Saints are through to the third round of the Capital One Cup after Jack Cork and Graziano Pelle scored their first goals for the club.
After a disappointing first half, half-time sub Cork headed Saints into a 53rd-minute lead - his first goal for the club in 111 appearances - following a Dusan Tadic corner.
Summer signing Graziano Pelle, who played alongside full debutant Shane Long, doubled the lead in injury time.
Saints manager Ronald Koeman made only three changes to the team that drew with West Brom on Saturday, with 18 year-old Matt Targett making his debut at left-back.
But it was much-changed Millwall, with just goalkeeper David Forde and defender Shaun Williams surviving from Saturday's Championship defeat by Rotherham, who should have been ahead at half-time.
Byron Webster flashed a header across goal and wide before Magaye Gueye's composure deserted him in front of goal and he shanked his shot past the post.
Just before the break Jermaine Easter tried an angled volley but Jose Fonte stuck out a leg and deflected the ball over.
The visitors, meanwhile, were easy on the eye but creating next to nothing, with a weak James Ward-Prowse shot which rolled into Forde's arms the sum total of their efforts in the first half.
It was Millwall who threatened again moments after the restart when Webster fed Easter, who cut inside from the left before rifling a shot narrowly wide.
But that only seemed to wake Saints up and they promptly laid siege on Forde's goal, with both Tadic and Pelle forcing the Irishman to tip fierce drives over the top.
And from one of the resulting corners, Southampton broke the deadlock, Cork ghosting in at the near post to nod Tadic's cross past Forde.
It could have been two moments later when Nathaniel Clyne scampered down the right and crossed for Pelle, but he was denied a first goal in this country when his header shaved the post.
Plucky Millwall pressed for an equaliser and their former Saints midfielder Richard Chaplow went closest when his shot flew narrowly over.
But Pelle settled it in injury time when he raced onto a through-ball and calmly beat Forde from 10 yards.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel