diff --git a/container/common/helpers.go b/container/common/helpers.go
index 3b3d27f300..318333e69a 100644
--- a/container/common/helpers.go
+++ b/container/common/helpers.go
@@ -301,7 +301,19 @@ func readUInt64(dirpath string, file string) uint64 {
 }
 
 // Lists all directories under "path" and outputs the results as children of "parent".
-func ListDirectories(dirpath string, parent string, recursive bool, output map[string]struct{}) error {
+func ListDirectories(dirpath string, parent string, recursive bool, output map[string]struct{}, rawPrefixWhiteList []string) error {
+	if len(rawPrefixWhiteList) > 0 && parent != "/" {
+		inWhiteList := false
+		for _, prefix := range rawPrefixWhiteList {
+			if strings.HasPrefix(parent, prefix) || strings.HasPrefix(prefix, parent) {
+				inWhiteList = true
+				break
+			}
+		}
+		if !inWhiteList {
+			return nil
+		}
+	}
 	dirents, err := os.ReadDir(dirpath)
 	if err != nil {
 		// Ignore if this hierarchy does not exist.
@@ -322,7 +334,7 @@ func ListDirectories(dirpath string, parent string, recursive bool, output map[s
 
 		// List subcontainers if asked to.
 		if recursive {
-			if err := ListDirectories(path.Join(dirpath, dirname), name, true, output); err != nil {
+			if err := ListDirectories(path.Join(dirpath, dirname), name, true, output, rawPrefixWhiteList); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 		}
@@ -349,10 +361,10 @@ func CgroupExists(cgroupPaths map[string]string) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
-func ListContainers(name string, cgroupPaths map[string]string, listType container.ListType) ([]info.ContainerReference, error) {
+func ListContainers(name string, cgroupPaths map[string]string, listType container.ListType, rawPrefixWhiteList []string) ([]info.ContainerReference, error) {
 	containers := make(map[string]struct{})
 	for _, cgroupPath := range cgroupPaths {
-		err := ListDirectories(cgroupPath, name, listType == container.ListRecursive, containers)
+		err := ListDirectories(cgroupPath, name, listType == container.ListRecursive, containers, rawPrefixWhiteList)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
diff --git a/container/common/helpers_test.go b/container/common/helpers_test.go
index db9e13829f..93827f774e 100644
--- a/container/common/helpers_test.go
+++ b/container/common/helpers_test.go
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ import (
 func BenchmarkListDirectories(b *testing.B) {
 	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
 		output := make(map[string]struct{})
-		if err := ListDirectories("/sys/fs/cgroup", "", true, output); err != nil {
+		if err := ListDirectories("/sys/fs/cgroup", "", true, output, []string{}); err != nil {
 			b.Fatal(err)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/container/raw/factory.go b/container/raw/factory.go
index 0ab60829a8..fd496ccb37 100644
--- a/container/raw/factory.go
+++ b/container/raw/factory.go
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ func (f *rawFactory) NewContainerHandler(name string, metadataEnvAllowList []str
 	if !inHostNamespace {
 		rootFs = "/rootfs"
 	}
-	return newRawContainerHandler(name, f.cgroupSubsystems, f.machineInfoFactory, f.fsInfo, f.watcher, rootFs, f.includedMetrics)
+	return newRawContainerHandler(name, f.cgroupSubsystems, f.machineInfoFactory, f.fsInfo, f.watcher, rootFs, f.includedMetrics, f.rawPrefixWhiteList)
 }
 
 // The raw factory can handle any container. If --docker_only is set to true, non-docker containers are ignored except for "/" and those whitelisted by raw_cgroup_prefix_whitelist flag.
diff --git a/container/raw/handler.go b/container/raw/handler.go
index a53c018806..fba22dc7c8 100644
--- a/container/raw/handler.go
+++ b/container/raw/handler.go
@@ -45,13 +45,16 @@ type rawContainerHandler struct {
 	includedMetrics container.MetricSet
 
 	libcontainerHandler *libcontainer.Handler
+
+	// List of raw container cgroup path prefix whitelist.
+	rawPrefixWhiteList []string
 }
 
 func isRootCgroup(name string) bool {
 	return name == "/"
 }
 
-func newRawContainerHandler(name string, cgroupSubsystems map[string]string, machineInfoFactory info.MachineInfoFactory, fsInfo fs.FsInfo, watcher *common.InotifyWatcher, rootFs string, includedMetrics container.MetricSet) (container.ContainerHandler, error) {
+func newRawContainerHandler(name string, cgroupSubsystems map[string]string, machineInfoFactory info.MachineInfoFactory, fsInfo fs.FsInfo, watcher *common.InotifyWatcher, rootFs string, includedMetrics container.MetricSet, rawPrefixWhiteList []string) (container.ContainerHandler, error) {
 	cHints, err := common.GetContainerHintsFromFile(*common.ArgContainerHints)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -90,6 +93,7 @@ func newRawContainerHandler(name string, cgroupSubsystems map[string]string, mac
 		externalMounts:      externalMounts,
 		includedMetrics:     includedMetrics,
 		libcontainerHandler: handler,
+		rawPrefixWhiteList:  rawPrefixWhiteList,
 	}, nil
 }
 
@@ -268,7 +272,7 @@ func (h *rawContainerHandler) GetContainerIPAddress() string {
 }
 
 func (h *rawContainerHandler) ListContainers(listType container.ListType) ([]info.ContainerReference, error) {
-	return common.ListContainers(h.name, h.cgroupPaths, listType)
+	return common.ListContainers(h.name, h.cgroupPaths, listType, h.rawPrefixWhiteList)
 }
 
 func (h *rawContainerHandler) ListProcesses(listType container.ListType) ([]int, error) {
diff --git a/container/raw/watcher.go b/container/raw/watcher.go
index dec1aeaea4..63f97cd40f 100644
--- a/container/raw/watcher.go
+++ b/container/raw/watcher.go
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ type rawContainerWatcher struct {
 
 	// Signal for watcher thread to stop.
 	stopWatcher chan error
+
+	// List of raw container cgroup path prefix whitelist.
+	rawPrefixWhiteList []string
 }
 
 func NewRawContainerWatcher(includedMetrics container.MetricSet) (watcher.ContainerWatcher, error) {
@@ -123,6 +126,18 @@ func (w *rawContainerWatcher) watchDirectory(events chan watcher.ContainerEvent,
 	if strings.HasSuffix(containerName, ".mount") {
 		return false, nil
 	}
+	if len(w.rawPrefixWhiteList) > 0 && containerName != "/" {
+		inWhiteList := false
+		for _, prefix := range w.rawPrefixWhiteList {
+			if strings.HasPrefix(containerName, prefix) || strings.HasPrefix(prefix, containerName) {
+				inWhiteList = true
+				break
+			}
+		}
+		if !inWhiteList {
+			return false, nil
+		}
+	}
 	alreadyWatching, err := w.watcher.AddWatch(containerName, dir)
 	if err != nil {
 		return alreadyWatching, err