diff --git a/core/reactor.cc b/core/reactor.cc
index 3b4aef5fb2..9a4f759dcc 100644
--- a/core/reactor.cc
+++ b/core/reactor.cc
@@ -976,11 +976,11 @@ void smp_message_queue::flush_response_batch() {
     _completed_fifo.clear();
 }
 
-template<typename Func>
+template<size_t PrefetchCnt, typename Func>
 size_t smp_message_queue::process_queue(lf_queue& q, Func process) {
     // copy batch to local memory in order to minimize
     // time in which cross-cpu data is accessed
-    work_item* items[queue_length + prefetch_cnt];
+    work_item* items[queue_length + PrefetchCnt];
     work_item* wi;
     if (!q.pop(wi))
         return 0;
@@ -988,10 +988,10 @@ size_t smp_message_queue::process_queue(lf_queue& q, Func process) {
     // access with potential cache miss the second pop may cause
     prefetch<2>(wi);
     auto nr = q.pop(items);
-    std::fill(std::begin(items) + nr, std::begin(items) + nr + prefetch_cnt, nr ? items[nr - 1] : wi);
+    std::fill(std::begin(items) + nr, std::begin(items) + nr + PrefetchCnt, nr ? items[nr - 1] : wi);
     unsigned i = 0;
     do {
-        prefetch_n<2>(std::begin(items) + i, std::begin(items) + i + prefetch_cnt);
+        prefetch_n<2>(std::begin(items) + i, std::begin(items) + i + PrefetchCnt);
         process(wi);
         wi = items[i++];
     } while(i <= nr);
@@ -1000,7 +1000,7 @@ size_t smp_message_queue::process_queue(lf_queue& q, Func process) {
 }
 
 size_t smp_message_queue::process_completions() {
-    auto nr = process_queue(_completed, [] (work_item* wi) {
+    auto nr = process_queue<prefetch_cnt*2>(_completed, [] (work_item* wi) {
         wi->complete();
     });
     _current_queue_length -= nr;
@@ -1015,7 +1015,7 @@ void smp_message_queue::flush_request_batch() {
 }
 
 size_t smp_message_queue::process_incoming() {
-    auto nr = process_queue(_pending, [this] (work_item* wi) {
+    auto nr = process_queue<prefetch_cnt>(_pending, [this] (work_item* wi) {
         wi->process().then([this, wi] {
             respond(wi);
         });
diff --git a/core/reactor.hh b/core/reactor.hh
index 25477b97a8..0d10ebd0af 100644
--- a/core/reactor.hh
+++ b/core/reactor.hh
@@ -460,7 +460,7 @@ public:
         return fut;
     }
     void start(unsigned cpuid);
-    template<typename Func>
+    template<size_t PrefetchCnt, typename Func>
     size_t process_queue(lf_queue& q, Func process);
     size_t process_incoming();
     size_t process_completions();