diff --git a/pkg/cmd/scale/scale.go b/pkg/cmd/scale/scale.go
index 70e9d03c0..b97c1787e 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/scale/scale.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/scale/scale.go
@@ -62,6 +62,9 @@ func Runscale(t *terminal.Terminal, args []string, gpu string, cpu string, sstor
 	if err != nil {
 		return breverrors.WrapAndTrace(err)
 	}
+	if err = validateWorkspaceScalable(workspace); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	var modifyBody store.ModifyWorkspaceRequest
 
@@ -98,3 +101,13 @@ func Runscale(t *terminal.Terminal, args []string, gpu string, cpu string, sstor
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+// Dev-plane sets SubLocationTypeChangeable only when the provider can change an existing instance's type.
+func validateWorkspaceScalable(workspace *entity.Workspace) error {
+	if workspace.InstanceTypeInfo != nil && workspace.InstanceTypeInfo.SubLocationTypeChangeable {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return breverrors.NewValidationError(fmt.Sprintf(
+		"instance %q does not support scale; create a new instance with the desired type instead",
+		workspace.Name))
+}
diff --git a/pkg/entity/entity.go b/pkg/entity/entity.go
index c22e1ee42..7861da760 100644
--- a/pkg/entity/entity.go
+++ b/pkg/entity/entity.go
@@ -260,7 +260,8 @@ const (
 )
 
 type InstanceTypeInfo struct {
-	Stoppable bool `json:"stoppable"`
+	Stoppable                 bool `json:"stoppable"`
+	SubLocationTypeChangeable bool `json:"sub_location_type_changeable"`
 }
 
 type Workspace struct {