diff --git a/ray-operator/controllers/ray/common/pod.go b/ray-operator/controllers/ray/common/pod.go
index 7c7a3a031d..dba8056e7e 100644
--- a/ray-operator/controllers/ray/common/pod.go
+++ b/ray-operator/controllers/ray/common/pod.go
@@ -748,6 +748,12 @@ func generateRayStartCommand(ctx context.Context, nodeType rayv1.RayNodeType, ra
 		cpu := resource.Limits[corev1.ResourceCPU]
 		if !cpu.IsZero() {
 			rayStartParams["num-cpus"] = strconv.FormatInt(cpu.Value(), 10)
+		} else {
+			// Fall back to CPU request if limit is not specified
+			cpu := resource.Requests[corev1.ResourceCPU]
+			if !cpu.IsZero() {
+				rayStartParams["num-cpus"] = strconv.FormatInt(cpu.Value(), 10)
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/ray-operator/controllers/ray/common/pod_test.go b/ray-operator/controllers/ray/common/pod_test.go
index 831bfd4e5a..5411dc7873 100644
--- a/ray-operator/controllers/ray/common/pod_test.go
+++ b/ray-operator/controllers/ray/common/pod_test.go
@@ -70,8 +70,7 @@ var instance = rayv1.RayCluster{
 				MaxReplicas: ptr.To[int32](10000),
 				GroupName:   "small-group",
 				RayStartParams: map[string]string{
-					"port":     "6379",
-					"num-cpus": "1",
+					"port": "6379",
 				},
 				Template: corev1.PodTemplateSpec{
 					ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
@@ -385,6 +384,54 @@ func TestBuildPod(t *testing.T) {
 	checkContainerEnv(t, rayContainer, "TEST_ENV_NAME", "TEST_ENV_VALUE")
 }
 
+func TestBuildPod_WithNoCPULimits(t *testing.T) {
+	cluster := instance.DeepCopy()
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	cluster.Spec.HeadGroupSpec.Template.Spec.Containers[utils.RayContainerIndex].Resources = corev1.ResourceRequirements{
+		Requests: corev1.ResourceList{
+			corev1.ResourceCPU:    resource.MustParse("2"),
+			corev1.ResourceMemory: testMemoryLimit,
+		},
+		Limits: corev1.ResourceList{
+			corev1.ResourceMemory: testMemoryLimit,
+		},
+	}
+	cluster.Spec.WorkerGroupSpecs[0].Template.Spec.Containers[utils.RayContainerIndex].Resources = corev1.ResourceRequirements{
+		Requests: corev1.ResourceList{
+			corev1.ResourceCPU:    resource.MustParse("2"),
+			corev1.ResourceMemory: testMemoryLimit,
+		},
+
+		Limits: corev1.ResourceList{
+			corev1.ResourceMemory: testMemoryLimit,
+			"nvidia.com/gpu":      resource.MustParse("3"),
+		},
+	}
+
+	// Test head pod
+	podName := strings.ToLower(cluster.Name + utils.DashSymbol + string(rayv1.HeadNode) + utils.DashSymbol + utils.FormatInt32(0))
+	podTemplateSpec := DefaultHeadPodTemplate(ctx, *cluster, cluster.Spec.HeadGroupSpec, podName, "6379")
+	pod := BuildPod(ctx, podTemplateSpec, rayv1.HeadNode, cluster.Spec.HeadGroupSpec.RayStartParams, "6379", nil, utils.GetCRDType(""), "")
+	expectedCommandArg := splitAndSort("ulimit -n 65536; ray start --head --block --dashboard-agent-listen-port=52365 --memory=1073741824 --num-cpus=2 --metrics-export-port=8080 --dashboard-host=0.0.0.0")
+	actualCommandArg := splitAndSort(pod.Spec.Containers[0].Args[0])
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(expectedCommandArg, actualCommandArg) {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected `%v` but got `%v`", expectedCommandArg, actualCommandArg)
+	}
+
+	// testing worker pod
+	worker := cluster.Spec.WorkerGroupSpecs[0]
+	podName = cluster.Name + utils.DashSymbol + string(rayv1.WorkerNode) + utils.DashSymbol + worker.GroupName + utils.DashSymbol + utils.FormatInt32(0)
+	fqdnRayIP := utils.GenerateFQDNServiceName(ctx, *cluster, cluster.Namespace)
+	podTemplateSpec = DefaultWorkerPodTemplate(ctx, *cluster, worker, podName, fqdnRayIP, "6379")
+	pod = BuildPod(ctx, podTemplateSpec, rayv1.WorkerNode, worker.RayStartParams, "6379", nil, utils.GetCRDType(""), fqdnRayIP)
+	expectedCommandArg = splitAndSort("ulimit -n 65536; ray start --block --dashboard-agent-listen-port=52365 --memory=1073741824 --num-cpus=2 --num-gpus=3 --address=raycluster-sample-head-svc.default.svc.cluster.local:6379 --port=6379 --metrics-export-port=8080")
+	actualCommandArg = splitAndSort(pod.Spec.Containers[0].Args[0])
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(expectedCommandArg, actualCommandArg) {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected `%v` but got `%v`", expectedCommandArg, actualCommandArg)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestBuildPod_WithOverwriteCommand(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx := context.Background()