diff --git a/cmd/mist/flags.go b/cmd/mist/flags.go
index eb280f71bd..d9487de9e0 100644
--- a/cmd/mist/flags.go
+++ b/cmd/mist/flags.go
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ var (
 	DebugFile       string
 	LogLevel        int
 	VmType          int
+	MinerThreads    int
 )
 
 // flags specific to gui client
@@ -137,6 +138,8 @@ func Init() {
 	flag.StringVar(&BootNodes, "bootnodes", "", "space-separated node URLs for discovery bootstrap")
 	flag.IntVar(&MaxPeer, "maxpeer", 30, "maximum desired peers")
 
+	flag.IntVar(&MinerThreads, "minerthreads", runtime.NumCPU(), "number of miner threads")
+
 	flag.Parse()
 
 	var err error
diff --git a/cmd/mist/main.go b/cmd/mist/main.go
index 14f561e991..d41aa34bf3 100644
--- a/cmd/mist/main.go
+++ b/cmd/mist/main.go
@@ -52,19 +52,20 @@ func run() error {
 	config := utils.InitConfig(VmType, ConfigFile, Datadir, "ETH")
 
 	ethereum, err := eth.New(&eth.Config{
-		Name:      p2p.MakeName(ClientIdentifier, Version),
-		KeyStore:  KeyStore,
-		DataDir:   Datadir,
-		LogFile:   LogFile,
-		LogLevel:  LogLevel,
-		MaxPeers:  MaxPeer,
-		Port:      OutboundPort,
-		NAT:       NAT,
-		Shh:       true,
-		BootNodes: BootNodes,
-		NodeKey:   NodeKey,
-		KeyRing:   KeyRing,
-		Dial:      true,
+		Name:         p2p.MakeName(ClientIdentifier, Version),
+		KeyStore:     KeyStore,
+		DataDir:      Datadir,
+		LogFile:      LogFile,
+		LogLevel:     LogLevel,
+		MaxPeers:     MaxPeer,
+		Port:         OutboundPort,
+		NAT:          NAT,
+		Shh:          true,
+		BootNodes:    BootNodes,
+		NodeKey:      NodeKey,
+		KeyRing:      KeyRing,
+		Dial:         true,
+		MinerThreads: MinerThreads,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		mainlogger.Fatalln(err)
diff --git a/cmd/utils/cmd.go b/cmd/utils/cmd.go
index ecb847fc38..d252f3ab24 100644
--- a/cmd/utils/cmd.go
+++ b/cmd/utils/cmd.go
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ func StartMining(ethereum *eth.Ethereum) bool {
 		go func() {
 			clilogger.Infoln("Start mining")
 			if gminer == nil {
-				gminer = miner.New(addr, ethereum)
+				gminer = miner.New(addr, ethereum, 4)
 			}
 			gminer.Start()
 		}()
diff --git a/eth/backend.go b/eth/backend.go
index 4c3ec0053f..b57e9fd69e 100644
--- a/eth/backend.go
+++ b/eth/backend.go
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ type Config struct {
 	Shh  bool
 	Dial bool
 
+	MinerThreads int
+
 	KeyManager *crypto.KeyManager
 }
 
@@ -153,7 +155,7 @@ func New(config *Config) (*Ethereum, error) {
 	eth.blockProcessor = core.NewBlockProcessor(db, eth.txPool, eth.chainManager, eth.EventMux())
 	eth.chainManager.SetProcessor(eth.blockProcessor)
 	eth.whisper = whisper.New()
-	eth.miner = miner.New(keyManager.Address(), eth)
+	eth.miner = miner.New(keyManager.Address(), eth, config.MinerThreads)
 
 	hasBlock := eth.chainManager.HasBlock
 	insertChain := eth.chainManager.InsertChain
diff --git a/miner/miner.go b/miner/miner.go
index 27afcf684e..0cc2361c89 100644
--- a/miner/miner.go
+++ b/miner/miner.go
@@ -20,13 +20,13 @@ type Miner struct {
 	mining   bool
 }
 
-func New(coinbase []byte, eth core.Backend) *Miner {
+func New(coinbase []byte, eth core.Backend, minerThreads int) *Miner {
 	miner := &Miner{
 		Coinbase: coinbase,
 		worker:   newWorker(coinbase, eth),
 	}
 
-	for i := 0; i < 4; i++ {
+	for i := 0; i < minerThreads; i++ {
 		miner.worker.register(NewCpuMiner(i, ezp.New()))
 	}