diff --git a/devstack-vm-gate-wrap.sh b/devstack-vm-gate-wrap.sh
index cff02d6a..ce57042a 100755
--- a/devstack-vm-gate-wrap.sh
+++ b/devstack-vm-gate-wrap.sh
@@ -152,7 +152,11 @@ export DEVSTACK_GATE_SAVANNA=${DEVSTACK_GATE_SAVANNA:-0}
 export DEVSTACK_GATE_CONFIGDRIVE=${DEVSTACK_GATE_CONFIGDRIVE:-1}
 
 # Set the number of threads to run tempest with
-export TEMPEST_CONCURRENCY=${TEMPEST_CONCURRENCY:-2}
+DEFAULT_CONCURRENCY=$(nproc)
+if [ ${DEFAULT_CONCURRENCY} > 3 ] ; then
+    DEFAULT_CONCURRENCY=$[${DEFAULT_CONCURRENCY} / 2]
+fi
+export TEMPEST_CONCURRENCY=${TEMPEST_CONCURRENCY:-${DEFAULT_CONCURRENCY}}
 
 # The following variables are set for different directions of Grenade updating
 # for a stable branch we want to both try to upgrade forward n => n+1 as