diff --git a/cli/config/configuration-qemu-virtiofs.toml.in b/cli/config/configuration-qemu-virtiofs.toml.in
index 4cf268454b..74d19cc5fa 100644
--- a/cli/config/configuration-qemu-virtiofs.toml.in
+++ b/cli/config/configuration-qemu-virtiofs.toml.in
@@ -221,6 +221,9 @@ vhost_user_store_path = "@DEFVHOSTUSERSTOREPATH@"
 # This option will be ignored if VM templating is enabled.
 #file_mem_backend = ""
 
+# List of valid annotations values for the file_mem_backend annotation (default: empty)
+# file_mem_backend_list = [ "/dev/shm" ]
+
 # Enable swap of vm memory. Default false.
 # The behaviour is undefined if mem_prealloc is also set to true
 #enable_swap = true
diff --git a/cli/config/configuration-qemu.toml.in b/cli/config/configuration-qemu.toml.in
index b4ca579be7..43bfd2a28b 100644
--- a/cli/config/configuration-qemu.toml.in
+++ b/cli/config/configuration-qemu.toml.in
@@ -227,6 +227,9 @@ vhost_user_store_path = "@DEFVHOSTUSERSTOREPATH@"
 # This option will be ignored if VM templating is enabled.
 #file_mem_backend = ""
 
+# List of valid annotations values for the file_mem_backend annotation (default: empty)
+# file_mem_backend_list = [ "/dev/shm" ]
+
 # Enable swap of vm memory. Default false.
 # The behaviour is undefined if mem_prealloc is also set to true
 #enable_swap = true
diff --git a/pkg/katautils/config.go b/pkg/katautils/config.go
index c6f848cb67..6cbf9783ae 100644
--- a/pkg/katautils/config.go
+++ b/pkg/katautils/config.go
@@ -693,6 +693,7 @@ func newQemuHypervisorConfig(h hypervisor) (vc.HypervisorConfig, error) {
 		IOMMU:                   h.IOMMU,
 		IOMMUPlatform:           h.getIOMMUPlatform(),
 		FileBackedMemRootDir:    h.FileBackedMemRootDir,
+		FileBackedMemRootList:   h.FileBackedMemRootList,
 		Mlock:                   !h.Swap,
 		Debug:                   h.Debug,
 		DisableNestingChecks:    h.DisableNestingChecks,
@@ -851,6 +852,7 @@ func newClhHypervisorConfig(h hypervisor) (vc.HypervisorConfig, error) {
 		MemPrealloc:             h.MemPrealloc,
 		HugePages:               h.HugePages,
 		FileBackedMemRootDir:    h.FileBackedMemRootDir,
+		FileBackedMemRootList:   h.FileBackedMemRootList,
 		Mlock:                   !h.Swap,
 		Debug:                   h.Debug,
 		DisableNestingChecks:    h.DisableNestingChecks,
diff --git a/virtcontainers/hypervisor.go b/virtcontainers/hypervisor.go
index 384290c409..00143b832d 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/hypervisor.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/hypervisor.go
@@ -336,6 +336,9 @@ type HypervisorConfig struct {
 	// File based memory backend root directory
 	FileBackedMemRootDir string
 
+	// FileBackedMemRootList is the list of valid root directories values for annotations
+	FileBackedMemRootList []string
+
 	// customAssets is a map of assets.
 	// Each value in that map takes precedence over the configured assets.
 	// For example, if there is a value for the "kernel" key in this map,
diff --git a/virtcontainers/persist.go b/virtcontainers/persist.go
index fac0a619a1..92cf16c239 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/persist.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/persist.go
@@ -248,6 +248,7 @@ func (s *Sandbox) dumpConfig(ss *persistapi.SandboxState) {
 		MemPrealloc:             sconfig.HypervisorConfig.MemPrealloc,
 		HugePages:               sconfig.HypervisorConfig.HugePages,
 		FileBackedMemRootDir:    sconfig.HypervisorConfig.FileBackedMemRootDir,
+		FileBackedMemRootList:   sconfig.HypervisorConfig.FileBackedMemRootList,
 		Realtime:                sconfig.HypervisorConfig.Realtime,
 		Mlock:                   sconfig.HypervisorConfig.Mlock,
 		DisableNestingChecks:    sconfig.HypervisorConfig.DisableNestingChecks,
@@ -544,6 +545,7 @@ func loadSandboxConfig(id string) (*SandboxConfig, error) {
 		MemPrealloc:             hconf.MemPrealloc,
 		HugePages:               hconf.HugePages,
 		FileBackedMemRootDir:    hconf.FileBackedMemRootDir,
+		FileBackedMemRootList:   hconf.FileBackedMemRootList,
 		Realtime:                hconf.Realtime,
 		Mlock:                   hconf.Mlock,
 		DisableNestingChecks:    hconf.DisableNestingChecks,
diff --git a/virtcontainers/persist/api/config.go b/virtcontainers/persist/api/config.go
index 262a8eee47..5498d2161e 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/persist/api/config.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/persist/api/config.go
@@ -116,6 +116,9 @@ type HypervisorConfig struct {
 	// File based memory backend root directory
 	FileBackedMemRootDir string
 
+	// FileBackedMemRootList is the list of valid root directories values for annotations
+	FileBackedMemRootList []string
+
 	// BlockDeviceCacheSet specifies cache-related options will be set to block devices or not.
 	BlockDeviceCacheSet bool
 
diff --git a/virtcontainers/pkg/oci/utils.go b/virtcontainers/pkg/oci/utils.go
index d9d9c9f0e0..5d537bd653 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/pkg/oci/utils.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/pkg/oci/utils.go
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@ func addHypervisorConfigOverrides(ocispec specs.Spec, config *vc.SandboxConfig,
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if err := addHypervisorMemoryOverrides(ocispec, config); err != nil {
+	if err := addHypervisorMemoryOverrides(ocispec, config, runtime); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -509,7 +509,7 @@ func addHypervisorConfigOverrides(ocispec specs.Spec, config *vc.SandboxConfig,
 	return nil
 }
 
-func addHypervisorMemoryOverrides(ocispec specs.Spec, sbConfig *vc.SandboxConfig) error {
+func addHypervisorMemoryOverrides(ocispec specs.Spec, sbConfig *vc.SandboxConfig, runtime RuntimeConfig) error {
 	if value, ok := ocispec.Annotations[vcAnnotations.DefaultMemory]; ok {
 		memorySz, err := strconv.ParseUint(value, 10, 32)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -573,6 +573,9 @@ func addHypervisorMemoryOverrides(ocispec specs.Spec, sbConfig *vc.SandboxConfig
 	}
 
 	if value, ok := ocispec.Annotations[vcAnnotations.FileBackedMemRootDir]; ok {
+		if !regexpContains(runtime.HypervisorConfig.FileBackedMemRootList, value) {
+			return fmt.Errorf("file_mem_backend value %v required from annotation is not valid", value)
+		}
 		sbConfig.HypervisorConfig.FileBackedMemRootDir = value
 	}