diff --git a/src/server.c b/src/server.c
index 43b118759..dc0236cbd 100644
--- a/src/server.c
+++ b/src/server.c
@@ -3549,14 +3549,19 @@ int processCommand(client *c) {
          * into a slave, that may be the active client, to be freed. */
         if (server.current_client == NULL) return C_ERR;
 
-        /* It was impossible to free enough memory, and the command the client
-         * is trying to execute is denied during OOM conditions or the client
-         * is in MULTI/EXEC context? Error. */
-        if (out_of_memory &&
-            (is_denyoom_command ||
-             (c->flags & CLIENT_MULTI &&
-              c->cmd->proc != discardCommand)))
-        {
+        int reject_cmd_on_oom = is_denyoom_command;
+        /* If client is in MULTI/EXEC context, queuing may consume an unlimited
+         * amount of memory, so we want to stop that.
+         * However, we never want to reject DISCARD, or even EXEC (unless it
+         * contains denied commands, in which case is_denyoom_command is already
+         * set. */
+        if (c->flags & CLIENT_MULTI &&
+            c->cmd->proc != execCommand &&
+            c->cmd->proc != discardCommand) {
+            reject_cmd_on_oom = 1;
+        }
+
+        if (out_of_memory && reject_cmd_on_oom) {
             rejectCommand(c, shared.oomerr);
             return C_OK;
         }
diff --git a/tests/unit/multi.tcl b/tests/unit/multi.tcl
index 44a822ba6..817d509c5 100644
--- a/tests/unit/multi.tcl
+++ b/tests/unit/multi.tcl
@@ -466,4 +466,42 @@ start_server {tags {"multi"}} {
         assert { $xx == 1 }
         $r1 close;
     }
+
+    test {EXEC with only read commands should not be rejected when OOM} {
+        set r2 [redis_client]
+
+        r set x value
+        r multi
+        r get x
+        r ping
+
+        # enforcing OOM
+        $r2 config set maxmemory 1
+
+        # finish the multi transaction with exec
+        assert { [r exec] == {value PONG} }
+
+        # releasing OOM
+        $r2 config set maxmemory 0
+        $r2 close
+    }
+
+    test {EXEC with at least one use-memory command should fail} {
+        set r2 [redis_client]
+
+        r multi
+        r set x 1
+        r get x
+
+        # enforcing OOM
+        $r2 config set maxmemory 1
+
+        # finish the multi transaction with exec
+        catch {r exec} e
+        assert_match {EXECABORT*OOM*} $e
+
+        # releasing OOM
+        $r2 config set maxmemory 0
+        $r2 close
+    }
 }