e44da 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/hypervisor.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/hypervisor.go
@@ -75,9 +75,6 @@ const (
 	// Port where the agent will send the logs. Logs are sent through the vsock in cases
 	// where the hypervisor has no console.sock, i.e firecracker
 	vSockLogsPort = 1025
-
-	// MinHypervisorMemory is the minimum memory required for a VM.
-	MinHypervisorMemory = 256
 )
 
 // In some architectures the maximum number of vCPUs depends on the number of physical cores.
diff --git a/virtcontainers/pkg/oci/utils.go b/virtcontainers/pkg/oci/utils.go
index 26ed68cf78..dcd8fb23b0 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/pkg/oci/utils.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/pkg/oci/utils.go
@@ -477,11 +477,7 @@ func addHypervisorMemoryOverrides(ocispec specs.Spec, sbConfig *vc.SandboxConfig
 	if value, ok := ocispec.Annotations[vcAnnotations.DefaultMemory]; ok {
 		memorySz, err := strconv.ParseUint(value, 10, 32)
 		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("Error encountered parsing annotation for default_memory: %v, please specify positive numeric value greater than 8", err)
-		}
-
-		if memorySz < vc.MinHypervisorMemory {
-			return fmt.Errorf("Memory specified in annotation %s is less than minimum required %d, please specify a larger value", vcAnnotations.DefaultMemory, vc.MinHypervisorMemory)
+			return fmt.Errorf("Error encountered parsing annotation for default_memory: %v", err)
 		}
 
 		sbConfig.HypervisorConfig.MemorySize = uint32(memorySz)
diff --git a/virtcontainers/pkg/oci/utils_test.go b/virtcontainers/pkg/oci/utils_test.go
index ae15811027..0257a05ad0 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/pkg/oci/utils_test.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/pkg/oci/utils_test.go
@@ -844,7 +844,6 @@ func TestAddHypervisorAnnotations(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Error(err)
 
 	ocispec.Annotations[vcAnnotations.DefaultMaxVCPUs] = "1"
-	ocispec.Annotations[vcAnnotations.DefaultMemory] = fmt.Sprintf("%d", vc.MinHypervisorMemory+1)
 	assert.Error(err)
 }