diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture/bin/functions.sh b/tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture/bin/functions.sh
index 1426a9b974944f5c07c4e15b36e90207644b2ea0..07a13779eece4f01e98df5e9822a2084e8986e6e 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture/bin/functions.sh
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture/bin/functions.sh
@@ -66,8 +66,33 @@ configfrag_boot_params () {
 
 # configfrag_boot_cpus bootparam-string config-fragment-file config-cpus
 #
-# Decreases number of CPUs based on any maxcpus= boot parameters specified.
+# Decreases number of CPUs based on any nr_cpus= boot parameters specified.
 configfrag_boot_cpus () {
+	local bootargs="`configfrag_boot_params "$1" "$2"`"
+	local nr_cpus
+	if echo "${bootargs}" | grep -q 'nr_cpus=[0-9]'
+	then
+		nr_cpus="`echo "${bootargs}" | sed -e 's/^.*nr_cpus=\([0-9]*\).*$/\1/'`"
+		if test "$3" -gt "$nr_cpus"
+		then
+			echo $nr_cpus
+		else
+			echo $3
+		fi
+	else
+		echo $3
+	fi
+}
+
+# configfrag_boot_maxcpus bootparam-string config-fragment-file config-cpus
+#
+# Decreases number of CPUs based on any maxcpus= boot parameters specified.
+# This allows tests where additional CPUs come online later during the
+# test run.  However, the torture parameters will be set based on the
+# number of CPUs initially present, so the scripting should schedule
+# test runs based on the maxcpus= boot parameter controlling the initial
+# number of CPUs instead of on the ultimate number of CPUs.
+configfrag_boot_maxcpus () {
 	local bootargs="`configfrag_boot_params "$1" "$2"`"
 	local maxcpus
 	if echo "${bootargs}" | grep -q 'maxcpus=[0-9]'
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture/bin/kvm.sh b/tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture/bin/kvm.sh
index cdb32aa79366aad0814c12225c45c2af0ddc459b..b55895fb10edffcba90398ec5ef737a2f6159fac 100755
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture/bin/kvm.sh
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture/bin/kvm.sh
@@ -212,6 +212,7 @@ do
 	then
 		cpu_count=`configNR_CPUS.sh $CONFIGFRAG/$CF1`
 		cpu_count=`configfrag_boot_cpus "$TORTURE_BOOTARGS" "$CONFIGFRAG/$CF1" "$cpu_count"`
+		cpu_count=`configfrag_boot_maxcpus "$TORTURE_BOOTARGS" "$CONFIGFRAG/$CF1" "$cpu_count"`
 		for ((cur_rep=0;cur_rep<$config_reps;cur_rep++))
 		do
 			echo $CF1 $cpu_count >> $T/cfgcpu
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture/configs/rcu/TREE01.boot b/tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture/configs/rcu/TREE01.boot
index 1d14e13830163f431430d49102a0a2f67284f931..9f3a4d28e508e167ba4ebb1c1d7e696d08f03090 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture/configs/rcu/TREE01.boot
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture/configs/rcu/TREE01.boot
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-rcutorture.torture_type=rcu_bh maxcpus=8
+rcutorture.torture_type=rcu_bh maxcpus=8 nr_cpus=43
 rcutree.gp_preinit_delay=3
 rcutree.gp_init_delay=3
 rcutree.gp_cleanup_delay=3