diff --git a/sys/amd64/include/param.h b/sys/amd64/include/param.h
index 9a742f94e9b..74d4d21827b 100644
--- a/sys/amd64/include/param.h
+++ b/sys/amd64/include/param.h
@@ -64,7 +64,9 @@
 #endif
 
 #if defined(SMP) || defined(KLD_MODULE)
+#ifndef MAXCPU
 #define MAXCPU		32
+#endif
 #else
 #define MAXCPU		1
 #endif
diff --git a/sys/arm/include/param.h b/sys/arm/include/param.h
index 1694bc43c5e..96a70388f1f 100644
--- a/sys/arm/include/param.h
+++ b/sys/arm/include/param.h
@@ -61,7 +61,9 @@
 #define	MID_MACHINE	MID_ARM6 
 
 #if defined(SMP) || defined(KLD_MODULE)
+#ifndef MAXCPU
 #define	MAXCPU		2
+#endif
 #else
 #define	MAXCPU		1
 #endif /* SMP || KLD_MODULE */
diff --git a/sys/conf/NOTES b/sys/conf/NOTES
index d3951e34fc2..0753c1d5c46 100644
--- a/sys/conf/NOTES
+++ b/sys/conf/NOTES
@@ -213,6 +213,10 @@ options 	SCHED_STATS
 # Mandatory:
 options 	SMP			# Symmetric MultiProcessor Kernel
 
+# MAXCPU defines the maximum number of CPUs that can boot in the system.
+# A default value should be already present, for every architecture.
+options 	MAXCPU=32
+
 # ADAPTIVE_MUTEXES changes the behavior of blocking mutexes to spin
 # if the thread that currently owns the mutex is executing on another
 # CPU.  This behaviour is enabled by default, so this option can be used
diff --git a/sys/conf/options b/sys/conf/options
index 9f1ac80dbb9..b8f9958ca6f 100644
--- a/sys/conf/options
+++ b/sys/conf/options
@@ -570,6 +570,7 @@ DFLTPHYS		opt_global.h
 DIAGNOSTIC		opt_global.h
 INVARIANT_SUPPORT	opt_global.h
 INVARIANTS		opt_global.h
+MAXCPU			opt_global.h
 MAXPHYS			opt_global.h
 MCLSHIFT		opt_global.h
 MUTEX_DEBUG		opt_global.h
diff --git a/sys/i386/include/param.h b/sys/i386/include/param.h
index d95fcf3fd08..6a0495c4c95 100644
--- a/sys/i386/include/param.h
+++ b/sys/i386/include/param.h
@@ -68,7 +68,9 @@
 #define MID_MACHINE	MID_I386
 
 #if defined(SMP) || defined(KLD_MODULE)
+#ifndef MAXCPU
 #define MAXCPU		32
+#endif
 #else
 #define MAXCPU		1
 #endif /* SMP || KLD_MODULE */
diff --git a/sys/ia64/include/param.h b/sys/ia64/include/param.h
index 36b27e04890..a3684ab09e3 100644
--- a/sys/ia64/include/param.h
+++ b/sys/ia64/include/param.h
@@ -62,7 +62,9 @@
 #endif
 
 #if defined(SMP) || defined(KLD_MODULE)
+#ifndef MAXCPU
 #define	MAXCPU		32
+#endif
 #else
 #define MAXCPU		1
 #endif
diff --git a/sys/mips/include/param.h b/sys/mips/include/param.h
index 0b1ea9837af..5f25c81c98f 100644
--- a/sys/mips/include/param.h
+++ b/sys/mips/include/param.h
@@ -87,7 +87,9 @@
 
 #ifdef SMP
 #define	MAXSMPCPU	32
+#ifndef MAXCPU
 #define	MAXCPU		MAXSMPCPU
+#endif
 #else
 #define	MAXSMPCPU	1
 #define	MAXCPU		1
diff --git a/sys/powerpc/include/param.h b/sys/powerpc/include/param.h
index 06b131c2a67..f95cc089472 100644
--- a/sys/powerpc/include/param.h
+++ b/sys/powerpc/include/param.h
@@ -68,7 +68,9 @@
 #endif
 
 #if defined(SMP) || defined(KLD_MODULE)
+#ifndef MAXCPU
 #define	MAXCPU		8
+#endif
 #else
 #define	MAXCPU		1
 #endif /* SMP || KLD_MODULE */
diff --git a/sys/sparc64/include/param.h b/sys/sparc64/include/param.h
index af026b293f2..9d11a2fc11e 100644
--- a/sys/sparc64/include/param.h
+++ b/sys/sparc64/include/param.h
@@ -50,7 +50,9 @@
 #define MID_MACHINE	MID_SPARC64
 
 #if defined(SMP) || defined(KLD_MODULE)
+#ifndef MAXCPU
 #define MAXCPU		16
+#endif
 #else
 #define MAXCPU		1
 #endif /* SMP || KLD_MODULE */