diff --git a/pkg/specgenutil/specgen.go b/pkg/specgenutil/specgen.go
index 3240eb9449..409018086d 100644
--- a/pkg/specgenutil/specgen.go
+++ b/pkg/specgenutil/specgen.go
@@ -23,6 +23,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec/specs-go"
 )
 
+const (
+	rlimitPrefix = "rlimit_"
+)
+
 func getCPULimits(c *entities.ContainerCreateOptions) *specs.LinuxCPU {
 	cpu := &specs.LinuxCPU{}
 	hasLimits := false
@@ -236,11 +240,15 @@ func setNamespaces(s *specgen.SpecGenerator, c *entities.ContainerCreateOptions)
 func GenRlimits(ulimits []string) ([]specs.POSIXRlimit, error) {
 	rlimits := make([]specs.POSIXRlimit, 0, len(ulimits))
 	// Rlimits/Ulimits
-	for _, u := range ulimits {
-		if u == "host" {
+	for _, ulimit := range ulimits {
+		if ulimit == "host" {
 			rlimits = nil
 			break
 		}
+		// `ulimitNameMapping` from go-units uses lowercase and names
+		// without prefixes, e.g. `RLIMIT_NOFILE` should be converted to `nofile`.
+		// https://github.com/containers/podman/issues/9803
+		u := strings.TrimPrefix(strings.ToLower(ulimit), rlimitPrefix)
 		ul, err := units.ParseUlimit(u)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("ulimit option %q requires name=SOFT:HARD, failed to be parsed: %w", u, err)
diff --git a/pkg/specgenutil/specgenutil_test.go b/pkg/specgenutil/specgenutil_test.go
index fb2743f170..6abe5ff777 100644
--- a/pkg/specgenutil/specgenutil_test.go
+++ b/pkg/specgenutil/specgenutil_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 package specgenutil
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/containers/common/pkg/machine"
@@ -154,3 +156,64 @@ func TestParseLinuxResourcesDeviceAccess(t *testing.T) {
 	_, err = parseLinuxResourcesDeviceAccess("a *:-3 r")
 	assert.NotNil(t, err, "err is not nil")
 }
+
+func TestGenRlimits(t *testing.T) {
+	testLimits := map[string]string{
+		"core":       "1:2",
+		"cpu":        "1:2",
+		"data":       "1:2",
+		"fsize":      "1:2",
+		"locks":      "1:2",
+		"memlock":    "1:2",
+		"msgqueue":   "1:2",
+		"nice":       "1:2",
+		"nofile":     "1:2",
+		"nproc":      "1:2",
+		"rss":        "1:2",
+		"rtprio":     "1:2",
+		"rttime":     "1:2",
+		"sigpending": "1:2",
+		"stack":      "1:2",
+	}
+
+	lowerCaseLimits := make([]string, 0, len(testLimits))
+	upperCaseLimitsWithPrefix := make([]string, 0, len(testLimits))
+	for name, limit := range testLimits {
+		lowerCaseLimits = append(lowerCaseLimits, fmt.Sprintf("%s=%s", name, limit))
+		upperCaseLimitsWithPrefix = append(upperCaseLimitsWithPrefix, strings.ToUpper(fmt.Sprintf("%s%s=%s", rlimitPrefix, name, limit)))
+	}
+
+	parsedLimits, err := GenRlimits(lowerCaseLimits)
+	assert.NoError(t, err, "err is nil")
+
+	for _, limit := range parsedLimits {
+		val, ok := testLimits[limit.Type]
+		assert.True(t, ok, "%s matched", limit.Type)
+		assert.Equal(t, val, fmt.Sprintf("%d:%d", limit.Soft, limit.Hard), "soft and hard limits are equal")
+	}
+
+	parsedLimits, err = GenRlimits(upperCaseLimitsWithPrefix)
+	assert.NoError(t, err, "err is nil")
+
+	for _, limit := range parsedLimits {
+		val, ok := testLimits[limit.Type]
+		assert.True(t, ok, "%s matched", limit.Type)
+		assert.Equal(t, val, fmt.Sprintf("%d:%d", limit.Soft, limit.Hard), "soft and hard limits are equal")
+	}
+
+	// go-utils module has no tests for the parser.
+	_, err = GenRlimits([]string{"foo=1:1"})
+	assert.Error(t, err, "err is not nil")
+
+	_, err = GenRlimits([]string{"RLIMIT_FOO=1:1"})
+	assert.Error(t, err, "err is not nil")
+
+	_, err = GenRlimits([]string{"nofile"})
+	assert.Error(t, err, "err is not nil")
+
+	_, err = GenRlimits([]string{"nofile=bar"})
+	assert.Error(t, err, "err is not nil")
+
+	_, err = GenRlimits([]string{"nofile=bar:buzz"})
+	assert.Error(t, err, "err is not nil")
+}