diff --git a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Server.Kestrel/KestrelServerInformation.cs b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Server.Kestrel/KestrelServerInformation.cs
index 9619df7c1d..84b2fcab57 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Server.Kestrel/KestrelServerInformation.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Server.Kestrel/KestrelServerInformation.cs
@@ -42,23 +42,28 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Server.Kestrel
 
         private static int GetThreadCount(IConfiguration configuration)
         {
-            // Actual core count would be a better number
-            // rather than logical cores which includes hyper-threaded cores.
-            // Divide by 2 for hyper-threading, and good defaults (still need threads to do webserving).
-            // Can be user overriden using IKestrelServerInformation.ThreadCount
-            var threadCount = Environment.ProcessorCount >> 1;
+            var threadCountString = configuration["server.threadCount"];
 
-            if (threadCount < 1)
+            int threadCount;
+            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(threadCountString) || !int.TryParse(threadCountString, out threadCount))
             {
-                // Ensure shifted value is at least one
-                return 1;
-            }
+                // Actual core count would be a better number
+                // rather than logical cores which includes hyper-threaded cores.
+                // Divide by 2 for hyper-threading, and good defaults (still need threads to do webserving).
+                threadCount = Environment.ProcessorCount >> 1;
 
-            if (threadCount > 16)
-            {
-                // Receive Side Scaling RSS Processor count currently maxes out at 16
-                // would be better to check the NIC's current hardware queues; but xplat...
-                return 16;
+                if (threadCount < 1)
+                {
+                    // Ensure shifted value is at least one
+                    return 1;
+                }
+
+                if (threadCount > 16)
+                {
+                    // Receive Side Scaling RSS Processor count currently maxes out at 16
+                    // would be better to check the NIC's current hardware queues; but xplat...
+                    return 16;
+                }
             }
 
             return threadCount;