diff --git a/linux-user/syscall.c b/linux-user/syscall.c
index 019af632df..ae3c0dfef7 100644
--- a/linux-user/syscall.c
+++ b/linux-user/syscall.c
@@ -7879,7 +7879,21 @@ static abi_long do_syscall1(void *cpu_env, int num, abi_long arg1,
             rlim.rlim_cur = target_to_host_rlim(target_rlim->rlim_cur);
             rlim.rlim_max = target_to_host_rlim(target_rlim->rlim_max);
             unlock_user_struct(target_rlim, arg2, 0);
-            return get_errno(setrlimit(resource, &rlim));
+            /*
+             * If we just passed through resource limit settings for memory then
+             * they would also apply to QEMU's own allocations, and QEMU will
+             * crash or hang or die if its allocations fail. Ideally we would
+             * track the guest allocations in QEMU and apply the limits ourselves.
+             * For now, just tell the guest the call succeeded but don't actually
+             * limit anything.
+             */
+            if (resource != RLIMIT_AS &&
+                resource != RLIMIT_DATA &&
+                resource != RLIMIT_STACK) {
+                return get_errno(setrlimit(resource, &rlim));
+            } else {
+                return 0;
+            }
         }
 #endif
 #ifdef TARGET_NR_getrlimit