A method, comprising: receiving, at a first network node, wherein the first node is an intermediate node between a head node and a tail node, a resource reservation message specifying a first label switched path, LSP, a first priority value, and a first minimum required bandwidth value associated with the first LSP, wherein the resource reservation message is initially generated by the tail node in response to receipt of a path message and passed on by all the nodes intermediate the tail node and the head node to the head node; determining, at the first network node, that a sum of the first minimum required bandwidth value and a second minimum required bandwidth associated with a previously received, second LSP exceeds an available bandwidth of a first link of the first network node to a second network node downstream of the first network node, the second network node being either the tail node or a network node located between the tail node and the first network node; determining whether the first priority value indicates that the first LSP has a higher priority than the second LSP; in response to determining that the first LSP has a higher priority than the second LSP, marking the second LSP as being soft-preempted and refraining from reserving bandwidth for the second LSP on the first link; sending an error message to a third network node specifying that the second LSP is being soft-preempted at the first link of the first network node, wherein the third network node is upstream of the first network node and the second network node, and wherein the third network node is not an origin of the second LSP; and sending, subsequent to sending the error message, the resource reservation message to the third network node, wherein the error message enables the third network node to mark the second LSP as being soft-preempted and to refrain from reserving bandwidth for the second LSP on a second link between the third network node and the first network node when it receives the resource reservation message. receiving, at a first network node, wherein the first node is an intermediate node between a head node and a tail node, a resource reservation message specifying a first label switched path, LSP, a first priority value, and a first minimum required bandwidth value associated with the first LSP, wherein the resource reservation message is initially generated by the tail node in response to receipt of a path message and passed on by all the nodes intermediate the tail node and the head node to the head node; determining, at the first network node, that a sum of the first minimum required bandwidth value and a second minimum required bandwidth associated with a previously received, second LSP exceeds an available bandwidth of a first link of the first network node to a second network node downstream of the first network node, the second network node being either the tail node or a network node located between the tail node and the first network node; determining whether the first priority value indicates that the first LSP has a higher priority than the second LSP; in response to determining that the first LSP has a higher priority than the second LSP, marking the second LSP as being soft-preempted and refraining from reserving bandwidth for the second LSP on the first link; sending an error message to a third network node specifying that the second LSP is being soft-preempted at the first link of the first network node, wherein the third network node is upstream of the first network node and the second network node, and wherein the third network node is not an origin of the second LSP; and sending, subsequent to sending the error message, the resource reservation message to the third network node, wherein the error message enables the third network node to mark the second LSP as being soft-preempted and to refrain from reserving bandwidth for the second LSP on a second link between the third network node and the first network node when it receives the resource reservation message.