diff --git a/ndsl/comm/communicator.py b/ndsl/comm/communicator.py
index 65d72018..abb70ec8 100644
--- a/ndsl/comm/communicator.py
+++ b/ndsl/comm/communicator.py
@@ -786,7 +786,7 @@ def __init__(
                 "Communicator needs to be instantiated with communication subsystem"
                 f" derived from `comm_abc.Comm`, got {type(comm)}."
             )
-        if comm.Get_size() != partitioner.total_ranks:
+        if comm.Get_size() < partitioner.total_ranks:
             raise ValueError(
                 f"was given a partitioner for {partitioner.total_ranks} ranks but a "
                 f"comm object with only {comm.Get_size()} ranks, are we running "