diff --git a/libcontainer/specconv/spec_linux.go b/libcontainer/specconv/spec_linux.go
index 5713460e486..6fb349f7d6a 100644
--- a/libcontainer/specconv/spec_linux.go
+++ b/libcontainer/specconv/spec_linux.go
@@ -1141,19 +1141,21 @@ func parseMountOptions(options []string) *configs.Mount {
 	)
 	initMaps()
 	for _, o := range options {
-		// If the option does not exist in the mountFlags table,
-		// or the flag is not supported on the platform,
-		// then it is a data value for a specific fs type.
-		if f, exists := mountFlags[o]; exists && f.flag != 0 {
+		// Options absent from the mountFlags table are data for a specific fs type.
+		// A recognized option is consumed even when its flag is zero: "defaults"
+		// is a no-op and must not be forwarded as filesystem data (for example to tmpfs).
+		if f, exists := mountFlags[o]; exists {
 			// FIXME: The *atime flags are special (they are more of an enum
 			// with quite hairy semantics) and thus arguably setting some of
 			// them should clear unrelated flags.
-			if f.clear {
-				m.Flags &= ^f.flag
-				m.ClearedFlags |= f.flag
-			} else {
-				m.Flags |= f.flag
-				m.ClearedFlags &= ^f.flag
+			if f.flag != 0 {
+				if f.clear {
+					m.Flags &= ^f.flag
+					m.ClearedFlags |= f.flag
+				} else {
+					m.Flags |= f.flag
+					m.ClearedFlags &= ^f.flag
+				}
 			}
 		} else if f, exists := mountPropagationMapping[o]; exists && f != 0 {
 			m.PropagationFlags = append(m.PropagationFlags, f)
diff --git a/libcontainer/specconv/spec_linux_test.go b/libcontainer/specconv/spec_linux_test.go
index 4578f01158e..be8e8167848 100644
--- a/libcontainer/specconv/spec_linux_test.go
+++ b/libcontainer/specconv/spec_linux_test.go
@@ -1026,3 +1026,39 @@ func TestCreateNetDevices(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestParseMountOptionsDefaultsNotInData(t *testing.T) {
+	m := parseMountOptions([]string{"defaults", "size=1m", "mode=777"})
+	if strings.Contains(m.Data, "defaults") {
+		t.Errorf("defaults must not be passed as mount data, got %q", m.Data)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(m.Data, "size=1m") || !strings.Contains(m.Data, "mode=777") {
+		t.Errorf("expected size and mode in mount data, got %q", m.Data)
+	}
+	if m.Flags != 0 || m.ClearedFlags != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("defaults must not change mount flags, flags=%#x cleared=%#x", m.Flags, m.ClearedFlags)
+	}
+
+	unknown := parseMountOptions([]string{"defaults", "notarealoption", "size=1m"})
+	if strings.Contains(unknown.Data, "defaults") {
+		t.Errorf("defaults must not be passed as mount data, got %q", unknown.Data)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(unknown.Data, "notarealoption") {
+		t.Errorf("unknown option must be preserved in mount data, got %q", unknown.Data)
+	}
+
+	// Nonzero flags keep set/clear behavior and are not treated as data.
+	flagged := parseMountOptions([]string{"ro", "nodev", "rw"})
+	if flagged.Flags&unix.MS_RDONLY != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("rw should clear MS_RDONLY, flags=%#x cleared=%#x", flagged.Flags, flagged.ClearedFlags)
+	}
+	if flagged.ClearedFlags&unix.MS_RDONLY == 0 {
+		t.Errorf("rw should record MS_RDONLY as cleared, cleared=%#x", flagged.ClearedFlags)
+	}
+	if flagged.Flags&unix.MS_NODEV == 0 {
+		t.Errorf("nodev should set MS_NODEV, flags=%#x", flagged.Flags)
+	}
+	if flagged.Data != "" {
+		t.Errorf("known flags must not be passed as data, got %q", flagged.Data)
+	}
+}