diff --git a/executorlib/base/executor.py b/executorlib/base/executor.py
index ff7ed4df..a0a44fb3 100644
--- a/executorlib/base/executor.py
+++ b/executorlib/base/executor.py
@@ -18,14 +18,15 @@ class ExecutorBase(FutureExecutor):
     Base class for the executor.
 
     Args:
-        FutureExecutor: Base class for the executor.
+        max_cores (int): defines the number cores which can be used in parallel
     """
 
-    def __init__(self):
+    def __init__(self, max_cores: Optional[int] = None):
         """
         Initialize the ExecutorBase class.
         """
         cloudpickle_register(ind=3)
+        self._max_cores = max_cores
         self._future_queue: queue.Queue = queue.Queue()
         self._process: Optional[RaisingThread] = None
 
@@ -86,6 +87,15 @@ def submit(self, fn: callable, *args, resource_dict: dict = {}, **kwargs) -> Fut
         Returns:
             Future: A Future representing the given call.
         """
+        cores = resource_dict.get("cores", None)
+        if (
+            cores is not None
+            and self._max_cores is not None
+            and cores > self._max_cores
+        ):
+            raise ValueError(
+                "The specified number of cores is larger than the available number of cores."
+            )
         check_resource_dict(function=fn)
         f = Future()
         self._future_queue.put(
diff --git a/executorlib/cache/executor.py b/executorlib/cache/executor.py
index 3ecfd6f3..ea42bad8 100644
--- a/executorlib/cache/executor.py
+++ b/executorlib/cache/executor.py
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ def __init__(
             backend (str, optional): name of the backend used to spawn tasks.
             disable_dependencies (boolean): Disable resolving future objects during the submission.
         """
-        super().__init__()
+        super().__init__(max_cores=None)
         default_resource_dict = {
             "cores": 1,
             "cwd": None,
diff --git a/executorlib/interactive/executor.py b/executorlib/interactive/executor.py
index cd5ce42c..e36301a9 100644
--- a/executorlib/interactive/executor.py
+++ b/executorlib/interactive/executor.py
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ def __init__(
         plot_dependency_graph: bool = False,
         **kwargs: Any,
     ) -> None:
-        super().__init__()
+        super().__init__(max_cores=kwargs.get("max_cores", None))
         executor = create_executor(*args, **kwargs)
         self._set_process(
             RaisingThread(
diff --git a/executorlib/interactive/shared.py b/executorlib/interactive/shared.py
index aebca15d..d163cbfe 100644
--- a/executorlib/interactive/shared.py
+++ b/executorlib/interactive/shared.py
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ def __init__(
         executor_kwargs: dict = {},
         spawner: BaseSpawner = MpiExecSpawner,
     ):
-        super().__init__()
+        super().__init__(max_cores=executor_kwargs.get("max_cores", None))
         executor_kwargs["future_queue"] = self._future_queue
         executor_kwargs["spawner"] = spawner
         self._set_process(
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ def __init__(
         executor_kwargs: dict = {},
         spawner: BaseSpawner = MpiExecSpawner,
     ):
-        super().__init__()
+        super().__init__(max_cores=executor_kwargs.get("max_cores", None))
         executor_kwargs["future_queue"] = self._future_queue
         executor_kwargs["spawner"] = spawner
         executor_kwargs["max_cores"] = max_cores
diff --git a/tests/test_executor_backend_mpi.py b/tests/test_executor_backend_mpi.py
index 9a4309b2..4876cbfc 100644
--- a/tests/test_executor_backend_mpi.py
+++ b/tests/test_executor_backend_mpi.py
@@ -52,6 +52,12 @@ def test_meta_executor_single(self):
             self.assertTrue(fs_1.done())
             self.assertTrue(fs_2.done())
 
+    def test_oversubscribe(self):
+        with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
+            with Executor(max_cores=1, backend="local", block_allocation=True) as exe:
+                cloudpickle_register(ind=1)
+                fs_1 = exe.submit(calc, 1, resource_dict={"cores": 2})
+
     @unittest.skipIf(
         skip_mpi4py_test, "mpi4py is not installed, so the mpi4py tests are skipped."
     )