diff --git a/hotspot/src/os/linux/vm/cgroupSubsystem_linux.hpp b/hotspot/src/os/linux/vm/cgroupSubsystem_linux.hpp
index 0cc0d5b628..11f901f53d 100644
--- a/hotspot/src/os/linux/vm/cgroupSubsystem_linux.hpp
+++ b/hotspot/src/os/linux/vm/cgroupSubsystem_linux.hpp
@@ -76,17 +76,19 @@ class CgroupController: public CHeapObj<mtInternal> {
 
 PRAGMA_DIAG_PUSH
 PRAGMA_FORMAT_NONLITERAL_IGNORED
+// Parses a subsystem's file, looking for a matching line.
+// If key is null, then the first line will be matched with scan_fmt.
+// If key isn't null, then each line will be matched, looking for something that matches "$key $scan_fmt".
+// The matching value will be assigned to returnval.
+// scan_fmt uses scanf() syntax.
+// Return value: 0 on match, OSCONTAINER_ERROR on error.
 template <typename T> int subsystem_file_line_contents(CgroupController* c,
                                               const char *filename,
-                                              const char *matchline,
+                                              const char *key,
                                               const char *scan_fmt,
                                               T returnval) {
   FILE *fp = NULL;
-  char *p;
   char file[MAXPATHLEN+1];
-  char buf[MAXPATHLEN+1];
-  char discard[MAXPATHLEN+1];
-  bool found_match = false;
 
   if (c == NULL) {
     if (PrintContainerInfo) {
@@ -115,46 +117,57 @@ template <typename T> int subsystem_file_line_contents(CgroupController* c,
     tty->print_cr("Path to %s is %s", filename, file);
   }
   fp = fopen(file, "r");
-  if (fp != NULL) {
-    int err = 0;
-    while ((p = fgets(buf, MAXPATHLEN, fp)) != NULL) {
-      found_match = false;
-      if (matchline == NULL) {
-        // single-line file case
-        int matched = sscanf(p, scan_fmt, returnval);
-        found_match = (matched == 1);
-      } else {
-        // multi-line file case
-        if (strstr(p, matchline) != NULL) {
-          // discard matchline string prefix
-          int matched = sscanf(p, scan_fmt, discard, returnval);
-          found_match = (matched == 2);
-        } else {
-          continue; // substring not found
-        }
-      }
-      if (found_match) {
-        fclose(fp);
-        return 0;
-      } else {
-        err = 1;
-        if (PrintContainerInfo) {
-          tty->print_cr("Type %s not found in file %s", scan_fmt, file);
-        }
-      }
-    }
-    if (err == 0) {
-      if (PrintContainerInfo) {
-        tty->print_cr("Empty file %s", file);
-      }
-    }
-  } else {
+  if (fp == NULL) {
     if (PrintContainerInfo) {
       tty->print_cr("Open of file %s failed, %s", file, strerror(errno));
     }
+    return OSCONTAINER_ERROR;
   }
-  if (fp != NULL)
+
+  const int buf_len = MAXPATHLEN+1;
+  char buf[buf_len];
+  char* line = fgets(buf, buf_len, fp);
+  if (line == NULL) {
+    if (PrintContainerInfo) {
+      tty->print_cr("Empty file %s", file);
+    }
     fclose(fp);
+    return OSCONTAINER_ERROR;
+  }
+
+  bool found_match = false;
+  if (key == NULL) {
+    // File consists of a single line according to caller, with only a value
+    int matched = sscanf(line, scan_fmt, returnval);
+    found_match = matched == 1;
+  } else {
+    // File consists of multiple lines in a "key value"
+    // fashion, we have to find the key.
+    const int key_len = strlen(key);
+    for (; line != NULL; line = fgets(buf, buf_len, fp)) {
+      char* key_substr = strstr(line, key);
+      char after_key = line[key_len];
+      if (key_substr == line
+          && isspace(after_key) != 0
+          && after_key != '\n') {
+        // Skip key, skip space
+        const char* value_substr = line + key_len + 1;
+        int matched = sscanf(value_substr, scan_fmt, returnval);
+        found_match = matched == 1;
+        if (found_match) {
+          break;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  fclose(fp);
+  if (found_match) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+  if (PrintContainerInfo) {
+    tty->print_cr("Type %s (key == %s) not found in file %s", scan_fmt,
+                  (key == NULL ? "null" : key), file);
+  }
   return OSCONTAINER_ERROR;
 }
 PRAGMA_DIAG_POP
diff --git a/hotspot/src/os/linux/vm/cgroupV1Subsystem_linux.cpp b/hotspot/src/os/linux/vm/cgroupV1Subsystem_linux.cpp
index b5c14173f6..e7c23cf1d6 100644
--- a/hotspot/src/os/linux/vm/cgroupV1Subsystem_linux.cpp
+++ b/hotspot/src/os/linux/vm/cgroupV1Subsystem_linux.cpp
@@ -111,10 +111,8 @@ jlong CgroupV1Subsystem::read_memory_limit_in_bytes() {
     }
     CgroupV1MemoryController* mem_controller = reinterpret_cast<CgroupV1MemoryController*>(_memory->controller());
     if (mem_controller->is_hierarchical()) {
-      const char* matchline = "hierarchical_memory_limit";
-      const char* format = "%s " JULONG_FORMAT;
-      GET_CONTAINER_INFO_LINE(julong, _memory->controller(), "/memory.stat", matchline,
-                             "Hierarchical Memory Limit is: " JULONG_FORMAT, format, hier_memlimit)
+      GET_CONTAINER_INFO_LINE(julong, _memory->controller(), "/memory.stat", "hierarchical_memory_limit",
+                             "Hierarchical Memory Limit is: " JULONG_FORMAT, JULONG_FORMAT, hier_memlimit)
       if (hier_memlimit >= os::Linux::physical_memory()) {
         if (PrintContainerInfo) {
           tty->print_cr("Hierarchical Memory Limit is: Unlimited");
@@ -142,15 +140,14 @@ jlong CgroupV1Subsystem::memory_and_swap_limit_in_bytes() {
     CgroupV1MemoryController* mem_controller = reinterpret_cast<CgroupV1MemoryController*>(_memory->controller());
     if (mem_controller->is_hierarchical()) {
       const char* matchline = "hierarchical_memsw_limit";
-      const char* format = "%s " JULONG_FORMAT;
       GET_CONTAINER_INFO_LINE(julong, _memory->controller(), "/memory.stat", matchline,
-                             "Hierarchical Memory and Swap Limit is : " JULONG_FORMAT, format, hier_memlimit)
-      if (hier_memlimit >= host_total_memsw) {
+                             "Hierarchical Memory and Swap Limit is : " JULONG_FORMAT, JULONG_FORMAT, hier_memswlimit)
+      if (hier_memswlimit >= host_total_memsw) {
         if (PrintContainerInfo) {
           tty->print_cr("Hierarchical Memory and Swap Limit is: Unlimited");
         }
       } else {
-        return (jlong)hier_memlimit;
+        return (jlong)hier_memswlimit;
       }
     }
     return (jlong)-1;