diff --git a/src/share/vm/runtime/arguments.cpp b/src/share/vm/runtime/arguments.cpp
index 915610051748794f356ecb4ecb9871d46df8ad32..217d82798c9a26616645f2343898a19877835a2c 100644
--- a/src/share/vm/runtime/arguments.cpp
+++ b/src/share/vm/runtime/arguments.cpp
@@ -3325,6 +3325,13 @@ jint Arguments::parse(const JavaVMInitArgs* args) {
   }
   check_deprecated_gcs();
   check_deprecated_gc_flags();
+  if (AssumeMP && !UseSerialGC) {
+    if (FLAG_IS_DEFAULT(ParallelGCThreads) && ParallelGCThreads == 1) {
+      warning("If the number of processors is expected to increase from one, then"
+              " you should configure the number of parallel GC threads appropriately"
+              " using -XX:ParallelGCThreads=N");
+    }
+  }
 #else // INCLUDE_ALL_GCS
   assert(verify_serial_gc_flags(), "SerialGC unset");
 #endif // INCLUDE_ALL_GCS
diff --git a/src/share/vm/runtime/globals.hpp b/src/share/vm/runtime/globals.hpp
index e73e5089babee13cf54e97ca18ade34f439aaec6..4f3fcbb369b04a9a6f3715989e11ad25b97b6b44 100644
--- a/src/share/vm/runtime/globals.hpp
+++ b/src/share/vm/runtime/globals.hpp
@@ -457,6 +457,9 @@ class CommandLineFlags {
   lp64_product(intx, ObjectAlignmentInBytes, 8,                             \
           "Default object alignment in bytes, 8 is minimum")                \
                                                                             \
+  product(bool, AssumeMP, false,                                            \
+          "Instruct the VM to assume multiple processors are available")    \
+                                                                            \
   /* UseMembar is theoretically a temp flag used for memory barrier         \
    * removal testing.  It was supposed to be removed before FCS but has     \
    * been re-added (see 6401008) */                                         \
diff --git a/src/share/vm/runtime/os.hpp b/src/share/vm/runtime/os.hpp
index d061a0848c6126db813236a09408ddecf260e52b..f5dc130545a269e8d98c3dc11ac253cf87580476 100644
--- a/src/share/vm/runtime/os.hpp
+++ b/src/share/vm/runtime/os.hpp
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ class os: AllStatic {
   // Interface for detecting multiprocessor system
   static inline bool is_MP() {
     assert(_processor_count > 0, "invalid processor count");
-    return _processor_count > 1;
+    return _processor_count > 1 || AssumeMP;
   }
   static julong available_memory();
   static julong physical_memory();