diff --git a/pkg/api/copy_test.go b/pkg/api/copy_test.go
index 2c4f11ca..38836907 100644
--- a/pkg/api/copy_test.go
+++ b/pkg/api/copy_test.go
@@ -224,6 +224,7 @@ func TestStackConfigCompose_Copy(t *testing.T) {
 							"memory": "2Gi",
 						},
 						"controlledResources": []interface{}{"cpu", "memory"},
+						"controlledValues":    "RequestsOnly",
 					},
 				}
 				cloudExtras := any(vpaConfig)
diff --git a/pkg/clouds/k8s/kube_run.go b/pkg/clouds/k8s/kube_run.go
index a7de93b2..84eb3b4c 100644
--- a/pkg/clouds/k8s/kube_run.go
+++ b/pkg/clouds/k8s/kube_run.go
@@ -117,8 +117,17 @@ type VPAConfig struct {
 	MinAllowed *VPAResourceRequirements `json:"minAllowed" yaml:"minAllowed"`
 	// MaxAllowed specifies maximum allowed resources
 	MaxAllowed *VPAResourceRequirements `json:"maxAllowed" yaml:"maxAllowed"`
-	// ControlledResources specifies which resources VPA should control
+	// ControlledResources specifies which resources VPA should control.
+	// Per the VPA CRD this is a per-container field; SC places it inside each
+	// containerPolicy entry, not at resourcePolicy level.
 	ControlledResources []string `json:"controlledResources" yaml:"controlledResources"`
+	// ControlledValues specifies which resource values VPA should control.
+	// One of "RequestsAndLimits" (default) or "RequestsOnly". Use "RequestsOnly"
+	// when the underlying deployment template's limits are sized for cold-start
+	// bursts (e.g. Django/gunicorn) and you don't want VPA to scale the limit
+	// proportionally with a lowered request — the proportional shrink causes
+	// CPU-throttle-induced startup probe failures.
+	ControlledValues *string `json:"controlledValues" yaml:"controlledValues"`
 }
 
 // VPAResourceRequirements defines resource requirements for VPA
diff --git a/pkg/clouds/pulumi/kubernetes/simple_container.go b/pkg/clouds/pulumi/kubernetes/simple_container.go
index 06aacfcc..d16b41d9 100644
--- a/pkg/clouds/pulumi/kubernetes/simple_container.go
+++ b/pkg/clouds/pulumi/kubernetes/simple_container.go
@@ -994,17 +994,24 @@ func createVPA(ctx *sdk.Context, args *SimpleContainerArgs, deploymentName strin
 	}
 
 	// Add resource policy if specified
-	if args.VPA.MinAllowed != nil || args.VPA.MaxAllowed != nil || len(args.VPA.ControlledResources) > 0 {
+	if args.VPA.MinAllowed != nil || args.VPA.MaxAllowed != nil || len(args.VPA.ControlledResources) > 0 || args.VPA.ControlledValues != nil {
 		resourcePolicy := map[string]interface{}{}
 
-		// Add controlled resources
+		// Build the container policy. Per the VPA CRD, controlledResources and
+		// controlledValues are per-container fields and live inside the
+		// containerPolicy entry — not at the resourcePolicy level. Placing them
+		// at resourcePolicy level (the previous behavior) caused k8s to silently
+		// drop them.
+		containerPolicy := map[string]interface{}{
+			"containerName": "*",
+		}
+
 		if len(args.VPA.ControlledResources) > 0 {
-			resourcePolicy["controlledResources"] = args.VPA.ControlledResources
+			containerPolicy["controlledResources"] = args.VPA.ControlledResources
 		}
 
-		// Add container policies
-		containerPolicy := map[string]interface{}{
-			"containerName": "*",
+		if args.VPA.ControlledValues != nil {
+			containerPolicy["controlledValues"] = lo.FromPtr(args.VPA.ControlledValues)
 		}
 
 		if args.VPA.MinAllowed != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/clouds/pulumi/kubernetes/simple_container_test.go b/pkg/clouds/pulumi/kubernetes/simple_container_test.go
index a2441e17..095ada2a 100644
--- a/pkg/clouds/pulumi/kubernetes/simple_container_test.go
+++ b/pkg/clouds/pulumi/kubernetes/simple_container_test.go
@@ -94,6 +94,29 @@ func createVPATestArgs() *SimpleContainerArgs {
 	return args
 }
 
+// createVPATestArgsWithControlledValues exercises the full VPA surface area:
+// minAllowed, maxAllowed, controlledResources (which lives inside the
+// containerPolicy per the VPA CRD), and the controlledValues knob that lets
+// callers opt out of VPA scaling limits proportionally with requests.
+func createVPATestArgsWithControlledValues() *SimpleContainerArgs {
+	args := createBasicTestArgs()
+	args.VPA = &k8s.VPAConfig{
+		Enabled:    true,
+		UpdateMode: lo.ToPtr("Auto"),
+		MinAllowed: &k8s.VPAResourceRequirements{
+			CPU:    lo.ToPtr("50m"),
+			Memory: lo.ToPtr("64Mi"),
+		},
+		MaxAllowed: &k8s.VPAResourceRequirements{
+			CPU:    lo.ToPtr("2"),
+			Memory: lo.ToPtr("4Gi"),
+		},
+		ControlledResources: []string{"cpu", "memory"},
+		ControlledValues:    lo.ToPtr("RequestsOnly"),
+	}
+	return args
+}
+
 // createComplexTestArgs creates SimpleContainerArgs with many features enabled
 func createComplexTestArgs() *SimpleContainerArgs {
 	args := createBasicTestArgs()
@@ -332,6 +355,28 @@ func TestNewSimpleContainer_WithHPA(t *testing.T) {
 	Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred(), "Test should complete without errors")
 }
 
+// TestNewSimpleContainer_WithVPA_ControlledValues exercises the new
+// ControlledValues + ControlledResources fields on VPAConfig. Asserts the
+// resource creation succeeds; the actual CRD shape (controlledValues +
+// controlledResources living inside containerPolicy, not at resourcePolicy
+// level) is enforced by simple_container.go's createVPA implementation.
+func TestNewSimpleContainer_WithVPA_ControlledValues(t *testing.T) {
+	RegisterTestingT(t)
+
+	mocks := NewSimpleContainerMocks()
+	args := createVPATestArgsWithControlledValues()
+
+	err := pulumi.RunErr(func(ctx *pulumi.Context) error {
+		sc, err := NewSimpleContainer(ctx, args)
+		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred(), "SimpleContainer with VPA controlledValues should be created successfully")
+		Expect(sc).ToNot(BeNil(), "SimpleContainer should not be nil")
+		Expect(sc.Deployment).ToNot(BeNil(), "Deployment should not be nil")
+		return nil
+	}, pulumi.WithMocks("project", "stack", mocks))
+
+	Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred(), "Test should complete without errors")
+}
+
 func TestNewSimpleContainer_WithVPA(t *testing.T) {
 	RegisterTestingT(t)