diff --git a/orte/mca/rmaps/mindist/rmaps_mindist_module.c b/orte/mca/rmaps/mindist/rmaps_mindist_module.c
index 93c6911c3e..372318e600 100644
--- a/orte/mca/rmaps/mindist/rmaps_mindist_module.c
+++ b/orte/mca/rmaps/mindist/rmaps_mindist_module.c
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
  * Copyright (c) 2006-2011 Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2011-2013 Los Alamos National Security, LLC.
  *                         All rights reserved.
- * Copyright (c) 2014      Intel, Inc. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2014-2016 Intel, Inc. All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2014      Research Organization for Information Science
  *                         and Technology (RIST). All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
@@ -226,6 +226,7 @@ static int mindist_map(orte_job_t *jdata)
                         orte_show_help("help-orte-rmaps-base.txt", "orte-rmaps-base:alloc-error",
                                 true, app->num_procs, app->app);
                         rc = ORTE_ERR_SILENT;
+                        ORTE_UPDATE_EXIT_STATUS(ORTE_ERROR_DEFAULT_EXIT_CODE);
                         goto error;
                     } else {
                         ORTE_FLAG_SET(node, ORTE_NODE_FLAG_OVERSUBSCRIBED);
@@ -329,6 +330,7 @@ static int mindist_map(orte_job_t *jdata)
                 orte_show_help("help-orte-rmaps-base.txt", "orte-rmaps-base:alloc-error",
                         true, app->num_procs, app->app);
                 rc = ORTE_ERR_SILENT;
+                ORTE_UPDATE_EXIT_STATUS(ORTE_ERROR_DEFAULT_EXIT_CODE);
                 goto error;
             }
             opal_output_verbose(2, orte_rmaps_base_framework.framework_output,
diff --git a/orte/mca/rmaps/ppr/rmaps_ppr.c b/orte/mca/rmaps/ppr/rmaps_ppr.c
index 767e1134e3..226ee68e86 100644
--- a/orte/mca/rmaps/ppr/rmaps_ppr.c
+++ b/orte/mca/rmaps/ppr/rmaps_ppr.c
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@
  * Copyright (c) 2011      Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2011      Los Alamos National Security, LLC.
  *                         All rights reserved.
- * Copyright (c) 2014-2015 Intel, Inc. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2014-2016 Intel, Inc. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2015      Research Organization for Information Science
+ *                         and Technology (RIST). All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  *
  * Additional copyrights may follow
@@ -339,6 +341,7 @@ static int ppr_mapper(orte_job_t *jdata)
                 if (ORTE_MAPPING_NO_OVERSUBSCRIBE & ORTE_GET_MAPPING_DIRECTIVE(jdata->map->mapping)) {
                     orte_show_help("help-orte-rmaps-base.txt", "orte-rmaps-base:alloc-error",
                                    true, node->num_procs, app->app);
+                    ORTE_UPDATE_EXIT_STATUS(ORTE_ERROR_DEFAULT_EXIT_CODE);
                     rc = ORTE_ERR_SILENT;
                     goto error;
                 }
@@ -346,6 +349,24 @@ static int ppr_mapper(orte_job_t *jdata)
                  * properly set
                  */
                 ORTE_FLAG_SET(node, ORTE_NODE_FLAG_OVERSUBSCRIBED);
+                /* check for permission */
+                if (ORTE_FLAG_TEST(node, ORTE_NODE_FLAG_SLOTS_GIVEN)) {
+                    /* if we weren't given a directive either way, then we will error out
+                     * as the #slots were specifically given, either by the host RM or
+                     * via hostfile/dash-host */
+                    if (!(ORTE_MAPPING_SUBSCRIBE_GIVEN & ORTE_GET_MAPPING_DIRECTIVE(orte_rmaps_base.mapping))) {
+                        orte_show_help("help-orte-rmaps-base.txt", "orte-rmaps-base:alloc-error",
+                                       true, app->num_procs, app->app);
+                        ORTE_UPDATE_EXIT_STATUS(ORTE_ERROR_DEFAULT_EXIT_CODE);
+                        return ORTE_ERR_SILENT;
+                    } else if (ORTE_MAPPING_NO_OVERSUBSCRIBE & ORTE_GET_MAPPING_DIRECTIVE(jdata->map->mapping)) {
+                        /* if we were explicitly told not to oversubscribe, then don't */
+                        orte_show_help("help-orte-rmaps-base.txt", "orte-rmaps-base:alloc-error",
+                                       true, app->num_procs, app->app);
+                        ORTE_UPDATE_EXIT_STATUS(ORTE_ERROR_DEFAULT_EXIT_CODE);
+                        return ORTE_ERR_SILENT;
+                    }
+                }
             }
 
             /* if we haven't mapped all the procs, continue on to the
diff --git a/orte/mca/rmaps/rank_file/rmaps_rank_file.c b/orte/mca/rmaps/rank_file/rmaps_rank_file.c
index 5fad8b8ced..48439551b1 100644
--- a/orte/mca/rmaps/rank_file/rmaps_rank_file.c
+++ b/orte/mca/rmaps/rank_file/rmaps_rank_file.c
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
  *                         All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2008      Voltaire. All rights reserved
  * Copyright (c) 2010      Oracle and/or its affiliates.  All rights reserved.
- * Copyright (c) 2014-2015 Intel, Inc. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2014-2016 Intel, Inc. All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2015      Research Organization for Information Science
  *                         and Technology (RIST). All rights reserved.
  *
@@ -290,6 +290,7 @@ static int orte_rmaps_rf_map(orte_job_t *jdata)
                 if (ORTE_MAPPING_NO_OVERSUBSCRIBE & ORTE_GET_MAPPING_DIRECTIVE(jdata->map->mapping)) {
                     orte_show_help("help-orte-rmaps-base.txt", "orte-rmaps-base:alloc-error",
                                    true, node->num_procs, app->app);
+                    ORTE_UPDATE_EXIT_STATUS(ORTE_ERROR_DEFAULT_EXIT_CODE);
                     rc = ORTE_ERR_SILENT;
                     goto error;
                 }
diff --git a/orte/mca/rmaps/resilient/rmaps_resilient.c b/orte/mca/rmaps/resilient/rmaps_resilient.c
index bdf7ca3292..8e5a8689d3 100644
--- a/orte/mca/rmaps/resilient/rmaps_resilient.c
+++ b/orte/mca/rmaps/resilient/rmaps_resilient.c
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
  *                         Corporation.  All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2011-2012 Los Alamos National Security, LLC.
  *                         All rights reserved.
- * Copyright (c) 2014      Intel, Inc. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2014-2016 Intel, Inc. All rights reserved.
  *
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  *
@@ -833,6 +833,7 @@ static int map_to_ftgrps(orte_job_t *jdata)
                 if (ORTE_MAPPING_NO_OVERSUBSCRIBE & ORTE_GET_MAPPING_DIRECTIVE(jdata->map->mapping)) {
                     orte_show_help("help-orte-rmaps-base.txt", "orte-rmaps-base:alloc-error",
                                    true, nd->num_procs, app->app);
+                    ORTE_UPDATE_EXIT_STATUS(ORTE_ERROR_DEFAULT_EXIT_CODE);
                     return ORTE_ERR_SILENT;
                 }
                 /* flag the node as oversubscribed so that sched-yield gets
diff --git a/orte/mca/rmaps/round_robin/rmaps_rr_mappers.c b/orte/mca/rmaps/round_robin/rmaps_rr_mappers.c
index 0cb4044059..e7a996e86e 100644
--- a/orte/mca/rmaps/round_robin/rmaps_rr_mappers.c
+++ b/orte/mca/rmaps/round_robin/rmaps_rr_mappers.c
@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@
  * Copyright (c) 2004-2005 The Regents of the University of California.
  *                         All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2009-2013 Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
- * Copyright (c) 2013-2015 Intel, Inc. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2013-2016 Intel, Inc. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2015      Research Organization for Information Science
+ *                         and Technology (RIST). All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  *
  * Additional copyrights may follow
@@ -58,6 +60,7 @@ int orte_rmaps_rr_byslot(orte_job_t *jdata,
         if (ORTE_MAPPING_NO_OVERSUBSCRIBE & ORTE_GET_MAPPING_DIRECTIVE(jdata->map->mapping)) {
             orte_show_help("help-orte-rmaps-base.txt", "orte-rmaps-base:alloc-error",
                            true, app->num_procs, app->app);
+            ORTE_UPDATE_EXIT_STATUS(ORTE_ERROR_DEFAULT_EXIT_CODE);
             return ORTE_ERR_SILENT;
         }
     }
@@ -184,6 +187,24 @@ int orte_rmaps_rr_byslot(orte_job_t *jdata,
              * properly set
              */
             ORTE_FLAG_SET(node, ORTE_NODE_FLAG_OVERSUBSCRIBED);
+            /* check for permission */
+            if (ORTE_FLAG_TEST(node, ORTE_NODE_FLAG_SLOTS_GIVEN)) {
+                /* if we weren't given a directive either way, then we will error out
+                 * as the #slots were specifically given, either by the host RM or
+                 * via hostfile/dash-host */
+                if (!(ORTE_MAPPING_SUBSCRIBE_GIVEN & ORTE_GET_MAPPING_DIRECTIVE(orte_rmaps_base.mapping))) {
+                    orte_show_help("help-orte-rmaps-base.txt", "orte-rmaps-base:alloc-error",
+                                   true, app->num_procs, app->app);
+                    ORTE_UPDATE_EXIT_STATUS(ORTE_ERROR_DEFAULT_EXIT_CODE);
+                    return ORTE_ERR_SILENT;
+                } else if (ORTE_MAPPING_NO_OVERSUBSCRIBE & ORTE_GET_MAPPING_DIRECTIVE(jdata->map->mapping)) {
+                    /* if we were explicitly told not to oversubscribe, then don't */
+                    orte_show_help("help-orte-rmaps-base.txt", "orte-rmaps-base:alloc-error",
+                                   true, app->num_procs, app->app);
+                    ORTE_UPDATE_EXIT_STATUS(ORTE_ERROR_DEFAULT_EXIT_CODE);
+                    return ORTE_ERR_SILENT;
+                }
+            }
         }
         /* if we have mapped everything, then we are done */
         if (nprocs_mapped == app->num_procs) {
@@ -219,6 +240,7 @@ int orte_rmaps_rr_bynode(orte_job_t *jdata,
         if (ORTE_MAPPING_NO_OVERSUBSCRIBE & ORTE_GET_MAPPING_DIRECTIVE(jdata->map->mapping)) {
             orte_show_help("help-orte-rmaps-base.txt", "orte-rmaps-base:alloc-error",
                            true, app->num_procs, app->app);
+            ORTE_UPDATE_EXIT_STATUS(ORTE_ERROR_DEFAULT_EXIT_CODE);
             return ORTE_ERR_SILENT;
         }
         oversubscribed = true;
@@ -349,6 +371,24 @@ int orte_rmaps_rr_bynode(orte_job_t *jdata,
                  * properly set
                  */
                 ORTE_FLAG_SET(node, ORTE_NODE_FLAG_OVERSUBSCRIBED);
+                /* check for permission */
+                if (ORTE_FLAG_TEST(node, ORTE_NODE_FLAG_SLOTS_GIVEN)) {
+                    /* if we weren't given a directive either way, then we will error out
+                     * as the #slots were specifically given, either by the host RM or
+                     * via hostfile/dash-host */
+                    if (!(ORTE_MAPPING_SUBSCRIBE_GIVEN & ORTE_GET_MAPPING_DIRECTIVE(orte_rmaps_base.mapping))) {
+                        orte_show_help("help-orte-rmaps-base.txt", "orte-rmaps-base:alloc-error",
+                                       true, app->num_procs, app->app);
+                        ORTE_UPDATE_EXIT_STATUS(ORTE_ERROR_DEFAULT_EXIT_CODE);
+                        return ORTE_ERR_SILENT;
+                    } else if (ORTE_MAPPING_NO_OVERSUBSCRIBE & ORTE_GET_MAPPING_DIRECTIVE(jdata->map->mapping)) {
+                        /* if we were explicitly told not to oversubscribe, then don't */
+                        orte_show_help("help-orte-rmaps-base.txt", "orte-rmaps-base:alloc-error",
+                                       true, app->num_procs, app->app);
+                        ORTE_UPDATE_EXIT_STATUS(ORTE_ERROR_DEFAULT_EXIT_CODE);
+                        return ORTE_ERR_SILENT;
+                    }
+                }
             }
             if (nprocs_mapped == app->num_procs) {
                 /* we are done */
@@ -452,6 +492,7 @@ int orte_rmaps_rr_byobj(orte_job_t *jdata,
         if (ORTE_MAPPING_NO_OVERSUBSCRIBE & ORTE_GET_MAPPING_DIRECTIVE(jdata->map->mapping)) {
             orte_show_help("help-orte-rmaps-base.txt", "orte-rmaps-base:alloc-error",
                            true, app->num_procs, app->app);
+            ORTE_UPDATE_EXIT_STATUS(ORTE_ERROR_DEFAULT_EXIT_CODE);
             return ORTE_ERR_SILENT;
         }
     }
@@ -550,6 +591,24 @@ int orte_rmaps_rr_byobj(orte_job_t *jdata,
                  * properly set
                  */
                 ORTE_FLAG_SET(node, ORTE_NODE_FLAG_OVERSUBSCRIBED);
+                /* check for permission */
+                if (ORTE_FLAG_TEST(node, ORTE_NODE_FLAG_SLOTS_GIVEN)) {
+                    /* if we weren't given a directive either way, then we will error out
+                     * as the #slots were specifically given, either by the host RM or
+                     * via hostfile/dash-host */
+                    if (!(ORTE_MAPPING_SUBSCRIBE_GIVEN & ORTE_GET_MAPPING_DIRECTIVE(orte_rmaps_base.mapping))) {
+                        orte_show_help("help-orte-rmaps-base.txt", "orte-rmaps-base:alloc-error",
+                                       true, app->num_procs, app->app);
+                        ORTE_UPDATE_EXIT_STATUS(ORTE_ERROR_DEFAULT_EXIT_CODE);
+                        return ORTE_ERR_SILENT;
+                    } else if (ORTE_MAPPING_NO_OVERSUBSCRIBE & ORTE_GET_MAPPING_DIRECTIVE(jdata->map->mapping)) {
+                        /* if we were explicitly told not to oversubscribe, then don't */
+                        orte_show_help("help-orte-rmaps-base.txt", "orte-rmaps-base:alloc-error",
+                                       true, app->num_procs, app->app);
+                        ORTE_UPDATE_EXIT_STATUS(ORTE_ERROR_DEFAULT_EXIT_CODE);
+                        return ORTE_ERR_SILENT;
+                    }
+                }
             }
             if (nprocs_mapped == app->num_procs) {
                 /* we are done */
@@ -593,6 +652,7 @@ static int byobj_span(orte_job_t *jdata,
         if (ORTE_MAPPING_NO_OVERSUBSCRIBE & ORTE_GET_MAPPING_DIRECTIVE(jdata->map->mapping)) {
             orte_show_help("help-orte-rmaps-base.txt", "orte-rmaps-base:alloc-error",
                            true, app->num_procs, app->app);
+            ORTE_UPDATE_EXIT_STATUS(ORTE_ERROR_DEFAULT_EXIT_CODE);
             return ORTE_ERR_SILENT;
         }
     }
diff --git a/orte/mca/rmaps/seq/rmaps_seq.c b/orte/mca/rmaps/seq/rmaps_seq.c
index ea70d8abd5..0f7f5d24bf 100644
--- a/orte/mca/rmaps/seq/rmaps_seq.c
+++ b/orte/mca/rmaps/seq/rmaps_seq.c
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
  * Copyright (c) 2006-2011 Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2011      Los Alamos National Security, LLC.
  *                         All rights reserved.
- * Copyright (c) 2014-2015 Intel, Inc. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2014-2016 Intel, Inc. All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2015      Research Organization for Information Science
  *                         and Technology (RIST). All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
@@ -363,6 +363,7 @@ static int orte_rmaps_seq_map(orte_job_t *jdata)
                 if (ORTE_MAPPING_NO_OVERSUBSCRIBE & ORTE_GET_MAPPING_DIRECTIVE(jdata->map->mapping)) {
                     orte_show_help("help-orte-rmaps-base.txt", "orte-rmaps-base:alloc-error",
                                    true, node->num_procs, app->app);
+                    ORTE_UPDATE_EXIT_STATUS(ORTE_ERROR_DEFAULT_EXIT_CODE);
                     rc = ORTE_ERR_SILENT;
                     goto error;
                 }
@@ -370,6 +371,24 @@ static int orte_rmaps_seq_map(orte_job_t *jdata)
                  * properly set
                  */
                 ORTE_FLAG_SET(node, ORTE_NODE_FLAG_OVERSUBSCRIBED);
+                /* check for permission */
+                if (ORTE_FLAG_TEST(node, ORTE_NODE_FLAG_SLOTS_GIVEN)) {
+                    /* if we weren't given a directive either way, then we will error out
+                     * as the #slots were specifically given, either by the host RM or
+                     * via hostfile/dash-host */
+                    if (!(ORTE_MAPPING_SUBSCRIBE_GIVEN & ORTE_GET_MAPPING_DIRECTIVE(orte_rmaps_base.mapping))) {
+                        orte_show_help("help-orte-rmaps-base.txt", "orte-rmaps-base:alloc-error",
+                                       true, app->num_procs, app->app);
+                        ORTE_UPDATE_EXIT_STATUS(ORTE_ERROR_DEFAULT_EXIT_CODE);
+                        return ORTE_ERR_SILENT;
+                    } else if (ORTE_MAPPING_NO_OVERSUBSCRIBE & ORTE_GET_MAPPING_DIRECTIVE(jdata->map->mapping)) {
+                        /* if we were explicitly told not to oversubscribe, then don't */
+                        orte_show_help("help-orte-rmaps-base.txt", "orte-rmaps-base:alloc-error",
+                                       true, app->num_procs, app->app);
+                        ORTE_UPDATE_EXIT_STATUS(ORTE_ERROR_DEFAULT_EXIT_CODE);
+                        return ORTE_ERR_SILENT;
+                    }
+                }
             }
             /* assign the vpid */
             proc->name.vpid = vpid++;