diff --git a/yarn/alpha/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/yarn/YarnAllocationHandler.scala b/yarn/alpha/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/yarn/YarnAllocationHandler.scala
index ab8558e29045..29a1e009d6d1 100644
--- a/yarn/alpha/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/yarn/YarnAllocationHandler.scala
+++ b/yarn/alpha/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/yarn/YarnAllocationHandler.scala
@@ -509,10 +509,11 @@ private[yarn] class YarnAllocationHandler(
     priority: Int): ResourceRequest = {
 
     val rsrcRequest = Records.newRecord(classOf[ResourceRequest])
-    val memCapability = Records.newRecord(classOf[Resource])
+    val capability = Records.newRecord(classOf[Resource])
     // There probably is some overhead here, let's reserve a bit more memory.
-    memCapability.setMemory(executorMemory + memoryOverhead)
-    rsrcRequest.setCapability(memCapability)
+    capability.setMemory(executorMemory + memoryOverhead)
+    capability.setVirtualCores(executorCores)
+    rsrcRequest.setCapability(capability)
 
     val pri = Records.newRecord(classOf[Priority])
     pri.setPriority(priority)