diff --git a/libcontainer/container_linux.go b/libcontainer/container_linux.go
index 4fe133d00..8af9ac2c9 100644
--- a/libcontainer/container_linux.go
+++ b/libcontainer/container_linux.go
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ type linuxContainer struct {
 	root                 string
 	config               *configs.Config
 	cgroupManager        cgroups.Manager
-	intelRdtManager      intelrdt.Manager
+	intelRdtManager      *intelrdt.Manager
 	initProcess          parentProcess
 	initProcessStartTime uint64
 	m                    sync.Mutex
diff --git a/libcontainer/factory_linux.go b/libcontainer/factory_linux.go
index afb0a43fa..a0ea4fe3f 100644
--- a/libcontainer/factory_linux.go
+++ b/libcontainer/factory_linux.go
@@ -28,20 +28,6 @@ const (
 
 var idRegex = regexp.MustCompile(`^[\w+-\.]+$`)
 
-// IntelRdtfs is an options func to configure a LinuxFactory to return
-// containers that use the Intel RDT "resource control" filesystem to
-// create and manage Intel RDT resources (e.g., L3 cache, memory bandwidth).
-func IntelRdtFs(l *LinuxFactory) error {
-	if !intelrdt.IsCATEnabled() && !intelrdt.IsMBAEnabled() {
-		l.NewIntelRdtManager = nil
-	} else {
-		l.NewIntelRdtManager = func(config *configs.Config, id string, path string) intelrdt.Manager {
-			return intelrdt.NewManager(config, id, path)
-		}
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-
 // TmpfsRoot is an option func to mount LinuxFactory.Root to tmpfs.
 func TmpfsRoot(l *LinuxFactory) error {
 	mounted, err := mountinfo.Mounted(l.Root)
@@ -83,9 +69,6 @@ func New(root string, options ...func(*LinuxFactory) error) (Factory, error) {
 type LinuxFactory struct {
 	// Root directory for the factory to store state.
 	Root string
-
-	// NewIntelRdtManager returns an initialized Intel RDT manager for a single container.
-	NewIntelRdtManager func(config *configs.Config, id string, path string) intelrdt.Manager
 }
 
 func (l *LinuxFactory) Create(id string, config *configs.Config) (Container, error) {
@@ -146,13 +129,11 @@ func (l *LinuxFactory) Create(id string, config *configs.Config) (Container, err
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	c := &linuxContainer{
-		id:            id,
-		root:          containerRoot,
-		config:        config,
-		cgroupManager: cm,
-	}
-	if l.NewIntelRdtManager != nil {
-		c.intelRdtManager = l.NewIntelRdtManager(config, id, "")
+		id:              id,
+		root:            containerRoot,
+		config:          config,
+		cgroupManager:   cm,
+		intelRdtManager: intelrdt.NewManager(config, id, ""),
 	}
 	c.state = &stoppedState{c: c}
 	return c, nil
@@ -189,12 +170,10 @@ func (l *LinuxFactory) Load(id string) (Container, error) {
 		id:                   id,
 		config:               &state.Config,
 		cgroupManager:        cm,
+		intelRdtManager:      intelrdt.NewManager(&state.Config, id, state.IntelRdtPath),
 		root:                 containerRoot,
 		created:              state.Created,
 	}
-	if l.NewIntelRdtManager != nil {
-		c.intelRdtManager = l.NewIntelRdtManager(&state.Config, id, state.IntelRdtPath)
-	}
 	c.state = &loadedState{c: c}
 	if err := c.refreshState(); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/libcontainer/factory_linux_test.go b/libcontainer/factory_linux_test.go
index d29c32e9d..47f306995 100644
--- a/libcontainer/factory_linux_test.go
+++ b/libcontainer/factory_linux_test.go
@@ -37,28 +37,6 @@ func TestFactoryNew(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestFactoryNewIntelRdt(t *testing.T) {
-	root := t.TempDir()
-	factory, err := New(root, IntelRdtFs)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	if factory == nil {
-		t.Fatal("factory should not be nil")
-	}
-	lfactory, ok := factory.(*LinuxFactory)
-	if !ok {
-		t.Fatal("expected linux factory returned on linux based systems")
-	}
-	if lfactory.Root != root {
-		t.Fatalf("expected factory root to be %q but received %q", root, lfactory.Root)
-	}
-
-	if factory.Type() != "libcontainer" {
-		t.Fatalf("unexpected factory type: %q, expected %q", factory.Type(), "libcontainer")
-	}
-}
-
 func TestFactoryNewTmpfs(t *testing.T) {
 	root := t.TempDir()
 	factory, err := New(root, TmpfsRoot)
@@ -157,7 +135,7 @@ func TestFactoryLoadContainer(t *testing.T) {
 	if err := marshal(filepath.Join(root, id, stateFilename), expectedState); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	factory, err := New(root, IntelRdtFs)
+	factory, err := New(root)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
diff --git a/libcontainer/intelrdt/intelrdt.go b/libcontainer/intelrdt/intelrdt.go
index 1fe1ec3e8..3953f930d 100644
--- a/libcontainer/intelrdt/intelrdt.go
+++ b/libcontainer/intelrdt/intelrdt.go
@@ -146,34 +146,27 @@ import (
  * }
  */
 
-type Manager interface {
-	// Applies Intel RDT configuration to the process with the specified pid
-	Apply(pid int) error
-
-	// Returns statistics for Intel RDT
-	GetStats() (*Stats, error)
-
-	// Destroys the Intel RDT container-specific 'container_id' group
-	Destroy() error
-
-	// Returns Intel RDT path to save in a state file and to be able to
-	// restore the object later
-	GetPath() string
-
-	// Set Intel RDT "resource control" filesystem as configured.
-	Set(container *configs.Config) error
-}
-
-// This implements interface Manager
-type intelRdtManager struct {
+type Manager struct {
 	mu     sync.Mutex
 	config *configs.Config
 	id     string
 	path   string
 }
 
-func NewManager(config *configs.Config, id string, path string) Manager {
-	return &intelRdtManager{
+// NewManager returns a new instance of Manager, or nil, if the Intel RDT
+// functionality is not available from hardware or not enabled in the kernel.
+func NewManager(config *configs.Config, id string, path string) *Manager {
+	if _, err := Root(); err != nil {
+		// Intel RDT is not available.
+		return nil
+	}
+	return newManager(config, id, path)
+}
+
+// newManager is the same as NewManager, except it does not check if the feature
+// is actually available. Used by unit tests that mock intelrdt paths.
+func newManager(config *configs.Config, id string, path string) *Manager {
+	return &Manager{
 		config: config,
 		id:     id,
 		path:   path,
@@ -507,7 +500,7 @@ func IsMBAScEnabled() bool {
 }
 
 // Get the path of the clos group in "resource control" filesystem that the container belongs to
-func (m *intelRdtManager) getIntelRdtPath() (string, error) {
+func (m *Manager) getIntelRdtPath() (string, error) {
 	rootPath, err := Root()
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
@@ -522,7 +515,7 @@ func (m *intelRdtManager) getIntelRdtPath() (string, error) {
 }
 
 // Applies Intel RDT configuration to the process with the specified pid
-func (m *intelRdtManager) Apply(pid int) (err error) {
+func (m *Manager) Apply(pid int) (err error) {
 	// If intelRdt is not specified in config, we do nothing
 	if m.config.IntelRdt == nil {
 		return nil
@@ -557,7 +550,7 @@ func (m *intelRdtManager) Apply(pid int) (err error) {
 }
 
 // Destroys the Intel RDT container-specific 'container_id' group
-func (m *intelRdtManager) Destroy() error {
+func (m *Manager) Destroy() error {
 	// Don't remove resctrl group if closid has been explicitly specified. The
 	// group is likely externally managed, i.e. by some other entity than us.
 	// There are probably other containers/tasks sharing the same group.
@@ -574,7 +567,7 @@ func (m *intelRdtManager) Destroy() error {
 
 // Returns Intel RDT path to save in a state file and to be able to
 // restore the object later
-func (m *intelRdtManager) GetPath() string {
+func (m *Manager) GetPath() string {
 	if m.path == "" {
 		m.path, _ = m.getIntelRdtPath()
 	}
@@ -582,7 +575,7 @@ func (m *intelRdtManager) GetPath() string {
 }
 
 // Returns statistics for Intel RDT
-func (m *intelRdtManager) GetStats() (*Stats, error) {
+func (m *Manager) GetStats() (*Stats, error) {
 	// If intelRdt is not specified in config
 	if m.config.IntelRdt == nil {
 		return nil, nil
@@ -668,7 +661,7 @@ func (m *intelRdtManager) GetStats() (*Stats, error) {
 }
 
 // Set Intel RDT "resource control" filesystem as configured.
-func (m *intelRdtManager) Set(container *configs.Config) error {
+func (m *Manager) Set(container *configs.Config) error {
 	// About L3 cache schema:
 	// It has allocation bitmasks/values for L3 cache on each socket,
 	// which contains L3 cache id and capacity bitmask (CBM).
diff --git a/libcontainer/intelrdt/intelrdt_test.go b/libcontainer/intelrdt/intelrdt_test.go
index 2184a1468..c127cd8f7 100644
--- a/libcontainer/intelrdt/intelrdt_test.go
+++ b/libcontainer/intelrdt/intelrdt_test.go
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ func TestIntelRdtSetL3CacheSchema(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 
 	helper.config.IntelRdt.L3CacheSchema = l3CacheSchemeAfter
-	intelrdt := NewManager(helper.config, "", helper.IntelRdtPath)
+	intelrdt := newManager(helper.config, "", helper.IntelRdtPath)
 	if err := intelrdt.Set(helper.config); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ func TestIntelRdtSetMemBwSchema(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 
 	helper.config.IntelRdt.MemBwSchema = memBwSchemeAfter
-	intelrdt := NewManager(helper.config, "", helper.IntelRdtPath)
+	intelrdt := newManager(helper.config, "", helper.IntelRdtPath)
 	if err := intelrdt.Set(helper.config); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func TestIntelRdtSetMemBwScSchema(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 
 	helper.config.IntelRdt.MemBwSchema = memBwScSchemeAfter
-	intelrdt := NewManager(helper.config, "", helper.IntelRdtPath)
+	intelrdt := newManager(helper.config, "", helper.IntelRdtPath)
 	if err := intelrdt.Set(helper.config); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ func TestApply(t *testing.T) {
 	const closID = "test-clos"
 
 	helper.config.IntelRdt.ClosID = closID
-	intelrdt := NewManager(helper.config, "", helper.IntelRdtPath)
+	intelrdt := newManager(helper.config, "", helper.IntelRdtPath)
 	if err := intelrdt.Apply(1234); err == nil {
 		t.Fatal("unexpected success when applying pid")
 	}
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ func TestApply(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// Dir should be created if some schema has been specified
-	intelrdt.(*intelRdtManager).config.IntelRdt.L3CacheSchema = "L3:0=f"
+	intelrdt.config.IntelRdt.L3CacheSchema = "L3:0=f"
 	if err := intelrdt.Apply(1235); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Apply() failed: %v", err)
 	}
diff --git a/libcontainer/process_linux.go b/libcontainer/process_linux.go
index 97f28a1ab..ae91d5b90 100644
--- a/libcontainer/process_linux.go
+++ b/libcontainer/process_linux.go
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ type initProcess struct {
 	logFilePair     filePair
 	config          *initConfig
 	manager         cgroups.Manager
-	intelRdtManager intelrdt.Manager
+	intelRdtManager *intelrdt.Manager
 	container       *linuxContainer
 	fds             []string
 	process         *Process
diff --git a/utils_linux.go b/utils_linux.go
index d49b024ec..c2214a233 100644
--- a/utils_linux.go
+++ b/utils_linux.go
@@ -31,9 +31,7 @@ func loadFactory(context *cli.Context) (libcontainer.Factory, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	intelRdtManager := libcontainer.IntelRdtFs
-
-	return libcontainer.New(abs, intelRdtManager)
+	return libcontainer.New(abs)
 }
 
 // getContainer returns the specified container instance by loading it from state