diff --git a/lib/executor/helpers.go b/lib/executor/helpers.go
index 701d8a3e10a..80699407dab 100644
--- a/lib/executor/helpers.go
+++ b/lib/executor/helpers.go
@@ -16,6 +16,12 @@ import (
 	"go.k6.io/k6/ui/pb"
 )
 
+const (
+	// maxConcurrentVUs is an arbitrary limit for sanity checks.
+	// It prevents running an exaggeratedly large number of concurrent VUs which may lead to an out-of-memory.
+	maxConcurrentVUs int = 100_000_000
+)
+
 func sumStagesDuration(stages []Stage) (result time.Duration) {
 	for _, s := range stages {
 		result += s.Duration.TimeDuration()
@@ -33,6 +39,27 @@ func getStagesUnscaledMaxTarget(unscaledStartValue int64, stages []Stage) int64
 	return max
 }
 
+// validateTargetShifts validates the VU Target shifts.
+// It will append an error for any VU target that is larger than the maximum value allowed.
+// Each Stage needs a Target value. The stages array can be empty. The Targes could be negative.
+func validateTargetShifts(startVUs int64, stages []Stage) []error {
+	var errors []error
+
+	if startVUs > int64(maxConcurrentVUs) {
+		errors = append(errors, fmt.Errorf(
+			"the startVUs exceed max limit of %d", maxConcurrentVUs))
+	}
+
+	for i := 0; i < len(stages); i++ {
+		if stages[i].Target.Int64 > int64(maxConcurrentVUs) {
+			errors = append(errors, fmt.Errorf(
+				"target for stage %d exceeds max limit of %d", i+1, maxConcurrentVUs))
+		}
+	}
+
+	return errors
+}
+
 // A helper function to avoid code duplication
 func validateStages(stages []Stage) []error {
 	var errors []error
diff --git a/lib/executor/ramping_vus.go b/lib/executor/ramping_vus.go
index 58afcfe8c64..9acdc4e1773 100644
--- a/lib/executor/ramping_vus.go
+++ b/lib/executor/ramping_vus.go
@@ -86,7 +86,10 @@ func (vlvc RampingVUsConfig) Validate() []error {
 		errors = append(errors, fmt.Errorf("either startVUs or one of the stages' target values must be greater than 0"))
 	}
 
-	return append(errors, validateStages(vlvc.Stages)...)
+	errors = append(errors, validateStages(vlvc.Stages)...)
+	errors = append(errors, validateTargetShifts(vlvc.StartVUs.Int64, vlvc.Stages)...)
+
+	return errors
 }
 
 // getRawExecutionSteps calculates and returns as execution steps the number of
diff --git a/lib/executor/ramping_vus_test.go b/lib/executor/ramping_vus_test.go
index 522aa220865..a8a0ca1334e 100644
--- a/lib/executor/ramping_vus_test.go
+++ b/lib/executor/ramping_vus_test.go
@@ -36,6 +36,51 @@ func TestRampingVUsConfigValidation(t *testing.T) {
 	errs = c.Validate()
 	require.NotEmpty(t, errs)
 	assert.Contains(t, errs[0].Error(), "greater than 0")
+
+	const maxConcurrentVUs = 100_000_000
+
+	t.Run("If startVUs are larger than maxConcurrentVUs, the validation should return an error", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+
+		c = NewRampingVUsConfig("stage")
+		c.StartVUs = null.IntFrom(maxConcurrentVUs + 1)
+		c.Stages = []Stage{
+			{Target: null.IntFrom(0), Duration: types.NullDurationFrom(1 * time.Second)},
+		}
+
+		errs = c.Validate()
+		require.NotEmpty(t, errs)
+		assert.Contains(t, errs[0].Error(), "the startVUs exceed max limit of")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("For multiple VU values larger than maxConcurrentVUs, multiple errors are returned", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+
+		c = NewRampingVUsConfig("stage")
+		c.StartVUs = null.IntFrom(maxConcurrentVUs + 1)
+		c.Stages = []Stage{
+			{Target: null.IntFrom(maxConcurrentVUs + 2), Duration: types.NullDurationFrom(1 * time.Second)},
+		}
+
+		errs = c.Validate()
+		require.Equal(t, 2, len(errs))
+		assert.Contains(t, errs[0].Error(), "the startVUs exceed max limit of")
+
+		assert.Contains(t, errs[1].Error(), "target for stage 1 exceeds max limit of")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("VU values below maxConcurrentVUs will pass validation", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+
+		c = NewRampingVUsConfig("stage")
+		c.StartVUs = null.IntFrom(0)
+		c.Stages = []Stage{
+			{Target: null.IntFrom(maxConcurrentVUs - 1), Duration: types.NullDurationFrom(1 * time.Second)},
+		}
+
+		errs = c.Validate()
+		require.Empty(t, errs)
+	})
 }
 
 func TestRampingVUsRun(t *testing.T) {