diff --git a/runsc/boot/vfs.go b/runsc/boot/vfs.go
index 34275e5de..489231653 100644
--- a/runsc/boot/vfs.go
+++ b/runsc/boot/vfs.go
@@ -1314,9 +1314,9 @@ func createDeviceFiles(ctx context.Context, creds *auth.Credentials, info *conta
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	if info.conf.NVProxyDocker && specutils.GPUFunctionalityRequested(info.spec, info.conf) {
-		// In Docker mode, devices are not injected into spec.Linux.Devices. So
-		// manually create appropriate device files.
+	if specutils.GPUFunctionalityRequestedViaHook(info.spec, info.conf) {
+		// When using nvidia-container-runtime-hook, devices are not injected into
+		// spec.Linux.Devices. So manually create appropriate device files.
 		mode := os.FileMode(0666)
 		nvidiaDevs := []specs.LinuxDevice{
 			specs.LinuxDevice{Path: "/dev/nvidiactl", Type: "c", Major: nvgpu.NV_MAJOR_DEVICE_NUMBER, Minor: nvgpu.NV_CONTROL_DEVICE_MINOR, FileMode: &mode},
diff --git a/runsc/config/config.go b/runsc/config/config.go
index dd1fd86ef..822bcd93b 100644
--- a/runsc/config/config.go
+++ b/runsc/config/config.go
@@ -310,9 +310,9 @@ type Config struct {
 	// NVProxy enables support for Nvidia GPUs.
 	NVProxy bool `flag:"nvproxy"`
 
-	// NVProxyDocker exposes GPUs to containers based on the
-	// NVIDIA_VISIBLE_DEVICES container environment variable, as requested by
-	// containers or set by `docker --gpus`.
+	// NVProxyDocker is deprecated. Please use nvidia-container-runtime or
+	// `docker run --gpus` directly. For backward compatibility, this has the
+	// effect of injecting nvidia-container-runtime-hook as a prestart hook.
 	NVProxyDocker bool `flag:"nvproxy-docker"`
 
 	// TPUProxy enables support for TPUs.
diff --git a/runsc/config/flags.go b/runsc/config/flags.go
index 68117afc4..fda4c44bc 100644
--- a/runsc/config/flags.go
+++ b/runsc/config/flags.go
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ func RegisterFlags(flagSet *flag.FlagSet) {
 
 	// Flags that control sandbox runtime behavior: accelerator related.
 	flagSet.Bool("nvproxy", false, "EXPERIMENTAL: enable support for Nvidia GPUs")
-	flagSet.Bool("nvproxy-docker", false, "Expose GPUs to containers based on NVIDIA_VISIBLE_DEVICES, as requested by the container or set by `docker --gpus`. Allows containers to self-serve GPU access and thus disabled by default for security. libnvidia-container must be installed on the host. No effect unless --nvproxy is enabled.")
+	flagSet.Bool("nvproxy-docker", false, "DEPRECATED: use nvidia-container-runtime or `docker run --gpus` directly. Or manually add nvidia-container-runtime-hook as a prestart hook and set up NVIDIA_VISIBLE_DEVICES container environment variable.")
 	flagSet.Bool("tpuproxy", false, "EXPERIMENTAL: enable support for TPU device passthrough.")
 
 	// Test flags, not to be used outside tests, ever.
diff --git a/runsc/container/container.go b/runsc/container/container.go
index 043087436..db8c8c8bb 100644
--- a/runsc/container/container.go
+++ b/runsc/container/container.go
@@ -297,8 +297,11 @@ func New(conf *config.Config, args Args) (*Container, error) {
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		if !goferConfs[0].ShouldUseLisafs() && conf.NVProxyDocker {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("--nvproxy-docker cannot be used together with non-lisafs backed root mount")
+		if !goferConfs[0].ShouldUseLisafs() && specutils.GPUFunctionalityRequestedViaHook(args.Spec, conf) {
+			// nvidia-container-runtime-hook attempts to populate the container
+			// rootfs with NVIDIA libraries and devices. With EROFS, spec.Root.Path
+			// points to an empty directory and populating that has no effect.
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("nvidia-container-runtime-hook cannot be used together with non-lisafs backed root mount")
 		}
 		c.GoferMountConfs = goferConfs
 		if err := nvProxyPreGoferHostSetup(args.Spec, conf); err != nil {
@@ -1820,14 +1823,14 @@ func logIDMappings(mappings []specs.LinuxIDMapping, idType string) {
 	}
 }
 
-// nvProxyPreGoferHostSetup sets up nvproxy on the host. It runs before any
-// Gofers start.
+// nvProxyPreGoferHostSetup does host setup work so that `nvidia-container-cli
+// configure` can be run in the future. It runs before any Gofers start.
 // It verifies that all the required dependencies are in place, loads kernel
 // modules, and ensures the correct device files exist and are accessible.
 // This should only be necessary once on the host. It should be run during the
 // root container setup sequence to make sure it has run at least once.
 func nvProxyPreGoferHostSetup(spec *specs.Spec, conf *config.Config) error {
-	if !conf.NVProxyDocker || !specutils.GPUFunctionalityRequested(spec, conf) {
+	if !specutils.GPUFunctionalityRequestedViaHook(spec, conf) {
 		return nil
 	}
 
@@ -1924,7 +1927,7 @@ func nvproxyLoadKernelModules() {
 // construction. For this reason, we don't need to parse
 // NVIDIA_VISIBLE_DEVICES or pass --device to nvidia-container-cli.
 func nvproxySetupAfterGoferUserns(spec *specs.Spec, conf *config.Config, goferCmd *exec.Cmd, goferDonations *donation.Agency) (func() error, error) {
-	if !conf.NVProxyDocker || !specutils.GPUFunctionalityRequested(spec, conf) {
+	if !specutils.GPUFunctionalityRequestedViaHook(spec, conf) {
 		return func() error { return nil }, nil
 	}
 
diff --git a/runsc/specutils/nvidia.go b/runsc/specutils/nvidia.go
index 6dba7bf9f..7372a945d 100644
--- a/runsc/specutils/nvidia.go
+++ b/runsc/specutils/nvidia.go
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ func GPUFunctionalityRequested(spec *specs.Spec, conf *config.Config) bool {
 		// nvproxy disabled.
 		return false
 	}
+	// In GKE, the nvidia_gpu device plugin injects NVIDIA devices into
+	// spec.Linux.Devices when GPUs are allocated to a container.
 	if spec.Linux != nil {
 		for _, dev := range spec.Linux.Devices {
 			if dev.Path == "/dev/nvidiactl" {
@@ -59,7 +61,25 @@ func GPUFunctionalityRequested(spec *specs.Spec, conf *config.Config) bool {
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	if !conf.NVProxyDocker {
+	return gpuFunctionalityRequestedViaHook(spec, conf)
+}
+
+// GPUFunctionalityRequestedViaHook returns true if the container should have
+// access to GPU functionality configured via nvidia-container-runtime-hook.
+// This hook is used by:
+// - Docker when using `--gpus` flag from the CLI.
+// - nvidia-container-runtime when using its legacy mode.
+func GPUFunctionalityRequestedViaHook(spec *specs.Spec, conf *config.Config) bool {
+	if !NVProxyEnabled(spec, conf) {
+		// nvproxy disabled.
+		return false
+	}
+	return gpuFunctionalityRequestedViaHook(spec, conf)
+}
+
+// Precondition: NVProxyEnabled(spec, conf).
+func gpuFunctionalityRequestedViaHook(spec *specs.Spec, conf *config.Config) bool {
+	if !isNvidiaHookPresent(spec, conf) {
 		return false
 	}
 	// In Docker mode, GPU access is only requested if NVIDIA_VISIBLE_DEVICES is
@@ -73,6 +93,19 @@ func GPUFunctionalityRequested(spec *specs.Spec, conf *config.Config) bool {
 	return nvd != "" && nvd != "void"
 }
 
+func isNvidiaHookPresent(spec *specs.Spec, conf *config.Config) bool {
+	if conf.NVProxyDocker {
+		// This has the effect of injecting the nvidia-container-runtime-hook.
+		return true
+	}
+	for _, h := range spec.Hooks.Prestart {
+		if strings.HasSuffix(h.Path, "/nvidia-container-runtime-hook") {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 // ParseNvidiaVisibleDevices parses NVIDIA_VISIBLE_DEVICES env var and returns
 // the devices specified in it. This can be passed to nvidia-container-cli.
 //