diff --git a/internal/pkg/translator/obj2cil.go b/internal/pkg/translator/obj2cil.go
index 0dea33b54b..01d1c8b3bc 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/translator/obj2cil.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/translator/obj2cil.go
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	typePermissive = "(typepermissive process)"
+	typePermissive         = "(typepermissive process)"
+	systemContainerInherit = "container"
 )
 
 func Object2CIL(
@@ -37,7 +38,17 @@ func Object2CIL(
 ) string {
 	cilbuilder := strings.Builder{}
 	cilbuilder.WriteString(getCILStart(sp))
+
+	// all templates must inherit from the system container. Without explicitly
+	// inheriting from the system container, the policy will not be loaded
+	// if it uses e.g. net_container or any other template because only the
+	// container template includes a "process" definition
+	cilbuilder.WriteString(getCILInheritline(systemContainerInherit))
 	for _, inherit := range systemInherits {
+		if inherit == systemContainerInherit {
+			// already appended above
+			continue
+		}
 		cilbuilder.WriteString(getCILInheritline(inherit))
 	}
 	for _, inherit := range objInherits {
diff --git a/internal/pkg/translator/obj2cil_test.go b/internal/pkg/translator/obj2cil_test.go
index 21578c558f..31d8beb4c2 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/translator/obj2cil_test.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/translator/obj2cil_test.go
@@ -259,6 +259,48 @@ func TestObject2CIL(t *testing.T) {
 				"container",
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "Test translation with another template than container",
+			profile: &selxv1alpha2.SelinuxProfile{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Name:      "foo",
+					Namespace: "bar",
+				},
+				Spec: selxv1alpha2.SelinuxProfileSpec{
+					Inherit: []selxv1alpha2.PolicyRef{
+						{
+							Name: "net_container",
+						},
+					},
+					Allow: selxv1alpha2.Allow{
+						"var_log_t": {
+							"dir": []string{
+								"open",
+							},
+							"file": []string{
+								"getattr",
+							},
+							"sock_file": []string{
+								"getattr",
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			wantMatches: []string{
+				"\\(block foo_bar",
+				"\\(blockinherit container\\)",
+				"\\(blockinherit net_container\\)",
+				// We match on several lines since we don't care about the order
+				"\\(allow process var_log_t \\( dir \\(.*open.*\\)\\)\\)\n",
+				"\\(allow process var_log_t \\( file \\(.*getattr.*\\)\\)\\)\n",
+				"\\(allow process var_log_t \\( sock_file \\(.*getattr.*\\)\\)\\)\n",
+			},
+			inheritsys: []string{
+				"container",
+				"net_container",
+			},
+		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		tt := tt
diff --git a/test/e2e_test.go b/test/e2e_test.go
index 73f0abf467..f5ec05b053 100644
--- a/test/e2e_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e_test.go
@@ -96,6 +96,10 @@ func (e *e2e) TestSecurityProfilesOperator() {
 			"SELinux: base case (install policy, run pod and delete)",
 			e.testCaseSelinuxBaseUsage,
 		},
+		{
+			"SELinux: non-default template",
+			e.testCaseSelinuxNonDefaultTemplate,
+		},
 		{
 			"SELinux: Metrics (update, delete)",
 			e.testCaseSelinuxMetrics,
diff --git a/test/suite_test.go b/test/suite_test.go
index 457ba20165..f4d0b17b14 100644
--- a/test/suite_test.go
+++ b/test/suite_test.go
@@ -665,6 +665,9 @@ func (e *e2e) enableSelinuxInSpod() {
 	if !strings.Contains(selinuxEnabledInSPODDS, "--with-selinux=true") {
 		e.logf("Enable selinux in SPOD")
 		e.kubectlOperatorNS("patch", "spod", "spod", "-p", `{"spec":{"enableSelinux": true}}`, "--type=merge")
+		e.kubectlOperatorNS("patch", "spod", "spod", "-p",
+			`{"spec":{"selinuxOptions":{"allowedSystemProfiles":["container","net_container"]}}}`,
+			"--type=merge")
 
 		time.Sleep(defaultWaitTime)
 		e.waitInOperatorNSFor("condition=ready", "spod", "spod")
diff --git a/test/tc_selinux_base_usage_test.go b/test/tc_selinux_base_usage_test.go
index 61f41caab0..edfe07f0ca 100644
--- a/test/tc_selinux_base_usage_test.go
+++ b/test/tc_selinux_base_usage_test.go
@@ -97,6 +97,20 @@ spec:
         - open
 `
 
+	netContainerPolicy = `
+apiVersion: security-profiles-operator.x-k8s.io/v1alpha2
+kind: SelinuxProfile
+metadata:
+  name: net-container-policy
+spec:
+  inherit:
+    - name: net_container
+  allow:
+    var_run_t:
+      sock_file:
+        - write
+`
+
 	//nolint:lll // full yaml
 	podWithPolicyFmt = `
 apiVersion: v1
@@ -212,6 +226,26 @@ func (e *e2e) testCaseSelinuxIncompletePolicy() {
 	e.kubectl("delete", "selinuxprofile", enforcingProfileName)
 }
 
+func (e *e2e) testCaseSelinuxNonDefaultTemplate(nodes []string) {
+	const netContainerPolicyName = "net-container-policy"
+
+	e.selinuxOnlyTestCase()
+
+	e.logf("Should be able to install a policy using a different template than container")
+	e.logf("creating policy")
+
+	rmFn := e.writeAndCreate(netContainerPolicy, "net-container-policy.yml")
+	defer rmFn()
+
+	e.kubectl("wait", "--timeout", defaultSelinuxOpTimeout,
+		"--for", "condition=ready", "selinuxprofile", netContainerPolicyName)
+
+	rawPolicyName := e.getSELinuxPolicyName(netContainerPolicyName)
+
+	e.logf("assert policy is installed")
+	e.assertSelinuxPolicyIsInstalled(nodes, rawPolicyName, maxNodeIterations, sleepBetweenIterations)
+}
+
 func (e *e2e) testCaseSelinuxIncompletePermissivePolicy() {
 	e.selinuxOnlyTestCase()
 	permissiveProfileName := "errorlogger-incomplete-permissive"