diff --git a/src/hotspot/os/aix/os_aix.cpp b/src/hotspot/os/aix/os_aix.cpp
index 160969df454..82e048aae23 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/os/aix/os_aix.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/os/aix/os_aix.cpp
@@ -245,6 +245,10 @@ static bool is_close_to_brk(address a) {
   return false;
 }
 
+julong os::free_memory() {
+  return Aix::available_memory();
+}
+
 julong os::available_memory() {
   return Aix::available_memory();
 }
diff --git a/src/hotspot/os/aix/os_aix.hpp b/src/hotspot/os/aix/os_aix.hpp
index d4af6a6d606..ecd181f8989 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/os/aix/os_aix.hpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/os/aix/os_aix.hpp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 1999, 2022, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 1999, 2023, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2013, 2016 SAP SE. All rights reserved.
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
  *
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ class os::Aix {
   static int _extshm;
 
   static julong available_memory();
+  static julong free_memory();
   static julong physical_memory() { return _physical_memory; }
   static void initialize_system_info();
 
diff --git a/src/hotspot/os/bsd/os_bsd.cpp b/src/hotspot/os/bsd/os_bsd.cpp
index 2079867bbb5..3ae932f312d 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/os/bsd/os_bsd.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/os/bsd/os_bsd.cpp
@@ -138,6 +138,10 @@ julong os::available_memory() {
   return Bsd::available_memory();
 }
 
+julong os::free_memory() {
+  return Bsd::available_memory();
+}
+
 // available here means free
 julong os::Bsd::available_memory() {
   uint64_t available = physical_memory() >> 2;
diff --git a/src/hotspot/os/bsd/os_bsd.hpp b/src/hotspot/os/bsd/os_bsd.hpp
index 87f4b69587f..d34803e144b 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/os/bsd/os_bsd.hpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/os/bsd/os_bsd.hpp
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ class os::Bsd {
   static pthread_t _main_thread;
 
   static julong available_memory();
+  static julong free_memory();
   static julong physical_memory() { return _physical_memory; }
   static void initialize_system_info();
 
diff --git a/src/hotspot/os/linux/os_linux.cpp b/src/hotspot/os/linux/os_linux.cpp
index 7bb99874848..2313f371db9 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/os/linux/os_linux.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/os/linux/os_linux.cpp
@@ -216,15 +216,8 @@ static bool suppress_primordial_thread_resolution = false;
 
 // utility functions
 
-julong os::available_memory() {
-  return Linux::available_memory();
-}
-
-julong os::Linux::available_memory() {
-  // values in struct sysinfo are "unsigned long"
-  struct sysinfo si;
-  julong avail_mem;
-
+julong os::Linux::available_memory_in_container() {
+  julong avail_mem = static_cast<julong>(-1L);
   if (OSContainer::is_containerized()) {
     jlong mem_limit = OSContainer::memory_limit_in_bytes();
     jlong mem_usage;
@@ -233,15 +226,57 @@ julong os::Linux::available_memory() {
     }
     if (mem_limit > 0 && mem_usage > 0) {
       avail_mem = mem_limit > mem_usage ? (julong)mem_limit - (julong)mem_usage : 0;
-      log_trace(os)("available container memory: " JULONG_FORMAT, avail_mem);
-      return avail_mem;
     }
   }
+  return avail_mem;
+}
+
+julong os::available_memory() {
+  return Linux::available_memory();
+}
+
+julong os::Linux::available_memory() {
+  julong avail_mem = available_memory_in_container();
+  if (avail_mem != static_cast<julong>(-1L)) {
+    log_trace(os)("available container memory: " JULONG_FORMAT, avail_mem);
+    return avail_mem;
+  }
+
+  FILE *fp = os::fopen("/proc/meminfo", "r");
+  if (fp != nullptr) {
+    char buf[80];
+    do {
+      if (fscanf(fp, "MemAvailable: " JULONG_FORMAT " kB", &avail_mem) == 1) {
+        avail_mem *= K;
+        break;
+      }
+    } while (fgets(buf, sizeof(buf), fp) != nullptr);
+    fclose(fp);
+  }
+  if (avail_mem == static_cast<julong>(-1L)) {
+    avail_mem = free_memory();
+  }
+  log_trace(os)("available memory: " JULONG_FORMAT, avail_mem);
+  return avail_mem;
+}
+
+julong os::free_memory() {
+  return Linux::free_memory();
+}
+
+julong os::Linux::free_memory() {
+  // values in struct sysinfo are "unsigned long"
+  struct sysinfo si;
+  julong free_mem = available_memory_in_container();
+  if (free_mem != static_cast<julong>(-1L)) {
+    log_trace(os)("free container memory: " JULONG_FORMAT, free_mem);
+    return free_mem;
+  }
 
   sysinfo(&si);
-  avail_mem = (julong)si.freeram * si.mem_unit;
-  log_trace(os)("available memory: " JULONG_FORMAT, avail_mem);
-  return avail_mem;
+  free_mem = (julong)si.freeram * si.mem_unit;
+  log_trace(os)("free memory: " JULONG_FORMAT, free_mem);
+  return free_mem;
 }
 
 julong os::physical_memory() {
diff --git a/src/hotspot/os/linux/os_linux.hpp b/src/hotspot/os/linux/os_linux.hpp
index e33a1af1072..a7cf69f3164 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/os/linux/os_linux.hpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/os/linux/os_linux.hpp
@@ -51,12 +51,16 @@ class os::Linux {
 
   static size_t _default_large_page_size;
 
+  static julong available_memory_in_container();
+
  protected:
 
   static julong _physical_memory;
   static pthread_t _main_thread;
 
   static julong available_memory();
+  static julong free_memory();
+
   static int active_processor_count();
 
   static void initialize_system_info();
diff --git a/src/hotspot/os/windows/os_windows.cpp b/src/hotspot/os/windows/os_windows.cpp
index 178630f86e9..1969df3e983 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/os/windows/os_windows.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/os/windows/os_windows.cpp
@@ -830,6 +830,10 @@ julong os::available_memory() {
   return win32::available_memory();
 }
 
+julong os::free_memory() {
+  return win32::available_memory();
+}
+
 julong os::win32::available_memory() {
   // Use GlobalMemoryStatusEx() because GlobalMemoryStatus() may return incorrect
   // value if total memory is larger than 4GB
diff --git a/src/hotspot/os/windows/os_windows.hpp b/src/hotspot/os/windows/os_windows.hpp
index 197797078d7..937843593ff 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/os/windows/os_windows.hpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/os/windows/os_windows.hpp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 1997, 2022, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 1997, 2023, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
  *
  * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ class os::win32 {
     return _processor_level;
   }
   static julong available_memory();
+  static julong free_memory();
   static julong physical_memory() { return _physical_memory; }
 
   // load dll from Windows system directory or Windows directory
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/compiler/compileBroker.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/compiler/compileBroker.cpp
index 0671edc7390..9c9483353a4 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/compiler/compileBroker.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/compiler/compileBroker.cpp
@@ -1011,7 +1011,7 @@ void CompileBroker::init_compiler_threads() {
 
 void CompileBroker::possibly_add_compiler_threads(JavaThread* THREAD) {
 
-  julong available_memory = os::available_memory();
+  julong free_memory = os::free_memory();
   // If SegmentedCodeCache is off, both values refer to the single heap (with type CodeBlobType::All).
   size_t available_cc_np  = CodeCache::unallocated_capacity(CodeBlobType::MethodNonProfiled),
          available_cc_p   = CodeCache::unallocated_capacity(CodeBlobType::MethodProfiled);
@@ -1023,7 +1023,7 @@ void CompileBroker::possibly_add_compiler_threads(JavaThread* THREAD) {
     int old_c2_count = _compilers[1]->num_compiler_threads();
     int new_c2_count = MIN4(_c2_count,
         _c2_compile_queue->size() / 2,
-        (int)(available_memory / (200*M)),
+        (int)(free_memory / (200*M)),
         (int)(available_cc_np / (128*K)));
 
     for (int i = old_c2_count; i < new_c2_count; i++) {
@@ -1070,8 +1070,8 @@ void CompileBroker::possibly_add_compiler_threads(JavaThread* THREAD) {
         ThreadsListHandle tlh;  // name() depends on the TLH.
         assert(tlh.includes(ct), "ct=" INTPTR_FORMAT " exited unexpectedly.", p2i(ct));
         stringStream msg;
-        msg.print("Added compiler thread %s (available memory: %dMB, available non-profiled code cache: %dMB)",
-                  ct->name(), (int)(available_memory/M), (int)(available_cc_np/M));
+        msg.print("Added compiler thread %s (free memory: %dMB, available non-profiled code cache: %dMB)",
+                  ct->name(), (int)(free_memory/M), (int)(available_cc_np/M));
         print_compiler_threads(msg);
       }
     }
@@ -1081,7 +1081,7 @@ void CompileBroker::possibly_add_compiler_threads(JavaThread* THREAD) {
     int old_c1_count = _compilers[0]->num_compiler_threads();
     int new_c1_count = MIN4(_c1_count,
         _c1_compile_queue->size() / 4,
-        (int)(available_memory / (100*M)),
+        (int)(free_memory / (100*M)),
         (int)(available_cc_p / (128*K)));
 
     for (int i = old_c1_count; i < new_c1_count; i++) {
@@ -1093,8 +1093,8 @@ void CompileBroker::possibly_add_compiler_threads(JavaThread* THREAD) {
         ThreadsListHandle tlh;  // name() depends on the TLH.
         assert(tlh.includes(ct), "ct=" INTPTR_FORMAT " exited unexpectedly.", p2i(ct));
         stringStream msg;
-        msg.print("Added compiler thread %s (available memory: %dMB, available profiled code cache: %dMB)",
-                  ct->name(), (int)(available_memory/M), (int)(available_cc_p/M));
+        msg.print("Added compiler thread %s (free memory: %dMB, available profiled code cache: %dMB)",
+                  ct->name(), (int)(free_memory/M), (int)(available_cc_p/M));
         print_compiler_threads(msg);
       }
     }
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/runtime/os.hpp b/src/hotspot/share/runtime/os.hpp
index c27acbc6d32..5b37715c295 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/runtime/os.hpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/runtime/os.hpp
@@ -310,7 +310,13 @@ class os: AllStatic {
     return (_processor_count != 1);
   }
 
+  // On some platforms there is a distinction between "available" memory and "free" memory.
+  // For example, on Linux, "available" memory (`MemAvailable` in `/proc/meminfo`) is greater
+  // than "free" memory (`MemFree` in `/proc/meminfo`) because Linux can free memory
+  // aggressively (e.g. clear caches) so that it becomes available.
   static julong available_memory();
+  static julong free_memory();
+
   static julong physical_memory();
   static bool has_allocatable_memory_limit(size_t* limit);
   static bool is_server_class_machine();