diff --git a/dist/common/scripts/scylla_cpuset_setup b/dist/common/scripts/scylla_cpuset_setup
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..5a755e39cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dist/common/scripts/scylla_cpuset_setup
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+#!/bin/bash -e
+#
+#  Copyright (C) 2016 ScyllaDB
+
+print_usage() {
+    echo "scylla_cpuset_setup --cpuset 1-7 --smp 7"
+    echo "  --cpuset   CPUs to use (in cpuset(7) format; default: all))"
+    echo "  --smp      number of threads (default: one per CPU)"
+    exit 1
+}
+
+CPUSET=
+SMP=
+while [ $# -gt 0 ]; do
+    case "$1" in
+        "--cpuset")
+            CPUSET=$2
+            shift 2
+            ;;
+        "--smp")
+            SMP=$2
+            shift 2
+            ;;
+        *)
+            print_usage
+            ;;
+    esac
+done
+
+if [ "$CPUSET" = "" ] && [ "$SMP" = "" ]; then
+    print_usage
+fi
+
+OUT="CPUSET=\""
+if [ "$CPUSET" != "" ]; then
+    OUT="$OUT--cpuset $CPUSET "
+fi
+if [ "$SMP" != "" ]; then
+    OUT="$OUT--smp $SMP "
+fi
+OUT="$OUT\""
+echo $OUT > /etc/scylla.d/cpuset.conf
diff --git a/dist/common/scripts/scylla_sysconfig_setup b/dist/common/scripts/scylla_sysconfig_setup
index c42c0049c9..2ecc57bb32 100755
--- a/dist/common/scripts/scylla_sysconfig_setup
+++ b/dist/common/scripts/scylla_sysconfig_setup
@@ -75,11 +75,8 @@ echo Setting parameters on $SYSCONFIG/scylla-server
 
 ETHDRV=`/usr/lib/scylla/dpdk_nic_bind.py --status | grep if=$NIC | sed -e "s/^.*drv=//" -e "s/ .*$//"`
 ETHPCIID=`/usr/lib/scylla/dpdk_nic_bind.py --status | grep if=$NIC | awk '{print $1}'`
-NR_CPU=`cat /proc/cpuinfo |grep processor|wc -l`
 if [ "$AMI" = "yes" ] && [ $NR_CPU -ge 8 ] && [ "$SET_NIC" = "no" ]; then
-    NR=$((NR_CPU - 1))
     SET_NIC="yes"
-    SCYLLA_ARGS="$SCYLLA_ARGS --cpuset 1-$NR  --smp $NR"
 fi
 sed -e s#^NETWORK_MODE=.*#NETWORK_MODE=$NETWORK_MODE# \
     -e s#^IFNAME=.*#IFNAME=$NIC# \
diff --git a/dist/common/scylla.d/cpuset.conf b/dist/common/scylla.d/cpuset.conf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..047794a202
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dist/common/scylla.d/cpuset.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+# DO NO EDIT
+# This file should be automatically configure by scylla_cpuset_setup
+#
+# CPUSET="--cpuset 0 --smp 1"
diff --git a/dist/common/systemd/scylla-server.service.in b/dist/common/systemd/scylla-server.service.in
index 117a936600..4743aa086c 100644
--- a/dist/common/systemd/scylla-server.service.in
+++ b/dist/common/systemd/scylla-server.service.in
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ EnvironmentFile=@@SYSCONFDIR@@/scylla-server
 EnvironmentFile=/etc/scylla.d/*.conf
 WorkingDirectory=$SCYLLA_HOME
 ExecStartPre=/usr/bin/sudo /usr/lib/scylla/scylla_prepare
-ExecStart=/usr/bin/scylla $SCYLLA_ARGS $SEASTAR_IO $DEV_MODE
+ExecStart=/usr/bin/scylla $SCYLLA_ARGS $SEASTAR_IO $DEV_MODE $CPUSET
 ExecStopPost=/usr/bin/sudo /usr/lib/scylla/scylla_stop
 TimeoutStartSec=900
 KillMode=process
diff --git a/dist/redhat/scylla.spec.in b/dist/redhat/scylla.spec.in
index b1bdd81b82..dd53d46f6b 100644
--- a/dist/redhat/scylla.spec.in
+++ b/dist/redhat/scylla.spec.in
@@ -163,6 +163,7 @@ rm -rf $RPM_BUILD_ROOT
 %{_prefix}/lib/scylla/scylla_io_setup
 %{_prefix}/lib/scylla/scylla_dev_mode_setup
 %{_prefix}/lib/scylla/scylla_kernel_check
+%{_prefix}/lib/scylla/scylla_cpuset_setup
 %{_prefix}/lib/scylla/posix_net_conf.sh
 %{_prefix}/lib/scylla/dpdk_nic_bind.py
 %{_prefix}/lib/scylla/dpdk_nic_bind.pyc
diff --git a/dist/ubuntu/debian/scylla-server.upstart b/dist/ubuntu/debian/scylla-server.upstart
index 33f49353d0..ff8435ab3b 100644
--- a/dist/ubuntu/debian/scylla-server.upstart
+++ b/dist/ubuntu/debian/scylla-server.upstart
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ script
         fi
         . "$i"
     done
-    exec /usr/bin/scylla $SCYLLA_ARGS $SEASTAR_IO $DEV_MODE
+    exec /usr/bin/scylla $SCYLLA_ARGS $SEASTAR_IO $DEV_MODE $CPUSET
 end script
 
 post-stop script