diff --git a/salt/manager/tools/sbin/soup b/salt/manager/tools/sbin/soup
index b155d1bec..83d6cc438 100755
--- a/salt/manager/tools/sbin/soup
+++ b/salt/manager/tools/sbin/soup
@@ -341,6 +341,16 @@ check_cluster_health() {
 
 check_fleet_server() {
   echo "Checking that Elastic Fleet Server is responding."
+  # Before checking fleet health, check for and fix known issue with elastic-agent container and fs.protected_symlinks
+  local protected_symlinks=$(sysctl -b fs.protected_symlinks)
+  if [[ "$protected_symlinks" == "1" ]]; then
+    # disable fs.protected_symlinks and restart elasticfleet
+    sysctl -w fs.protected_symlinks=0
+    docker stop so-elastic-fleet; docker rm -f so-elastic-fleet
+    printf "\nUpdated sysctl fs.protected_symlinks. Restarting fleet before running health check and continuing with soup.\n"
+    salt-call state.apply elasticfleet queue=True
+  fi
+  
   # Modeled on the wait_for_so-elastic-fleet state check in elasticfleet/enabled.sls,
   # which waits for HTTP 200 from the Fleet Server status API.
   if curl -sk --fail --retry 3 --retry-delay 10 --max-time 30 "https://localhost:8220/api/status" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
@@ -1008,8 +1018,20 @@ post_to_3.2.0() {
 }
 ### 3.2.0 End ###
 
-### 3.2.0 Scripts ###
+### 3.3.0 Scripts ###
+
+ # Sets fs.protected_symlinks=0
+ #
+ # Elastic Agent docker image chowns its directory to the running UID 
+ # but does not chown the elastic-agent launcher symlink. 
+ # Preventing non-root users from following that launcher symlink.
+disable_sysctl_fs_protected_symlink() {
+  salt -C 'I@stig:enabled' state.single sysctl.present name=fs.protected_symlinks value=0 config=/etc/sysctl.conf
+}
+    
 up_to_3.3.0() {
+  disable_sysctl_fs_protected_symlink
+  
   INSTALLEDVERSION=3.3.0
 }
 
diff --git a/salt/stig/enabled.sls b/salt/stig/enabled.sls
index 91aae7069..b53256e04 100644
--- a/salt/stig/enabled.sls
+++ b/salt/stig/enabled.sls
@@ -65,6 +65,15 @@ run_remediate:
     - success_retcodes:
       - 2
 
+# Elastic Agent docker image chowns its directory to the running UID but does not
+#  chown the elastic-agent launcher symlink. fs.protected_symlinks=1 then prevents
+#  non-root users from following that launcher symlink.
+{# OSCAP rule id: xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_rule_sysctl_fs_protected_symlinks #}
+fs.protected_symlinks:
+  sysctl.present:
+    - value: 0
+    - config: /etc/sysctl.conf
+
 {# OSCAP rule id: xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_rule_disable_ctrlaltdel_burstaction #}
 disable_ctrl_alt_del_action:
   file.replace:
diff --git a/salt/stig/files/sos-oscap.xml b/salt/stig/files/sos-oscap.xml
index aa5b2ed31..9fc8dacf8 100644
--- a/salt/stig/files/sos-oscap.xml
+++ b/salt/stig/files/sos-oscap.xml
@@ -1601,7 +1601,7 @@ DISA STIG for Oracle Linux 9 V1R3.</xccdf-1.2:description>
         <xccdf-1.2:select idref="xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_rule_sudoers_validate_passwd" selected="true"/>
         <xccdf-1.2:select idref="xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_rule_sysctl_crypto_fips_enabled" selected="true"/>
         <xccdf-1.2:select idref="xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_rule_sysctl_fs_protected_hardlinks" selected="true"/>
-        <xccdf-1.2:select idref="xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_rule_sysctl_fs_protected_symlinks" selected="true"/>
+        <xccdf-1.2:select idref="xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_rule_sysctl_fs_protected_symlinks" selected="false"/>
         <xccdf-1.2:select idref="xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_rule_sysctl_kernel_core_pattern" selected="true"/>
         <xccdf-1.2:select idref="xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_rule_sysctl_kernel_dmesg_restrict" selected="true"/>
         <xccdf-1.2:select idref="xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_rule_sysctl_kernel_exec_shield" selected="true"/>
@@ -2202,7 +2202,7 @@ standard DISA STIG for Oracle Linux 9 profile.</xccdf-1.2:description>
         <xccdf-1.2:select idref="xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_rule_sudoers_validate_passwd" selected="true"/>
         <xccdf-1.2:select idref="xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_rule_sysctl_crypto_fips_enabled" selected="true"/>
         <xccdf-1.2:select idref="xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_rule_sysctl_fs_protected_hardlinks" selected="true"/>
-        <xccdf-1.2:select idref="xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_rule_sysctl_fs_protected_symlinks" selected="true"/>
+        <xccdf-1.2:select idref="xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_rule_sysctl_fs_protected_symlinks" selected="false"/>
         <xccdf-1.2:select idref="xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_rule_sysctl_kernel_core_pattern" selected="true"/>
         <xccdf-1.2:select idref="xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_rule_sysctl_kernel_dmesg_restrict" selected="true"/>
         <xccdf-1.2:select idref="xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_rule_sysctl_kernel_exec_shield" selected="true"/>