diff --git a/pkg/integrations/gitlab/snippet-linux.sh b/pkg/integrations/gitlab/snippet-linux.sh
index e9ea146f0..cff8de21b 100644
--- a/pkg/integrations/gitlab/snippet-linux.sh
+++ b/pkg/integrations/gitlab/snippet-linux.sh
@@ -104,6 +104,21 @@ if [ ! -f /etc/containers/containers.conf ]; then
     sudo chmod 644 /etc/containers/containers.conf
 fi
 
+# Remove the per-container PID cap so compilation-heavy builds (e.g. Pillow
+# compiling 60+ C files through a ccache->gcc->cc1->as chain) do not exhaust
+# the cgroup pids.max and trigger EAGAIN on fork.
+if grep -q '^\[containers\]' /etc/containers/containers.conf; then
+    if awk '/^\[containers\]/{f=1;next} /^\[/{f=0} f && /^pids_limit/{found=1} END{exit !found}' \
+            /etc/containers/containers.conf; then
+        sudo sed -i 's|^pids_limit.*|pids_limit = -1|' /etc/containers/containers.conf
+    else
+        sudo sed -i '/^\[containers\]/a pids_limit = -1' /etc/containers/containers.conf
+    fi
+else
+    printf '\n[containers]\npids_limit = -1\n' | sudo tee -a /etc/containers/containers.conf > /dev/null
+fi
+sudo chmod 644 /etc/containers/containers.conf
+
 {{- if .LogToJournald}}
 # Set journald as the container log driver so CI job output is captured by the
 # systemd journal and can be correlated with runner daemon logs via job_id.
@@ -174,6 +189,7 @@ sudo gitlab-runner register \
   --docker-image "fedora:latest" \
   --docker-host "unix:///run/podman/podman.sock" \
   --docker-privileged \
+  --docker-pids-limit -1 \
   "${_docker_dns_args[@]}" \
   --docker-volumes "/etc/containers/executor-containers.conf:/etc/containers/containers.conf:ro"
 
diff --git a/pkg/provider/ibmcloud/action/ibm-power/cloud-config b/pkg/provider/ibmcloud/action/ibm-power/cloud-config
index 2053274ed..a6d0590a8 100644
--- a/pkg/provider/ibmcloud/action/ibm-power/cloud-config
+++ b/pkg/provider/ibmcloud/action/ibm-power/cloud-config
@@ -68,6 +68,9 @@ write_files:
       [Service]
       StandardOutput=append:/var/log/gitlab-runner/runner.log
       StandardError=append:/var/log/gitlab-runner/runner.log
+      # Unlimited task/process ceiling so ccache->gcc->cc1->as chains during
+      # compilation-heavy builds do not hit the systemd default TasksMax.
+      TasksMax=infinity
   - path: /etc/logrotate.d/gitlab-runner
     permissions: '0644'
     content: |
diff --git a/pkg/provider/ibmcloud/action/ibm-z/cloud-config b/pkg/provider/ibmcloud/action/ibm-z/cloud-config
index a1546c5d2..dd78c4ff4 100644
--- a/pkg/provider/ibmcloud/action/ibm-z/cloud-config
+++ b/pkg/provider/ibmcloud/action/ibm-z/cloud-config
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ write_files:
       [Service]
       StandardOutput=append:/var/log/gitlab-runner/runner.log
       StandardError=append:/var/log/gitlab-runner/runner.log
+      # Unlimited task/process ceiling so ccache->gcc->cc1->as chains during
+      # compilation-heavy builds do not hit the systemd default TasksMax.
+      TasksMax=infinity
   - path: /etc/logrotate.d/gitlab-runner
     permissions: '0644'
     content: |