diff --git a/libcontainer/configs/validate/validator.go b/libcontainer/configs/validate/validator.go
index 6273a26b7..63abdb00c 100644
--- a/libcontainer/configs/validate/validator.go
+++ b/libcontainer/configs/validate/validator.go
@@ -6,10 +6,12 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/opencontainers/runc/libcontainer/configs"
 	"github.com/opencontainers/runc/libcontainer/intelrdt"
 	selinux "github.com/opencontainers/selinux/go-selinux"
+	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
 )
 
 type Validator interface {
@@ -144,6 +146,12 @@ func (v *ConfigValidator) sysctl(config *configs.Config) error {
 		"kernel.shm_rmid_forced": true,
 	}
 
+	var (
+		netOnce    sync.Once
+		hostnet    bool
+		hostnetErr error
+	)
+
 	for s := range config.Sysctl {
 		if validSysctlMap[s] || strings.HasPrefix(s, "fs.mqueue.") {
 			if config.Namespaces.Contains(configs.NEWIPC) {
@@ -153,16 +161,27 @@ func (v *ConfigValidator) sysctl(config *configs.Config) error {
 			}
 		}
 		if strings.HasPrefix(s, "net.") {
-			if config.Namespaces.Contains(configs.NEWNET) {
-				if path := config.Namespaces.PathOf(configs.NEWNET); path != "" {
-					if err := checkHostNs(s, path); err != nil {
-						return err
-					}
+			// Is container using host netns?
+			// Here "host" means "current", not "initial".
+			netOnce.Do(func() {
+				if !config.Namespaces.Contains(configs.NEWNET) {
+					hostnet = true
+					return
 				}
-				continue
-			} else {
-				return fmt.Errorf("sysctl %q is not allowed in the hosts network namespace", s)
+				path := config.Namespaces.PathOf(configs.NEWNET)
+				if path == "" {
+					// own netns, so hostnet = false
+					return
+				}
+				hostnet, hostnetErr = isHostNetNS(path)
+			})
+			if hostnetErr != nil {
+				return hostnetErr
 			}
+			if hostnet {
+				return fmt.Errorf("sysctl %q not allowed in host network namespace", s)
+			}
+			continue
 		}
 		if config.Namespaces.Contains(configs.NEWUTS) {
 			switch s {
@@ -204,43 +223,17 @@ func (v *ConfigValidator) intelrdt(config *configs.Config) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func isSymbolicLink(path string) (bool, error) {
-	fi, err := os.Lstat(path)
-	if err != nil {
-		return false, err
+func isHostNetNS(path string) (bool, error) {
+	const currentProcessNetns = "/proc/self/ns/net"
+
+	var st1, st2 unix.Stat_t
+
+	if err := unix.Stat(currentProcessNetns, &st1); err != nil {
+		return false, fmt.Errorf("unable to stat %q: %s", currentProcessNetns, err)
+	}
+	if err := unix.Stat(path, &st2); err != nil {
+		return false, fmt.Errorf("unable to stat %q: %s", path, err)
 	}
 
-	return fi.Mode()&os.ModeSymlink == os.ModeSymlink, nil
-}
-
-// checkHostNs checks whether network sysctl is used in host namespace.
-func checkHostNs(sysctlConfig string, path string) error {
-	var currentProcessNetns = "/proc/self/ns/net"
-	// readlink on the current processes network namespace
-	destOfCurrentProcess, err := os.Readlink(currentProcessNetns)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("read soft link %q error", currentProcessNetns)
-	}
-
-	// First check if the provided path is a symbolic link
-	symLink, err := isSymbolicLink(path)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("could not check that %q is a symlink: %v", path, err)
-	}
-
-	if !symLink {
-		// The provided namespace is not a symbolic link,
-		// it is not the host namespace.
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	// readlink on the path provided in the struct
-	destOfContainer, err := os.Readlink(path)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("read soft link %q error", path)
-	}
-	if destOfContainer == destOfCurrentProcess {
-		return fmt.Errorf("sysctl %q is not allowed in the hosts network namespace", sysctlConfig)
-	}
-	return nil
+	return (st1.Dev == st2.Dev) && (st1.Ino == st2.Ino), nil
 }
diff --git a/libcontainer/configs/validate/validator_test.go b/libcontainer/configs/validate/validator_test.go
index ffbb32646..7c5c7138a 100644
--- a/libcontainer/configs/validate/validator_test.go
+++ b/libcontainer/configs/validate/validator_test.go
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
 package validate_test
 
 import (
+	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/opencontainers/runc/libcontainer/configs"
 	"github.com/opencontainers/runc/libcontainer/configs/validate"
+	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
 )
 
 func TestValidate(t *testing.T) {
@@ -254,6 +257,53 @@ func TestValidateSysctlWithSameNs(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestValidateSysctlWithBindHostNetNS(t *testing.T) {
+	if os.Getuid() != 0 {
+		t.Skip("requires root")
+	}
+
+	const selfnet = "/proc/self/ns/net"
+
+	dir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", t.Name()+"-*")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer os.Remove(dir)
+
+	file := filepath.Join(dir, "default")
+	fd, err := os.Create(file)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer os.Remove(file)
+	fd.Close()
+
+	if err := unix.Mount(selfnet, file, "bind", unix.MS_BIND, ""); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("can't bind-mount %s to %s: %s", selfnet, file, err)
+	}
+	defer func() {
+		_ = unix.Unmount(file, unix.MNT_DETACH)
+	}()
+
+	config := &configs.Config{
+		Rootfs: "/var",
+		Sysctl: map[string]string{"net.ctl": "ctl", "net.foo": "bar"},
+		Namespaces: configs.Namespaces(
+			[]configs.Namespace{
+				{
+					Type: configs.NEWNET,
+					Path: file,
+				},
+			},
+		),
+	}
+
+	validator := validate.New()
+	if err := validator.Validate(config); err == nil {
+		t.Error("Expected error to occur but it was nil")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestValidateSysctlWithoutNETNamespace(t *testing.T) {
 	config := &configs.Config{
 		Rootfs:     "/var",