diff --git a/modules/oracle-free/src/main/java/org/testcontainers/oracle/OracleContainer.java b/modules/oracle-free/src/main/java/org/testcontainers/oracle/OracleContainer.java
index 2080c24283b..bb5ce250f70 100644
--- a/modules/oracle-free/src/main/java/org/testcontainers/oracle/OracleContainer.java
+++ b/modules/oracle-free/src/main/java/org/testcontainers/oracle/OracleContainer.java
@@ -58,6 +58,18 @@ public class OracleContainer extends JdbcDatabaseContainer<OracleContainer> {
 
     private String password = APP_USER_PASSWORD;
 
+    /**
+     * Password for Oracle system user (e.g. SYSTEM/SYS). Defaults to {@link #APP_USER_PASSWORD}
+     * for backwards compatibility, but can be customized independently via {@link #withOraclePassword(String)}.
+     */
+    private String oraclePassword = APP_USER_PASSWORD;
+
+    /**
+     * Tracks whether {@link #withOraclePassword(String)} was called to avoid overriding
+     * the system password when {@link #withPassword(String)} is used for the application user only.
+     */
+    private boolean oraclePasswordExplicitlySet = false;
+
     private boolean usingSid = false;
 
     public OracleContainer(String dockerImageName) {
@@ -112,7 +124,8 @@ public String getUsername() {
 
     @Override
     public String getPassword() {
-        return password;
+        // When connecting via SID we authenticate as SYSTEM. Use the dedicated system password.
+        return isUsingSid() ? oraclePassword : password;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -142,6 +155,27 @@ public OracleContainer withPassword(String password) {
             throw new IllegalArgumentException("Password cannot be null or empty");
         }
         this.password = password;
+        // Maintain backwards compatibility: if oracle password wasn't set explicitly,
+        // align it with the application user's password.
+        if (!oraclePasswordExplicitlySet) {
+            this.oraclePassword = password;
+        }
+        return self();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Sets the password for the Oracle system user (SYSTEM/SYS). This is independent from the
+     * application user password set via {@link #withPassword(String)}.
+     *
+     * @param oraclePassword password for SYSTEM/SYS users inside the container
+     * @return this container instance
+     */
+    public OracleContainer withOraclePassword(String oraclePassword) {
+        if (StringUtils.isEmpty(oraclePassword)) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Oracle password cannot be null or empty");
+        }
+        this.oraclePassword = oraclePassword;
+        this.oraclePasswordExplicitlySet = true;
         return self();
     }
 
@@ -185,7 +219,8 @@ public String getTestQueryString() {
 
     @Override
     protected void configure() {
-        withEnv("ORACLE_PASSWORD", password);
+        // Configure system user password independently from application user's password
+        withEnv("ORACLE_PASSWORD", oraclePassword);
 
         // Only set ORACLE_DATABASE if different than the default.
         if (databaseName != DEFAULT_DATABASE_NAME) {
diff --git a/modules/oracle-free/src/test/java/org/testcontainers/junit/oracle/SimpleOracleTest.java b/modules/oracle-free/src/test/java/org/testcontainers/junit/oracle/SimpleOracleTest.java
index 45ed72cb622..e50e63ca74d 100644
--- a/modules/oracle-free/src/test/java/org/testcontainers/junit/oracle/SimpleOracleTest.java
+++ b/modules/oracle-free/src/test/java/org/testcontainers/junit/oracle/SimpleOracleTest.java
@@ -31,6 +31,20 @@ private void runTest(OracleContainer container, String databaseName, String user
         assertThat(resultSetInt).as("A basic SELECT query succeeds").isEqualTo(1);
     }
 
+    private void runTestSystemUser(OracleContainer container, String databaseName, String username, String password)
+        throws SQLException {
+        //Test config was honored
+        assertThat(container.getDatabaseName()).isEqualTo(databaseName);
+        assertThat(container.getUsername()).isEqualTo(username);
+        assertThat(container.getPassword()).isEqualTo(password);
+
+        //Test we can get a connection and execute a system-level command
+        container.start();
+        ResultSet resultSet = performQuery(container, "GRANT DBA TO " + username);
+        int resultSetInt = resultSet.getInt(1);
+        assertThat(resultSetInt).as("A basic system user query succeeds").isEqualTo(1);
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void testDefaultSettings() throws SQLException {
         try (OracleContainer oracle = new OracleContainer(ORACLE_DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME)) {
@@ -77,7 +91,7 @@ public void testCustomUser() throws SQLException {
     @Test
     public void testSID() throws SQLException {
         try (OracleContainer oracle = new OracleContainer(ORACLE_DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME).usingSid()) {
-            runTest(oracle, "freepdb1", "system", "test");
+            runTestSystemUser(oracle, "freepdb1", "system", "test");
 
             // Match against the last ':'
             String urlSuffix = oracle.getJdbcUrl().split("(\\:)(?!.*\\:)", 2)[1];
@@ -92,7 +106,29 @@ public void testSIDAndCustomPassword() throws SQLException {
                 .usingSid()
                 .withPassword("testPassword")
         ) {
-            runTest(oracle, "freepdb1", "system", "testPassword");
+            runTestSystemUser(oracle, "freepdb1", "system", "testPassword");
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testSeparateSystemAndAppPasswords() throws SQLException {
+        // SID mode should use system password
+        try (
+            OracleContainer oracleSid = new OracleContainer(ORACLE_DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME)
+                .usingSid()
+                .withOraclePassword("SysP@ss1!")
+                .withPassword("AppP@ss1!")
+        ) {
+            runTestSystemUser(oracleSid, "freepdb1", "system", "SysP@ss1!");
+        }
+
+        // Non-SID mode should use application user's password
+        try (
+            OracleContainer oraclePdb = new OracleContainer(ORACLE_DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME)
+                .withOraclePassword("SysP@ss2!")
+                .withPassword("AppP@ss2!")
+        ) {
+            runTest(oraclePdb, "freepdb1", "test", "AppP@ss2!");
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/modules/oracle-xe/src/main/java/org/testcontainers/containers/OracleContainer.java b/modules/oracle-xe/src/main/java/org/testcontainers/containers/OracleContainer.java
index 07db62a7b2e..bf1f0ea53e1 100644
--- a/modules/oracle-xe/src/main/java/org/testcontainers/containers/OracleContainer.java
+++ b/modules/oracle-xe/src/main/java/org/testcontainers/containers/OracleContainer.java
@@ -61,6 +61,18 @@ public class OracleContainer extends JdbcDatabaseContainer<OracleContainer> {
 
     private String password = APP_USER_PASSWORD;
 
+    /**
+     * Password for Oracle system user (e.g. SYSTEM/SYS). Defaults to {@link #APP_USER_PASSWORD}
+     * for backwards compatibility, but can be customized independently via {@link #withOraclePassword(String)}.
+     */
+    private String oraclePassword = APP_USER_PASSWORD;
+
+    /**
+     * Tracks whether {@link #withOraclePassword(String)} was called to avoid overriding
+     * the system password when {@link #withPassword(String)} is used for the application user only.
+     */
+    private boolean oraclePasswordExplicitlySet = false;
+
     private boolean usingSid = false;
 
     public OracleContainer(String dockerImageName) {
@@ -125,7 +137,8 @@ public String getUsername() {
 
     @Override
     public String getPassword() {
-        return password;
+        // When connecting via SID we authenticate as SYSTEM. Use the dedicated system password.
+        return isUsingSid() ? oraclePassword : password;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -155,6 +168,27 @@ public OracleContainer withPassword(String password) {
             throw new IllegalArgumentException("Password cannot be null or empty");
         }
         this.password = password;
+        // Maintain backwards compatibility: if oracle password wasn't set explicitly,
+        // align it with the application user's password.
+        if (!oraclePasswordExplicitlySet) {
+            this.oraclePassword = password;
+        }
+        return self();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Sets the password for the Oracle system user (SYSTEM/SYS). This is independent from the
+     * application user password set via {@link #withPassword(String)}.
+     *
+     * @param oraclePassword password for SYSTEM/SYS users inside the container
+     * @return this container instance
+     */
+    public OracleContainer withOraclePassword(String oraclePassword) {
+        if (StringUtils.isEmpty(oraclePassword)) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Oracle password cannot be null or empty");
+        }
+        this.oraclePassword = oraclePassword;
+        this.oraclePasswordExplicitlySet = true;
         return self();
     }
 
@@ -203,7 +237,8 @@ public String getTestQueryString() {
 
     @Override
     protected void configure() {
-        withEnv("ORACLE_PASSWORD", password);
+        // Configure system user password independently from application user's password
+        withEnv("ORACLE_PASSWORD", oraclePassword);
 
         // Only set ORACLE_DATABASE if different than the default.
         if (databaseName != DEFAULT_DATABASE_NAME) {
diff --git a/modules/oracle-xe/src/test/java/org/testcontainers/junit/oracle/SimpleOracleTest.java b/modules/oracle-xe/src/test/java/org/testcontainers/junit/oracle/SimpleOracleTest.java
index 82ef9846ab2..6c7a561b871 100644
--- a/modules/oracle-xe/src/test/java/org/testcontainers/junit/oracle/SimpleOracleTest.java
+++ b/modules/oracle-xe/src/test/java/org/testcontainers/junit/oracle/SimpleOracleTest.java
@@ -31,6 +31,20 @@ private void runTest(OracleContainer container, String databaseName, String user
         assertThat(resultSetInt).as("A basic SELECT query succeeds").isEqualTo(1);
     }
 
+    private void runTestSystemUser(OracleContainer container, String databaseName, String username, String password)
+        throws SQLException {
+        //Test config was honored
+        assertThat(container.getDatabaseName()).isEqualTo(databaseName);
+        assertThat(container.getUsername()).isEqualTo(username);
+        assertThat(container.getPassword()).isEqualTo(password);
+
+        //Test we can get a connection and execute a system-level command
+        container.start();
+        ResultSet resultSet = performQuery(container, "GRANT DBA TO " + username);
+        int resultSetInt = resultSet.getInt(1);
+        assertThat(resultSetInt).as("A basic system user query succeeds").isEqualTo(1);
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void testDefaultSettings() throws SQLException {
         try (OracleContainer oracle = new OracleContainer(ORACLE_DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME);) {
@@ -77,7 +91,7 @@ public void testCustomUser() throws SQLException {
     @Test
     public void testSID() throws SQLException {
         try (OracleContainer oracle = new OracleContainer(ORACLE_DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME).usingSid();) {
-            runTest(oracle, "xepdb1", "system", "test");
+            runTestSystemUser(oracle, "xepdb1", "system", "test");
 
             // Match against the last ':'
             String urlSuffix = oracle.getJdbcUrl().split("(\\:)(?!.*\\:)", 2)[1];
@@ -92,7 +106,29 @@ public void testSIDAndCustomPassword() throws SQLException {
                 .usingSid()
                 .withPassword("testPassword");
         ) {
-            runTest(oracle, "xepdb1", "system", "testPassword");
+            runTestSystemUser(oracle, "xepdb1", "system", "testPassword");
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testSeparateSystemAndAppPasswords() throws SQLException {
+        // SID mode should use system password
+        try (
+            OracleContainer oracleSid = new OracleContainer(ORACLE_DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME)
+                .usingSid()
+                .withOraclePassword("SysP@ss1!")
+                .withPassword("AppP@ss1!")
+        ) {
+            runTestSystemUser(oracleSid, "xepdb1", "system", "SysP@ss1!");
+        }
+
+        // Non-SID mode should use application user's password
+        try (
+            OracleContainer oraclePdb = new OracleContainer(ORACLE_DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME)
+                .withOraclePassword("SysP@ss2!")
+                .withPassword("AppP@ss2!")
+        ) {
+            runTest(oraclePdb, "xepdb1", "test", "AppP@ss2!");
         }
     }