diff --git a/tidb-server/main.go b/tidb-server/main.go
index d8b830fc9c9a1..80bcf40392b6c 100644
--- a/tidb-server/main.go
+++ b/tidb-server/main.go
@@ -197,6 +197,7 @@ func main() {
 		checkTempStorageQuota()
 	}
 	setupLog()
+	memory.InitMemoryHook()
 	setupExtensions()
 
 	err := cpuprofile.StartCPUProfiler()
diff --git a/util/memory/meminfo.go b/util/memory/meminfo.go
index 4db9ac67b07dc..249377475df22 100644
--- a/util/memory/meminfo.go
+++ b/util/memory/meminfo.go
@@ -21,8 +21,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pingcap/failpoint"
 	"github.com/pingcap/tidb/parser/terror"
 	"github.com/pingcap/tidb/util/cgroup"
+	"github.com/pingcap/tidb/util/logutil"
 	"github.com/pingcap/tidb/util/mathutil"
 	"github.com/shirou/gopsutil/v3/mem"
+	"go.uber.org/zap"
 )
 
 // MemTotal returns the total amount of RAM on this system
@@ -50,6 +52,10 @@ func MemTotalNormal() (uint64, error) {
 	if time.Since(t) < 60*time.Second {
 		return total, nil
 	}
+	return memTotalNormal()
+}
+
+func memTotalNormal() (uint64, error) {
 	v, err := mem.VirtualMemory()
 	if err != nil {
 		return v.Total, err
@@ -139,6 +145,7 @@ func MemUsedCGroup() (uint64, error) {
 	return memo, nil
 }
 
+// it is for test and init.
 func init() {
 	if cgroup.InContainer() {
 		MemTotal = MemTotalCGroup
@@ -162,6 +169,36 @@ func init() {
 	terror.MustNil(err)
 }
 
+// InitMemoryHook initializes the memory hook.
+// It is to solve the problem that tidb cannot read cgroup in the systemd.
+// so if we are not in the container, we compare the cgroup memory limit and the physical memory,
+// the cgroup memory limit is smaller, we use the cgroup memory hook.
+func InitMemoryHook() {
+	if cgroup.InContainer() {
+		logutil.BgLogger().Info("use cgroup memory hook because TiDB is in the container")
+		return
+	}
+	cgroupValue, err := cgroup.GetMemoryLimit()
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	physicalValue, err := memTotalNormal()
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	if physicalValue > cgroupValue && cgroupValue != 0 {
+		MemTotal = MemTotalCGroup
+		MemUsed = MemUsedCGroup
+		logutil.BgLogger().Info("use cgroup memory hook", zap.Int64("cgroupMemorySize", int64(cgroupValue)), zap.Int64("physicalMemorySize", int64(physicalValue)))
+	} else {
+		logutil.BgLogger().Info("use physical memory hook", zap.Int64("cgroupMemorySize", int64(cgroupValue)), zap.Int64("physicalMemorySize", int64(physicalValue)))
+	}
+	_, err = MemTotal()
+	terror.MustNil(err)
+	_, err = MemUsed()
+	terror.MustNil(err)
+}
+
 // InstanceMemUsed returns the memory usage of this TiDB server
 func InstanceMemUsed() (uint64, error) {
 	used, t := serverMemUsage.get()