diff --git a/plugin/pkg/admission/runtimeclass/admission.go b/plugin/pkg/admission/runtimeclass/admission.go
index 885385f03af..47af07b9986 100644
--- a/plugin/pkg/admission/runtimeclass/admission.go
+++ b/plugin/pkg/admission/runtimeclass/admission.go
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ func setScheduling(a admission.Attributes, pod *api.Pod, runtimeClass *nodev1.Ru
 }
 
 func validateOverhead(a admission.Attributes, pod *api.Pod, runtimeClass *nodev1.RuntimeClass) (err error) {
-	if runtimeClass != nil && runtimeClass.Overhead != nil {
+	if runtimeClass != nil && runtimeClass.Overhead != nil && len(pod.Spec.Overhead) > 0 {
 		// If the Overhead set doesn't match what is provided in the RuntimeClass definition, reject the pod
 		nodeOverhead := &node.Overhead{}
 		if err := apinodev1.Convert_v1_Overhead_To_node_Overhead(runtimeClass.Overhead, nodeOverhead, nil); err != nil {
diff --git a/plugin/pkg/admission/runtimeclass/admission_test.go b/plugin/pkg/admission/runtimeclass/admission_test.go
index 2b345c80c40..3a4a1b1171f 100644
--- a/plugin/pkg/admission/runtimeclass/admission_test.go
+++ b/plugin/pkg/admission/runtimeclass/admission_test.go
@@ -37,6 +37,11 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
+func setEmptyOverhead(pod *core.Pod) *core.Pod {
+	pod.Spec.Overhead = core.ResourceList{}
+	return pod
+}
+
 func newOverheadValidPod(name string, numContainers int, resources core.ResourceRequirements, setOverhead bool) *core.Pod {
 	pod := &core.Pod{
 		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Name: name, Namespace: "test"},
@@ -449,7 +454,7 @@ func TestValidate(t *testing.T) {
 		expectError  bool
 	}{
 		{
-			name: "No Overhead in RunntimeClass, Overhead set in pod",
+			name: "No Overhead in RuntimeClass, Overhead set in pod",
 			runtimeClass: &nodev1.RuntimeClass{
 				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Name: "foo"},
 				Handler:    "bar",
@@ -525,10 +530,10 @@ func TestValidateOverhead(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 			pod:         newOverheadValidPod("no-requirements", 1, core.ResourceRequirements{}, false),
-			expectError: true,
+			expectError: false,
 		},
 		{
-			name: "No Overhead in RunntimeClass, Overhead set in pod",
+			name: "No Overhead in RuntimeClass, Overhead set in pod",
 			runtimeClass: &nodev1.RuntimeClass{
 				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Name: "foo"},
 				Handler:    "bar",
@@ -537,11 +542,23 @@ func TestValidateOverhead(t *testing.T) {
 			expectError: true,
 		},
 		{
-			name:         "No RunntimeClass, Overhead set in pod",
+			name:         "No RuntimeClass, Overhead set in pod",
 			runtimeClass: nil,
 			pod:          newOverheadValidPod("no-resource-req-no-overhead", 1, getGuaranteedRequirements(), true),
 			expectError:  true,
 		},
+		{
+			name:         "No RuntimeClass, empty Overhead set in pod",
+			runtimeClass: nil,
+			pod:          setEmptyOverhead(newOverheadValidPod("no-resource-req-no-overhead", 1, getGuaranteedRequirements(), false)),
+			expectError:  true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "No RuntimeClass, Overhead is nil in pod",
+			runtimeClass: nil,
+			pod:          newOverheadValidPod("no-resource-req-no-overhead", 1, getGuaranteedRequirements(), false),
+			expectError:  false,
+		},
 		{
 			name: "Non-matching Overheads",
 			runtimeClass: &nodev1.RuntimeClass{
@@ -557,6 +574,36 @@ func TestValidateOverhead(t *testing.T) {
 			pod:         newOverheadValidPod("no-resource-req-no-overhead", 1, core.ResourceRequirements{}, true),
 			expectError: true,
 		},
+		{
+			name: "RuntimeClass is set, empty Overhead is in pod",
+			runtimeClass: &nodev1.RuntimeClass{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Name: "foo"},
+				Handler:    "bar",
+				Overhead: &nodev1.Overhead{
+					PodFixed: corev1.ResourceList{
+						corev1.ResourceName(corev1.ResourceCPU):    resource.MustParse("10"),
+						corev1.ResourceName(corev1.ResourceMemory): resource.MustParse("10G"),
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			pod:         setEmptyOverhead(newOverheadValidPod("no-resource-req-no-overhead", 1, core.ResourceRequirements{}, false)),
+			expectError: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "RuntimeClass is set, Overhead is nil in pod",
+			runtimeClass: &nodev1.RuntimeClass{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Name: "foo"},
+				Handler:    "bar",
+				Overhead: &nodev1.Overhead{
+					PodFixed: corev1.ResourceList{
+						corev1.ResourceName(corev1.ResourceCPU):    resource.MustParse("10"),
+						corev1.ResourceName(corev1.ResourceMemory): resource.MustParse("10G"),
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			pod:         newOverheadValidPod("no-resource-req-no-overhead", 1, core.ResourceRequirements{}, false),
+			expectError: false,
+		},
 		{
 			name: "Matching Overheads",
 			runtimeClass: &nodev1.RuntimeClass{