diff --git a/autofit/non_linear/search/mle/drawer/search.py b/autofit/non_linear/search/mle/drawer/search.py
index 34b827285..6bda0cab1 100644
--- a/autofit/non_linear/search/mle/drawer/search.py
+++ b/autofit/non_linear/search/mle/drawer/search.py
@@ -66,6 +66,11 @@ def __init__(
             An SQLalchemy session instance so the results of the model-fit are written to an SQLite database.
         """
 
+        # Drawer is single-core only; drop any saved number_of_cores so a
+        # round-tripped search.json (which records the resolved value) can be
+        # deserialized without colliding with the hardcoded kwarg below.
+        kwargs.pop("number_of_cores", None)
+
         super().__init__(
             name=name,
             path_prefix=path_prefix,
diff --git a/test_autofit/non_linear/search/optimize/test_drawer.py b/test_autofit/non_linear/search/optimize/test_drawer.py
index ad6d2c352..3ee000877 100644
--- a/test_autofit/non_linear/search/optimize/test_drawer.py
+++ b/test_autofit/non_linear/search/optimize/test_drawer.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import pytest
 
 import autofit as af
+from autoconf.dictable import from_dict, to_dict
 
 pytestmark = pytest.mark.filterwarnings("ignore::FutureWarning")
 
@@ -21,3 +22,17 @@ def test__explicit_params():
 
     assert search.total_draws == 50
     assert isinstance(search.initializer, af.InitializerBall)
+
+
+def test__dict_round_trip_with_number_of_cores():
+    # A round-tripped Drawer.search.json carries `number_of_cores` at the top
+    # level (the resolved value, always 1). Before the fix, this collided with
+    # the hardcoded super().__init__(number_of_cores=1, **kwargs) call and
+    # raised `TypeError: got multiple values for keyword argument`.
+    dictionary = to_dict(af.Drawer(total_draws=3))
+    assert "number_of_cores" in dictionary["arguments"]
+
+    restored = from_dict(dictionary)
+    assert isinstance(restored, af.Drawer)
+    assert restored.total_draws == 3
+    assert restored.number_of_cores == 1