diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 6583e86..4cc6deb 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 ### Changed
 
 - **Breaking:** `AwaitOperationConfiguration` cases are prefixed with `Await` (`AwaitSequential`, `AwaitParallel 4`, ...) so they no longer collide with `System.Threading.Tasks.Parallel`
+- `mapAsync` and `iterAsync` validate the concurrency limit of the options when they are called
 
 ## [0.3.1] - 2026-01-28
 
diff --git a/src/FSharp.Control.R3/AsyncObservable.fs b/src/FSharp.Control.R3/AsyncObservable.fs
index 81751a5..cb25a62 100644
--- a/src/FSharp.Control.R3/AsyncObservable.fs
+++ b/src/FSharp.Control.R3/AsyncObservable.fs
@@ -65,8 +65,10 @@ module Observable =
             |> Async.AwaitTask
     }
 
-    /// Maps the given observable with the given asynchronous function
+    /// <summary>Maps the given observable with the given asynchronous function</summary>
+    /// <exception cref="T:System.ArgumentOutOfRangeException">Thrown when the concurrency limit of the options is 0 or below -1.</exception>
     let mapAsync (options : ProcessingOptions) (f : 't -> Async<'r>) source =
+        options.Validate (nameof options)
         let selector x ct = ValueTask<'r>(Async.StartImmediateAsTask (f x, ct))
         ObservableExtensions.SelectAwait (
             source,
@@ -107,6 +109,7 @@ module Observable =
     /// This method can be used for debugging, logging, etc. of query behavior
     /// by intercepting the message stream to run arbitrary actions for messages on the pipeline.
     /// </remarks>
+    /// <exception cref="T:System.ArgumentOutOfRangeException">Thrown when the concurrency limit of the options is 0 or below -1.</exception>
     let iterAsync options (action : 't -> Async<unit>) source = source |> mapAsync options action |> length |> Async.Ignore
 
 [<AutoOpen>]
diff --git a/src/FSharp.Control.R3/ProcessingOptions.fs b/src/FSharp.Control.R3/ProcessingOptions.fs
index a868b18..cd4ca69 100644
--- a/src/FSharp.Control.R3/ProcessingOptions.fs
+++ b/src/FSharp.Control.R3/ProcessingOptions.fs
@@ -21,11 +21,11 @@ type AwaitOperationConfiguration =
     | AwaitSwitch
     /// <summary>All values are sent immediately to the asynchronous method.</summary>
     | AwaitParallel of
-        /// If set to -1, there is no limit.
+        /// Maximum number of concurrent invocations; -1 means no limit, otherwise it must be greater than 0.
         MaxConcurrent : int
     /// <summary>All values are sent immediately to the asynchronous method, but the results are queued and passed to the next operator in order.</summary>
     | AwaitSequentialParallel of
-        /// If set to -1, there is no limit.
+        /// Maximum number of concurrent invocations; -1 means no limit, otherwise it must be greater than 0.
         MaxConcurrent : int
     /// <summary>Send the first value and the last value while the asynchronous method is running.</summary>
     | AwaitThrottleFirstLast
@@ -69,6 +69,20 @@ type ProcessingOptions = {
         | AwaitOperationConfiguration.AwaitSequentialParallel _ -> AwaitOperation.SequentialParallel
         | AwaitOperationConfiguration.AwaitThrottleFirstLast -> AwaitOperation.ThrottleFirstLast
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Throws <see cref="T:System.ArgumentOutOfRangeException"/> when a parallel configuration has an invalid concurrency limit.
+    /// <para>
+    /// R3 validates the limit only when the mapped sequence is subscribed, far away from the code that built the options,
+    /// so the operators that accept the options validate them eagerly.
+    /// </para>
+    /// </summary>
+    member internal this.Validate (paramName : string) =
+        match this.AwaitOperationConfiguration with
+        | AwaitOperationConfiguration.AwaitParallel maxConcurrent
+        | AwaitOperationConfiguration.AwaitSequentialParallel maxConcurrent when maxConcurrent = 0 || maxConcurrent < -1 ->
+            raise (ArgumentOutOfRangeException (paramName, maxConcurrent, "MaxConcurrent must be -1 (no limit) or greater than 0."))
+        | _ -> ()
+
 type ChunkConfiguration<'T> =
     | ChunkCount of WindowLength : int
     | ChunkTimeSpan of WindowTime : TimeSpan * TimeProvider : TimeProvider
diff --git a/src/FSharp.Control.R3/TaskObservable.fs b/src/FSharp.Control.R3/TaskObservable.fs
index fe506a7..60a28b3 100644
--- a/src/FSharp.Control.R3/TaskObservable.fs
+++ b/src/FSharp.Control.R3/TaskObservable.fs
@@ -37,8 +37,10 @@ module Observable =
     /// Returns the length of the observable sequence till its completion or cancellation
     let length cancellationToken source = ObservableExtensions.CountAsync (source, cancellationToken)
 
-    /// Maps the given observable with the given asynchronous function
+    /// <summary>Maps the given observable with the given asynchronous function</summary>
+    /// <exception cref="T:System.ArgumentOutOfRangeException">Thrown when the concurrency limit of the options is 0 or below -1.</exception>
     let mapAsync (options : ProcessingOptions) (f : CancellationToken -> 'T -> Task<'R>) source =
+        options.Validate (nameof options)
         let selector x ct = ValueTask<'R>(f ct x)
         ObservableExtensions.SelectAwait (
             source,
@@ -57,6 +59,7 @@ module Observable =
     /// This method can be used for debugging, logging, etc. of query behavior
     /// by intercepting the message stream to run arbitrary actions for messages on the pipeline.
     /// </remarks>
+    /// <exception cref="T:System.ArgumentOutOfRangeException">Thrown when the concurrency limit of the options is 0 or below -1.</exception>
     let iterAsync cancellationToken options (action : CancellationToken -> 't -> Task<unit>) source =
         source
         |> mapAsync options action