diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 8a4ef3d..492e846 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ var (
 	zoom         = 7
 	zoomInterval = 3
 
+	averageLoad = true
+	percpuLoad = true
+
 	cpu  *w.CPU
 	mem  *w.Mem
 	proc *w.Proc
@@ -173,15 +176,16 @@ func widgetColors() {
 	mem.LineColor["Main"] = ui.Color(colorscheme.MainMem)
 	mem.LineColor["Swap"] = ui.Color(colorscheme.SwapMem)
 
-	LineColor := make(map[string]ui.Color)
-	if cpu.Count <= 8 {
-		for i := 0; i < len(cpu.Data); i++ {
-			LineColor[fmt.Sprintf("CPU%d", i)] = ui.Color(colorscheme.CPULines[i])
+	i := 0
+	for k := range cpu.Data {
+		if i >= len(colorscheme.CPULines) {
+			// assuming colorscheme for CPU lines is not empty
+			i = 0
 		}
-	} else {
-		LineColor["Average"] = ui.Color(colorscheme.CPULines[0])
+		c := colorscheme.CPULines[i]
+		cpu.LineColor[k] = ui.Color(c)
+		i++
 	}
-	cpu.LineColor = LineColor
 
 	if !minimal {
 		temp.TempLow = ui.Color(colorscheme.TempLow)
@@ -194,7 +198,7 @@ func initWidgets() {
 	wg.Add(widgetCount)
 
 	go func() {
-		cpu = w.NewCPU(interval, zoom)
+		cpu = w.NewCPU(interval, zoom, averageLoad, percpuLoad)
 		wg.Done()
 	}()
 	go func() {
diff --git a/src/widgets/cpu.go b/src/widgets/cpu.go
index e2db390..30b12de 100644
--- a/src/widgets/cpu.go
+++ b/src/widgets/cpu.go
@@ -2,10 +2,8 @@ package widgets
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"strconv"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/cjbassi/gotop/src/utils"
 	ui "github.com/cjbassi/termui"
 	psCPU "github.com/shirou/gopsutil/cpu"
 )
@@ -13,32 +11,37 @@ import (
 type CPU struct {
 	*ui.LineGraph
 	Count    int // number of cores
+	Average bool // show average load
+	PerCPU bool // show per-core load
 	interval time.Duration
 }
 
-func NewCPU(interval time.Duration, zoom int) *CPU {
+func NewCPU(interval time.Duration, zoom int, average bool, percpu bool) *CPU {
 	count, _ := psCPU.Counts(false)
 	self := &CPU{
 		LineGraph: ui.NewLineGraph(),
 		Count:     count,
 		interval:  interval,
+		Average:   average,
+		PerCPU:    percpu,
 	}
 	self.Label = "CPU Usage"
 	self.Zoom = zoom
-	if self.Count <= 8 {
-		for i := 0; i < self.Count; i++ {
-			key := "CPU" + strconv.Itoa(i)
-			self.Data[key] = []float64{0}
-		}
-	} else {
+
+	if self.Average {
 		self.Data["Average"] = []float64{0}
 	}
 
-	// update asynchronously because of 1 second blocking period
-	go self.update()
+	if self.PerCPU {
+		for i := 0; i < self.Count; i++ {
+			k := fmt.Sprintf("CPU%d", i)
+			self.Data[k] = []float64{0}
+		}
+	}
 
 	ticker := time.NewTicker(self.interval)
 	go func() {
+		self.update()
 		for range ticker.C {
 			self.update()
 		}
@@ -49,29 +52,18 @@ func NewCPU(interval time.Duration, zoom int) *CPU {
 
 // calculates the CPU usage over a 1 second interval and blocks for the duration
 func (self *CPU) update() {
-	// show average cpu usage if more than 8 cores
-	if self.Count <= 8 {
-		percents, _ := psCPU.Percent(self.interval, true)
-		if len(percents) != self.Count {
-			count, _ := psCPU.Counts(false)
-			utils.Error("CPU percentages",
-				fmt.Sprint(
-					"self.Count: ", self.Count, "\n",
-					"gopsutil.Counts(): ", count, "\n",
-					"len(percents): ", len(percents), "\n",
-					"percents: ", percents, "\n",
-					"self.interval: ", self.interval,
-				))
-		}
-		for i := 0; i < self.Count; i++ {
-			key := "CPU" + strconv.Itoa(i)
-			percent := percents[i]
-			self.Data[key] = append(self.Data[key], percent)
-			self.Labels[key] = fmt.Sprintf("%3.0f%%", percent)
-		}
-	} else {
+	if self.Average {
 		percent, _ := psCPU.Percent(self.interval, false)
 		self.Data["Average"] = append(self.Data["Average"], percent[0])
 		self.Labels["Average"] = fmt.Sprintf("%3.0f%%", percent[0])
 	}
+
+	if self.PerCPU {
+		percents, _ := psCPU.Percent(self.interval, true)
+		for i := 0; i < self.Count; i++ {
+			k := fmt.Sprintf("CPU%d", i)
+			self.Data[k] = append(self.Data[k], percents[i])
+			self.Labels[k] = fmt.Sprintf("%3.0f%%", percents[i])
+		}
+	}
 }