diff --git a/cmd/main.go b/cmd/main.go
index 5d030ad6..8cc6b38f 100644
--- a/cmd/main.go
+++ b/cmd/main.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/go-logr/logr"
 	"github.com/luthermonson/go-proxmox"
@@ -69,7 +70,8 @@ var (
 	// ProxmoxTokenID env variable that defines the Proxmox token id.
 	ProxmoxTokenID string
 	// ProxmoxSecret env variable that defines the Proxmox secret for the given token id.
-	ProxmoxSecret string
+	ProxmoxSecret             string
+	ProxmoxReserveOnlyRunning string
 
 	proxmoxInsecure     bool
 	proxmoxRootCertFile string
@@ -208,10 +210,12 @@ func setupProxmoxClient(ctx context.Context, logger logr.Logger) (capmox.Client,
 	}
 
 	httpClient := &http.Client{Transport: tr}
-	return goproxmox.NewAPIClient(ctx, logger, ProxmoxURL,
-		proxmox.WithHTTPClient(httpClient),
-		proxmox.WithAPIToken(ProxmoxTokenID, ProxmoxSecret),
-	)
+	opts := []any{proxmox.WithHTTPClient(httpClient), proxmox.WithAPIToken(ProxmoxTokenID, ProxmoxSecret)}
+	if strings.ToLower(ProxmoxReserveOnlyRunning) == "true" {
+		opts = append(opts, goproxmox.WithCalcOnlyRunning())
+	}
+
+	return goproxmox.NewAPIClient(ctx, logger, ProxmoxURL, opts...)
 }
 
 func initFlagsAndEnv(fs *pflag.FlagSet) {
@@ -220,6 +224,7 @@ func initFlagsAndEnv(fs *pflag.FlagSet) {
 	ProxmoxURL = env.GetString("PROXMOX_URL", "")
 	ProxmoxTokenID = env.GetString("PROXMOX_TOKEN", "")
 	ProxmoxSecret = env.GetString("PROXMOX_SECRET", "")
+	ProxmoxReserveOnlyRunning = env.GetString("PROXMOX_RESERVE_ONLY_RUNNING", "")
 
 	fs.BoolVar(&proxmoxInsecure, "proxmox-insecure",
 		env.GetString("PROXMOX_INSECURE", "true") == "true",
diff --git a/pkg/proxmox/goproxmox/api_client.go b/pkg/proxmox/goproxmox/api_client.go
index 9139a091..8887dc7d 100644
--- a/pkg/proxmox/goproxmox/api_client.go
+++ b/pkg/proxmox/goproxmox/api_client.go
@@ -39,18 +39,40 @@ var ErrVMIDFree = errors.New("VMID is free")
 // APIClient Proxmox API client object.
 type APIClient struct {
 	*proxmox.Client
-	logger logr.Logger
+	logger             logr.Logger
+	reserveOnlyRunning bool
+}
+
+type Option func(*APIClient)
+
+func WithCalcOnlyRunning() Option {
+	return func(c *APIClient) {
+		c.reserveOnlyRunning = true
+	}
 }
 
 // NewAPIClient initializes a Proxmox API client. If the client is misconfigured, an error is returned.
-func NewAPIClient(ctx context.Context, logger logr.Logger, baseURL string, options ...proxmox.Option) (*APIClient, error) {
+// options can be goproxmox.Option or proxmox.Option
+func NewAPIClient(ctx context.Context, logger logr.Logger, baseURL string, options ...any) (*APIClient, error) {
+	var pOpts []proxmox.Option
+	var apiOpts []Option
+	for _, option := range options {
+		switch o := option.(type) {
+		case proxmox.Option:
+			pOpts = append(pOpts, o)
+		case Option:
+			apiOpts = append(apiOpts, o)
+		default:
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid option %T", option)
+		}
+	}
 	proxmoxAPIURL, err := url.JoinPath(baseURL, "api2", "json")
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid proxmox base URL %q: %w", baseURL, err)
 	}
 
-	options = append(options, proxmox.WithLogger(capmox.Logger{}))
-	upstreamClient := proxmox.NewClient(proxmoxAPIURL, options...)
+	pOpts = append(pOpts, proxmox.WithLogger(capmox.Logger{}))
+	upstreamClient := proxmox.NewClient(proxmoxAPIURL, pOpts...)
 	version, err := upstreamClient.Version(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to initialize proxmox api client: %w", err)
@@ -58,10 +80,14 @@ func NewAPIClient(ctx context.Context, logger logr.Logger, baseURL string, optio
 	logger.Info("Proxmox client initialized")
 	logger.Info("Proxmox server", "version", version.Release)
 
-	return &APIClient{
+	ac := &APIClient{
 		Client: upstreamClient,
 		logger: logger,
-	}, nil
+	}
+	for _, o := range apiOpts {
+		o(ac)
+	}
+	return ac, nil
 }
 
 // CloneVM clones a VM based on templateID and VMCloneRequest.
@@ -275,6 +301,9 @@ func (c *APIClient) GetReservableMemoryBytes(ctx context.Context, nodeName strin
 		if vm.Template {
 			continue
 		}
+		if !vm.IsRunning() && c.reserveOnlyRunning {
+			continue
+		}
 		if reservableMemory < vm.MaxMem {
 			reservableMemory = 0
 		} else {
diff --git a/pkg/scope/cluster.go b/pkg/scope/cluster.go
index 1fe30a99..3dea79b2 100644
--- a/pkg/scope/cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/scope/cluster.go
@@ -154,6 +154,7 @@ func (s *ClusterScope) setupProxmoxClient(ctx context.Context) (capmox.Client, e
 	token := string(secret.Data["token"])
 	tokenSecret := string(secret.Data["secret"])
 	url := string(secret.Data["url"])
+	calcOnlyRunning := string(secret.Data["reserveOnlyRunning"])
 
 	tlsInsecure, tlsInsecureSet := secret.Data["insecure"]
 	tlsRootCA := secret.Data["root_ca"]
@@ -176,10 +177,11 @@ func (s *ClusterScope) setupProxmoxClient(ctx context.Context) (capmox.Client, e
 	}
 
 	httpClient := &http.Client{Transport: tr}
-	return goproxmox.NewAPIClient(ctx, *s.Logger, url,
-		proxmox.WithHTTPClient(httpClient),
-		proxmox.WithAPIToken(token, tokenSecret),
-	)
+	opts := []any{proxmox.WithHTTPClient(httpClient), proxmox.WithAPIToken(token, tokenSecret)}
+	if strings.ToLower(calcOnlyRunning) == "true" {
+		opts = append(opts, goproxmox.WithCalcOnlyRunning())
+	}
+	return goproxmox.NewAPIClient(ctx, *s.Logger, url, opts...)
 }
 
 // Name returns the CAPI cluster name.