diff --git a/libcontainer/seccomp/seccomp_linux.go b/libcontainer/seccomp/seccomp_linux.go
index 23b8610481c..d64f4970ffd 100644
--- a/libcontainer/seccomp/seccomp_linux.go
+++ b/libcontainer/seccomp/seccomp_linux.go
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ func InitSeccomp(config *configs.Seccomp) (int, error) {
 
 	defaultAction, err := getAction(config.DefaultAction, config.DefaultErrnoRet)
 	if err != nil {
-		return -1, errors.New("error initializing seccomp - invalid default action")
+		return -1, fmt.Errorf("error initializing seccomp - invalid default action: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	// Ignore the error since pre-2.4 libseccomp is treated as API level 0.
@@ -197,6 +197,13 @@ func FlagSupported(flag specs.LinuxSeccompFlag) error {
 
 // Convert Libcontainer Action to Libseccomp ScmpAction
 func getAction(act configs.Action, errnoRet *uint) (libseccomp.ScmpAction, error) {
+	if errnoRet != nil && act != configs.Errno && act != configs.Trace {
+		switch act {
+		case configs.Kill, configs.Trap, configs.Allow, configs.Log, configs.Notify, configs.KillThread, configs.KillProcess:
+			return libseccomp.ActInvalid, errors.New("errnoRet is only supported for SCMP_ACT_ERRNO and SCMP_ACT_TRACE")
+		}
+	}
+
 	switch act {
 	case configs.Kill, configs.KillThread:
 		return libseccomp.ActKillThread, nil
diff --git a/libcontainer/seccomp/seccomp_linux_test.go b/libcontainer/seccomp/seccomp_linux_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..fc3797b24d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libcontainer/seccomp/seccomp_linux_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+//go:build cgo && seccomp
+
+package seccomp
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/opencontainers/runc/libcontainer/configs"
+)
+
+func TestGetActionErrnoRet(t *testing.T) {
+	errnoRet := uint(1)
+	tests := []struct {
+		name    string
+		action  configs.Action
+		wantErr bool
+	}{
+		{name: "kill", action: configs.Kill, wantErr: true},
+		{name: "errno", action: configs.Errno},
+		{name: "trap", action: configs.Trap, wantErr: true},
+		{name: "allow", action: configs.Allow, wantErr: true},
+		{name: "trace", action: configs.Trace},
+		{name: "log", action: configs.Log, wantErr: true},
+		{name: "notify", action: configs.Notify, wantErr: true},
+		{name: "kill thread", action: configs.KillThread, wantErr: true},
+		{name: "kill process", action: configs.KillProcess, wantErr: true},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			_, err := getAction(tt.action, &errnoRet)
+			if tt.wantErr && err == nil {
+				t.Fatal("expected errnoRet to be rejected for this action")
+			}
+			if !tt.wantErr && err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestInitSeccompRejectsErrnoRetForAllow(t *testing.T) {
+	errnoRet := uint(1)
+	tests := []struct {
+		name   string
+		config *configs.Seccomp
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "default action",
+			config: &configs.Seccomp{
+				DefaultAction:   configs.Allow,
+				DefaultErrnoRet: &errnoRet,
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "syscall action",
+			config: &configs.Seccomp{
+				DefaultAction: configs.Allow,
+				Syscalls: []*configs.Syscall{{
+					Name:     "getpid",
+					Action:   configs.Allow,
+					ErrnoRet: &errnoRet,
+				}},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			_, err := InitSeccomp(tt.config)
+			if err == nil {
+				t.Fatal("expected errnoRet with SCMP_ACT_ALLOW to be rejected")
+			}
+			if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "errnoRet is only supported") {
+				t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}