diff --git a/python/ray/autoscaler/_private/util.py b/python/ray/autoscaler/_private/util.py
index 2bd1e13e9..32758dec6 100644
--- a/python/ray/autoscaler/_private/util.py
+++ b/python/ray/autoscaler/_private/util.py
@@ -86,6 +86,14 @@ def validate_config(config: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
             raise ValueError(
                 "`head_node_type` must be one of `available_node_types`.")
 
+        sum_min_workers = sum(
+            config["available_node_types"][node_type].get("min_workers", 0)
+            for node_type in config["available_node_types"])
+        if sum_min_workers > config["max_workers"]:
+            raise ValueError(
+                "The specified global `max_workers` is smaller than the "
+                "sum of `min_workers` of all the available node types.")
+
 
 def prepare_config(config):
     with_defaults = fillout_defaults(config)
diff --git a/python/ray/tests/test_autoscaler_yaml.py b/python/ray/tests/test_autoscaler_yaml.py
index b712c8955..e5220771f 100644
--- a/python/ray/tests/test_autoscaler_yaml.py
+++ b/python/ray/tests/test_autoscaler_yaml.py
@@ -45,6 +45,31 @@ class AutoscalingConfigTest(unittest.TestCase):
             except Exception:
                 self.fail("Config did not pass validation test!")
 
+    def testValidateDefaultConfigMinMaxWorkers(self):
+        aws_config_path = os.path.join(
+            RAY_PATH, "autoscaler/aws/example-multi-node-type.yaml")
+        with open(aws_config_path) as f:
+            config = yaml.safe_load(f)
+        config = prepare_config(config)
+        for node_type in config["available_node_types"]:
+            config["available_node_types"][node_type]["resources"] = config[
+                "available_node_types"][node_type].get("resources", {})
+        try:
+            validate_config(config)
+        except Exception:
+            self.fail("Config did not pass validation test!")
+
+        config["max_workers"] = 0  # the sum of min_workers is 1.
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+            validate_config(config)
+
+        # make sure edge case of exactly 1 passes too.
+        config["max_workers"] = 1
+        try:
+            validate_config(config)
+        except Exception:
+            self.fail("Config did not pass validation test!")
+
     @pytest.mark.skipif(
         sys.platform.startswith("win"),
         reason="TODO(ameer): fails on Windows.")