diff --git a/src/ert/config/ert_config.py b/src/ert/config/ert_config.py
index a1010e75961..6064f7dc802 100644
--- a/src/ert/config/ert_config.py
+++ b/src/ert/config/ert_config.py
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
 from ert.plugins import ErtPluginManager
 from ert.substitutions import Substitutions
 
-from ._get_num_cpu import get_num_cpu_from_data_file
 from .analysis_config import AnalysisConfig
 from .ensemble_config import EnsembleConfig
 from .forward_model_step import (
@@ -457,6 +456,9 @@ def from_dict(cls, config_dict) -> Self:
                     ]
                 )
             queue_config = QueueConfig.from_dict(config_dict)
+
+            substitutions["<NUM_CPU>"] = str(queue_config.preferred_num_cpu)
+
         except ConfigValidationError as err:
             errors.append(err)
 
@@ -979,10 +981,6 @@ def _installed_forward_model_steps_from_dict(
             raise ConfigValidationError.from_collected(errors)
         return fm_steps
 
-    @property
-    def preferred_num_cpu(self) -> int:
-        return int(self.substitutions.get(f"<{ConfigKeys.NUM_CPU}>", 1))
-
     @property
     def env_pr_fm_step(self) -> dict[str, dict[str, Any]]:
         return self.ENV_PR_FM_STEP
@@ -1084,14 +1082,6 @@ def _substitutions_from_dict(config_dict) -> Substitutions:
     if "<CONFIG_PATH>" not in subst_list:
         subst_list["<CONFIG_PATH>"] = config_dict.get("CONFIG_DIRECTORY", os.getcwd())
 
-    num_cpus = config_dict.get("NUM_CPU")
-    if num_cpus is None and "DATA_FILE" in config_dict:
-        num_cpus = get_num_cpu_from_data_file(config_dict.get("DATA_FILE"))
-        logger.info(f"Parsed NUM_CPU={num_cpus} from DATA-file")
-    if num_cpus is None:
-        num_cpus = 1
-    subst_list["<NUM_CPU>"] = str(num_cpus)
-
     for key, val in config_dict.get("DATA_KW", []):
         subst_list[key] = val
 
diff --git a/src/ert/config/queue_config.py b/src/ert/config/queue_config.py
index 3ac8579173a..1273f85e794 100644
--- a/src/ert/config/queue_config.py
+++ b/src/ert/config/queue_config.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 import pydantic
 from pydantic.dataclasses import dataclass
 
+from ._get_num_cpu import get_num_cpu_from_data_file
 from .parsing import (
     ConfigDict,
     ConfigKeys,
@@ -260,6 +261,7 @@ class QueueConfig:
     queue_options_test_run: LocalQueueOptions = field(default_factory=LocalQueueOptions)
     stop_long_running: bool = False
     max_runtime: int | None = None
+    preferred_num_cpu: int = 1
 
     @no_type_check
     @classmethod
@@ -276,6 +278,19 @@ def from_dict(cls, config_dict: ConfigDict) -> QueueConfig:
         max_submit: int = config_dict.get(ConfigKeys.MAX_SUBMIT, 1)
         stop_long_running = config_dict.get(ConfigKeys.STOP_LONG_RUNNING, False)
 
+        preferred_num_cpu = 1
+        if ConfigKeys.NUM_CPU in config_dict:
+            preferred_num_cpu = config_dict.get(ConfigKeys.NUM_CPU)
+        elif ConfigKeys.DATA_FILE in config_dict:
+            if preferred_num_cpu := get_num_cpu_from_data_file(
+                config_dict.get(ConfigKeys.DATA_FILE)
+            ):
+                logger.info(
+                    f"Parsed NUM_CPU={preferred_num_cpu} from {ConfigKeys.DATA_FILE}"
+                )
+            else:
+                preferred_num_cpu = 1
+
         raw_queue_options = config_dict.get("QUEUE_OPTION", [])
         grouped_queue_options = _group_queue_options_by_queue_system(raw_queue_options)
         _log_duplicated_queue_options(raw_queue_options)
@@ -320,6 +335,7 @@ def from_dict(cls, config_dict: ConfigDict) -> QueueConfig:
             queue_options_test_run,
             stop_long_running=bool(stop_long_running),
             max_runtime=config_dict.get(ConfigKeys.MAX_RUNTIME),
+            preferred_num_cpu=preferred_num_cpu,
         )
 
     def create_local_copy(self) -> QueueConfig:
diff --git a/src/ert/run_models/base_run_model.py b/src/ert/run_models/base_run_model.py
index bd6392647de..66d29c66161 100644
--- a/src/ert/run_models/base_run_model.py
+++ b/src/ert/run_models/base_run_model.py
@@ -605,7 +605,7 @@ def _build_ensemble(
                     fm_steps=self.ert_config.forward_model_steps,
                     max_runtime=self._queue_config.max_runtime,
                     run_arg=run_arg,
-                    num_cpu=self.ert_config.preferred_num_cpu,
+                    num_cpu=self._queue_config.preferred_num_cpu,
                     job_script=self.ert_config.queue_config.job_script,
                     realization_memory=self.ert_config.queue_config.realization_memory,
                 )
diff --git a/tests/ert/unit_tests/config/test_num_cpu.py b/tests/ert/unit_tests/config/test_num_cpu.py
index 5bb32b19739..03862ec767b 100644
--- a/tests/ert/unit_tests/config/test_num_cpu.py
+++ b/tests/ert/unit_tests/config/test_num_cpu.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
 def test_default_num_cpu():
     ert_config = ErtConfig.from_file_contents("NUM_REALIZATIONS 1")
-    assert ert_config.preferred_num_cpu == 1
+    assert ert_config.queue_config.preferred_num_cpu == 1
 
 
 @pytest.mark.usefixtures("use_tmpdir")
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ def test_num_cpu_from_config_preferred():
                 ConfigKeys.NUM_REALIZATIONS: 1,
                 ConfigKeys.DATA_FILE: data_file,
             }
-        ).preferred_num_cpu
+        ).queue_config.preferred_num_cpu
         == config_num_cpu
     )
 
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ def test_num_cpu_from_data_file_used_if_config_num_cpu_not_set(
                 ConfigKeys.NUM_REALIZATIONS: 1,
                 ConfigKeys.DATA_FILE: data_file,
             }
-        ).preferred_num_cpu
+        ).queue_config.preferred_num_cpu
         == data_file_num_cpu
     )