diff --git a/libcontainer/specconv/spec_linux.go b/libcontainer/specconv/spec_linux.go
index 957011b4519..8de1a7f5acd 100644
--- a/libcontainer/specconv/spec_linux.go
+++ b/libcontainer/specconv/spec_linux.go
@@ -1161,6 +1161,16 @@ func parseMountOptions(options []string) *configs.Mount {
 			if f.clear {
 				recAttrClr |= f.flag
 				recAttrSet &= ^f.flag
+				// The kernel's mount_setattr(2) requires that if any bit of the
+				// MOUNT_ATTR__ATIME mask is changed, the full mask must be present in
+				// attr_clr. Partial masks result in EINVAL.
+				//
+				// We intentionally use unix.MOUNT_ATTR__ATIME (which should be 0x70)
+				// instead of constructing it from flags, because strict adherence
+				// to the kernel's definition of the mask is required.
+				if f.flag&unix.MOUNT_ATTR__ATIME == f.flag {
+					recAttrClr |= unix.MOUNT_ATTR__ATIME
+				}
 			} else {
 				recAttrSet |= f.flag
 				recAttrClr &= ^f.flag
diff --git a/libcontainer/specconv/spec_linux_test.go b/libcontainer/specconv/spec_linux_test.go
index b96893c7f75..34a16c8877c 100644
--- a/libcontainer/specconv/spec_linux_test.go
+++ b/libcontainer/specconv/spec_linux_test.go
@@ -1017,3 +1017,37 @@ func TestCreateNetDevices(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestParseMountOptionsRecursiveAtime(t *testing.T) {
+	// These options correspond to clears in recAttrFlags, triggering the 'clear' path.
+	// We expect recAttrClr to contain the full MOUNT_ATTR__ATIME mask.
+	const mountAttrAtime = unix.MOUNT_ATTR__ATIME
+
+	testCases := []struct {
+		opt  string
+		mask uint64
+	}{
+		{"ratime", mountAttrAtime},
+		{"rnostrictatime", mountAttrAtime},
+		{"rnorelatime", mountAttrAtime},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
+		m := parseMountOptions([]string{tc.opt})
+		if m.RecAttr == nil {
+			t.Errorf("option %s: expected RecAttr to be set", tc.opt)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		// Check if the attr_clr has the full mask set
+		if m.RecAttr.Attr_clr&tc.mask != tc.mask {
+			t.Errorf("option %s: expected attr_clr (0x%x) to contain full ATIME mask (0x%x)",
+				tc.opt, m.RecAttr.Attr_clr, tc.mask)
+		}
+
+		// Sanity check: Attr_set should be 0 for these clear-only options
+		if m.RecAttr.Attr_set != 0 {
+			t.Errorf("option %s: expected attr_set to be 0, got 0x%x", tc.opt, m.RecAttr.Attr_set)
+		}
+	}
+}