diff --git a/paddle/fluid/inference/tests/book/test_inference_nlp.cc b/paddle/fluid/inference/tests/book/test_inference_nlp.cc
index 5cc1db12bb71e428d493e7c6f718b1c6ed431858..e2a3e9d46ef9f303d191d59253ffbe9f4826184b 100644
--- a/paddle/fluid/inference/tests/book/test_inference_nlp.cc
+++ b/paddle/fluid/inference/tests/book/test_inference_nlp.cc
@@ -20,9 +20,6 @@ limitations under the License. */
 #include "gtest/gtest.h"
 #include "paddle/fluid/inference/tests/test_helper.h"
 #include "paddle/fluid/platform/cpu_helper.h"
-#ifdef PADDLE_WITH_MKLML
-#include <omp.h>
-#endif
 
 DEFINE_string(model_path, "", "Directory of the inference model.");
 DEFINE_string(data_file, "", "File of input index data.");
@@ -30,6 +27,7 @@ DEFINE_int32(repeat, 100, "Running the inference program repeat times");
 DEFINE_bool(prepare_vars, true, "Prepare variables before executor");
 DEFINE_int32(num_threads, 1, "Number of threads should be used");
 DECLARE_bool(use_mkldnn);
+DECLARE_int32(paddle_num_threads);
 
 inline double GetCurrentMs() {
   struct timeval time;
@@ -160,12 +158,7 @@ TEST(inference, nlp) {
   std::unique_ptr<paddle::framework::Scope> scope(
       new paddle::framework::Scope());
 
-#ifdef PADDLE_WITH_MKLML
-  // only use 1 thread number per std::thread
-  omp_set_dynamic(0);
-  omp_set_num_threads(1);
-  paddle::platform::SetNumThreads(1);
-#endif
+  paddle::platform::SetNumThreads(FLAGS_paddle_num_threads);
 
   double start_ms = 0, stop_ms = 0;
   if (FLAGS_num_threads > 1) {
diff --git a/paddle/fluid/platform/cpu_helper.cc b/paddle/fluid/platform/cpu_helper.cc
index 234a04b5c2eb5ee643e8a4e723b28331cd8e6ee0..6841652b7571f53451ae1d39411f734a27f6c5d0 100644
--- a/paddle/fluid/platform/cpu_helper.cc
+++ b/paddle/fluid/platform/cpu_helper.cc
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ limitations under the License. */
 #include <cblas.h>
 #endif
 
+DEFINE_int32(paddle_num_threads, 1,
+             "Number of threads for each paddle instance.");
+
 namespace paddle {
 namespace platform {
 
diff --git a/paddle/fluid/platform/init.cc b/paddle/fluid/platform/init.cc
index 0b776528414735e8a7c1e3763e7ccb662bb9f285..79a2ca96ed7fdcefe83a6251781502af1d3cb6f2 100644
--- a/paddle/fluid/platform/init.cc
+++ b/paddle/fluid/platform/init.cc
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ limitations under the License. */
 #include "paddle/fluid/platform/place.h"
 #include "paddle/fluid/string/piece.h"
 
+DECLARE_int32(paddle_num_threads);
+
 namespace paddle {
 namespace framework {
 
@@ -115,7 +117,7 @@ void InitDevices(bool init_p2p, const std::vector<int> devices) {
   places.emplace_back(platform::CPUPlace());
   platform::DeviceContextPool::Init(places);
 #ifndef PADDLE_WITH_MKLDNN
-  platform::SetNumThreads(1);
+  platform::SetNumThreads(FLAGS_paddle_num_threads);
 #endif
 }