diff --git a/tools/lib/perf/cpumap.c b/tools/lib/perf/cpumap.c
index 2bd6aba3d8c9..463ca8b37d45 100644
--- a/tools/lib/perf/cpumap.c
+++ b/tools/lib/perf/cpumap.c
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <ctype.h>
 #include <limits.h>
+#include "internal.h"
 
 void perf_cpu_map__set_nr(struct perf_cpu_map *map, int nr_cpus)
 {
@@ -66,15 +67,21 @@ void perf_cpu_map__put(struct perf_cpu_map *map)
 	}
 }
 
-static struct perf_cpu_map *cpu_map__default_new(void)
+static struct perf_cpu_map *cpu_map__new_sysconf(void)
 {
 	struct perf_cpu_map *cpus;
-	int nr_cpus;
+	int nr_cpus, nr_cpus_conf;
 
 	nr_cpus = sysconf(_SC_NPROCESSORS_ONLN);
 	if (nr_cpus < 0)
 		return NULL;
 
+	nr_cpus_conf = sysconf(_SC_NPROCESSORS_CONF);
+	if (nr_cpus != nr_cpus_conf) {
+		pr_warning("Number of online CPUs (%d) differs from the number configured (%d) the CPU map will only cover the first %d CPUs.",
+			nr_cpus, nr_cpus_conf, nr_cpus);
+	}
+
 	cpus = perf_cpu_map__alloc(nr_cpus);
 	if (cpus != NULL) {
 		int i;
@@ -86,9 +93,27 @@ static struct perf_cpu_map *cpu_map__default_new(void)
 	return cpus;
 }
 
-struct perf_cpu_map *perf_cpu_map__default_new(void)
+static struct perf_cpu_map *cpu_map__new_syfs_online(void)
 {
-	return cpu_map__default_new();
+	struct perf_cpu_map *cpus = NULL;
+	FILE *onlnf;
+
+	onlnf = fopen("/sys/devices/system/cpu/online", "r");
+	if (onlnf) {
+		cpus = perf_cpu_map__read(onlnf);
+		fclose(onlnf);
+	}
+	return cpus;
+}
+
+struct perf_cpu_map *perf_cpu_map__new_online_cpus(void)
+{
+	struct perf_cpu_map *cpus = cpu_map__new_syfs_online();
+
+	if (cpus)
+		return cpus;
+
+	return cpu_map__new_sysconf();
 }
 
 
@@ -180,27 +205,11 @@ struct perf_cpu_map *perf_cpu_map__read(FILE *file)
 
 	if (nr_cpus > 0)
 		cpus = cpu_map__trim_new(nr_cpus, tmp_cpus);
-	else
-		cpus = cpu_map__default_new();
 out_free_tmp:
 	free(tmp_cpus);
 	return cpus;
 }
 
-static struct perf_cpu_map *cpu_map__read_all_cpu_map(void)
-{
-	struct perf_cpu_map *cpus = NULL;
-	FILE *onlnf;
-
-	onlnf = fopen("/sys/devices/system/cpu/online", "r");
-	if (!onlnf)
-		return cpu_map__default_new();
-
-	cpus = perf_cpu_map__read(onlnf);
-	fclose(onlnf);
-	return cpus;
-}
-
 struct perf_cpu_map *perf_cpu_map__new(const char *cpu_list)
 {
 	struct perf_cpu_map *cpus = NULL;
@@ -211,7 +220,7 @@ struct perf_cpu_map *perf_cpu_map__new(const char *cpu_list)
 	int max_entries = 0;
 
 	if (!cpu_list)
-		return cpu_map__read_all_cpu_map();
+		return perf_cpu_map__new_online_cpus();
 
 	/*
 	 * must handle the case of empty cpumap to cover
@@ -268,9 +277,11 @@ struct perf_cpu_map *perf_cpu_map__new(const char *cpu_list)
 
 	if (nr_cpus > 0)
 		cpus = cpu_map__trim_new(nr_cpus, tmp_cpus);
-	else if (*cpu_list != '\0')
-		cpus = cpu_map__default_new();
-	else
+	else if (*cpu_list != '\0') {
+		pr_warning("Unexpected characters at end of cpu list ('%s'), using online CPUs.",
+			   cpu_list);
+		cpus = perf_cpu_map__new_online_cpus();
+	} else
 		cpus = perf_cpu_map__new_any_cpu();
 invalid:
 	free(tmp_cpus);
diff --git a/tools/lib/perf/include/perf/cpumap.h b/tools/lib/perf/include/perf/cpumap.h
index d0bf218ada11..b24bd8b8f34e 100644
--- a/tools/lib/perf/include/perf/cpumap.h
+++ b/tools/lib/perf/include/perf/cpumap.h
@@ -22,7 +22,20 @@ struct perf_cpu_map;
  * perf_cpu_map__new_any_cpu - a map with a singular "any CPU"/dummy -1 value.
  */
 LIBPERF_API struct perf_cpu_map *perf_cpu_map__new_any_cpu(void);
-LIBPERF_API struct perf_cpu_map *perf_cpu_map__default_new(void);
+/**
+ * perf_cpu_map__new_online_cpus - a map read from
+ *                                 /sys/devices/system/cpu/online if
+ *                                 available. If reading wasn't possible a map
+ *                                 is created using the online processors
+ *                                 assuming the first 'n' processors are all
+ *                                 online.
+ */
+LIBPERF_API struct perf_cpu_map *perf_cpu_map__new_online_cpus(void);
+/**
+ * perf_cpu_map__new - create a map from the given cpu_list such as "0-7". If no
+ *                     cpu_list argument is provided then
+ *                     perf_cpu_map__new_online_cpus is returned.
+ */
 LIBPERF_API struct perf_cpu_map *perf_cpu_map__new(const char *cpu_list);
 LIBPERF_API struct perf_cpu_map *perf_cpu_map__read(FILE *file);
 LIBPERF_API struct perf_cpu_map *perf_cpu_map__get(struct perf_cpu_map *map);
diff --git a/tools/lib/perf/libperf.map b/tools/lib/perf/libperf.map
index a8ff64baea3e..8a71f841498e 100644
--- a/tools/lib/perf/libperf.map
+++ b/tools/lib/perf/libperf.map
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ LIBPERF_0.0.1 {
 	global:
 		libperf_init;
 		perf_cpu_map__new_any_cpu;
-		perf_cpu_map__default_new;
+		perf_cpu_map__new_online_cpus;
 		perf_cpu_map__get;
 		perf_cpu_map__put;
 		perf_cpu_map__new;
diff --git a/tools/lib/perf/tests/test-cpumap.c b/tools/lib/perf/tests/test-cpumap.c
index 2c359bdb951e..c998b1dae863 100644
--- a/tools/lib/perf/tests/test-cpumap.c
+++ b/tools/lib/perf/tests/test-cpumap.c
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ int test_cpumap(int argc, char **argv)
 	perf_cpu_map__put(cpus);
 	perf_cpu_map__put(cpus);
 
-	cpus = perf_cpu_map__default_new();
+	cpus = perf_cpu_map__new_online_cpus();
 	if (!cpus)
 		return -1;
 
