diff --git a/playbooks/roles/os_ceilometer/defaults/main.yml b/playbooks/roles/os_ceilometer/defaults/main.yml
index 97f8e7b5ca..b46790a3f5 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/os_ceilometer/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/playbooks/roles/os_ceilometer/defaults/main.yml
@@ -79,6 +79,10 @@ ceilometer_service_adminuri: "{{ ceilometer_service_proto }}://{{ internal_lb_vi
 ceilometer_service_adminurl: "{{ ceilometer_service_adminuri }}"
 
 ## Ceilometer config
+# If the following variables are unset in user_variables, the value set will be half the number of available VCPUs
+# ceilometer_api_workers: 1
+# ceilometer_collector_workers: 1
+# ceilometer_notification_workers: 1
 
 # Common apt packages
 ceilometer_apt_packages:
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/os_ceilometer/templates/ceilometer.conf.j2 b/playbooks/roles/os_ceilometer/templates/ceilometer.conf.j2
index 82f56e63c0..32ccda12a8 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/os_ceilometer/templates/ceilometer.conf.j2
+++ b/playbooks/roles/os_ceilometer/templates/ceilometer.conf.j2
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 #{{ ansible_managed}}
 
+{% set _workers = ansible_processor_vcpus|default(2) // 2 %}
+{% set workers = _workers if _workers > 0 else 1 %}
+
 [DEFAULT]
 auth_strategy = keystone
-collector_workers = 10
 notification_topics = notifications
 rpc_backend = rabbit
 
@@ -19,8 +21,15 @@ rabbit_hosts = {{ rabbitmq_servers }}
 rabbit_use_ssl = {{ rabbitmq_use_ssl }}
 
 [api]
+workers = {{ ceilometer_api_workers | default(workers) }}
 port = 8777
 
+[collector]
+workers = {{ ceilometer_collector_workers | default(workers) }}
+
+[notification]
+workers = {{ ceilometer_notification_workers | default(workers) }}
+
 [database]
 metering_connection = {{ ceilometer_connection_string }}
 event_connection = {{ ceilometer_connection_string }}