--- proc/ksym.c
+++ proc/ksym.c	2012-06-04 10:06:03.792202072 +0000
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
 #define KSYMS_FILENAME  "/would/be/nice/to/have/this/file"
 #define SYSMAP_FILENAME "/home/albert/ps/45621/System.map-hacked"
 #define linux_version_code 131598 /* ? */
-#define smp_num_cpus 2
+#define smp_num_cpus() 2
 #endif
 
 #if 0
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
 #define KSYMS_FILENAME  "/home/albert/ps/45621/ksyms-2.3.12"
 #define SYSMAP_FILENAME "/home/albert/ps/45621/System.map-2.3.12"
 #define linux_version_code 131852 /* 2.3.12 */
-#define smp_num_cpus 2
+#define smp_num_cpus() 2
 #endif
 
 #if 0
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
 #define KSYMS_FILENAME  "/home/albert/ps/45621/ksyms-2.3.18ac8-MODVERS"
 #define SYSMAP_FILENAME "/home/albert/ps/45621/System.map-2.3.18ac8-MODVERS"
 #define linux_version_code 131858 /* 2.3.18ac8 */
-#define smp_num_cpus 2
+#define smp_num_cpus() 2
 #endif
 
 #if 0
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@
 #define KSYMS_FILENAME  "/home/albert/ps/45621/ksyms-2.3.18ac8-NOMODVERS"
 #define SYSMAP_FILENAME "/home/albert/ps/45621/System.map-2.3.18ac8-NOMODVERS"
 #define linux_version_code 131858 /* 2.3.18ac8 */
-#define smp_num_cpus 2
+#define smp_num_cpus() 2
 #endif
 
 /* These are the symbol types, with relative popularity:
--- proc/sysinfo.c
+++ proc/sysinfo.c	2012-06-04 10:03:34.464009483 +0000
@@ -36,8 +36,6 @@
 #include <netinet/in.h>  /* htons */
 #endif
 
-long smp_num_cpus;     /* number of CPUs */
-
 #define BAD_OPEN_MESSAGE					\
 "Error: /proc must be mounted\n"				\
 "  To mount /proc at boot you need an /etc/fstab line like:\n"	\
@@ -196,7 +194,7 @@ static void old_Hertz_hack(void){
   free(savelocale);
   jiffies = user_j + nice_j + sys_j + other_j + wait_j + hirq_j + sirq_j + stol_j ;
   seconds = (up_1 + up_2) / 2;
-  h = (unsigned)( (double)jiffies/seconds/smp_num_cpus );
+  h = (unsigned)( (double)jiffies/seconds/smp_num_cpus() );
   /* actual values used by 2.4 kernels: 32 64 100 128 1000 1024 1200 */
   switch(h){
   case    9 ...   11 :  Hertz =   10; break; /* S/390 (sometimes) */
@@ -267,8 +265,6 @@ static void init_libproc(void){
   have_privs = check_for_privs();
   init_Linux_version(); /* Must be called before we check code */
 
-  cpuinfo();
-
 #ifdef __linux__
   if(linux_version_code > LINUX_VERSION(2, 4, 0)){ 
     Hertz = find_elf_note(AT_CLKTCK);
@@ -1008,7 +1004,12 @@ out:
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-void cpuinfo (void) {
+long smp_num_cpus (void) {
+  static long _smp_num_cpus=-1;
+
+  if (_smp_num_cpus != -1)
+    return(_smp_num_cpus);
+
   // ought to count CPUs in /proc/stat instead of relying
   // on glibc, which foolishly tries to parse /proc/cpuinfo
   // note: that may have been the case but now /proc/stat
@@ -1020,7 +1021,9 @@ void cpuinfo (void) {
   // _SC_NPROCESSORS_CONF returns 2, resulting in HZ=512
   // _SC_NPROCESSORS_ONLN returns 1, which should work OK
 
-  smp_num_cpus = sysconf(_SC_NPROCESSORS_ONLN);
-  if (smp_num_cpus<1)        /* SPARC glibc is buggy */
-    smp_num_cpus=1;
+  _smp_num_cpus = sysconf(_SC_NPROCESSORS_ONLN);
+  if (_smp_num_cpus<1)        /* SPARC glibc is buggy */
+    _smp_num_cpus=1;
+
+  return _smp_num_cpus;
 }
--- proc/sysinfo.h
+++ proc/sysinfo.h	2012-06-04 10:04:15.812509959 +0000
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 EXTERN_C_BEGIN
 
 extern unsigned long long Hertz;   /* clock tick frequency */
-extern long smp_num_cpus;          /* number of CPUs */
+extern long smp_num_cpus(void);    /* number of CPUs */
 extern int have_privs;             /* boolean, true if setuid or similar */
 
 #if 0
@@ -137,7 +137,5 @@ extern unsigned int getslabinfo (struct
 
 extern unsigned get_pid_digits(void) FUNCTION;
 
-extern void cpuinfo (void);
-
 EXTERN_C_END
 #endif /* SYSINFO_H */
--- top/top.c
+++ top/top.c	2012-06-04 10:08:23.264009898 +0000
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ static void bye_bye (const char *str) {
       , LINUX_VERSION_PATCH(linux_version_code)
       , procps_version
       , (unsigned)Hertz, (unsigned)sizeof(Hertz), (unsigned)sizeof(Hertz) * 8
-      , Page_size, Cpu_faux_tot, (int)smp_num_cpus, (unsigned)sizeof(CPU_t)
+      , Page_size, Cpu_faux_tot, (int)smp_num_cpus(), (unsigned)sizeof(CPU_t)
       , (unsigned)sizeof(HST_t), Page_size / (unsigned)sizeof(HST_t), HHist_siz
       , (unsigned)sizeof(proc_t), (unsigned)sizeof(p->cmd), (unsigned)sizeof(proc_t*)
       , (long)Frames_libflags
@@ -1764,7 +1764,7 @@ static void zap_fieldstab (void) {
 always:
    Fieldstab[P_CPN].head = "P ";
    Fieldstab[P_CPN].fmts = "%1d ";
-   if (1 < (digits = (unsigned)snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%u", (unsigned)smp_num_cpus))) {
+   if (1 < (digits = (unsigned)snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%u", (unsigned)smp_num_cpus()))) {
       if (5 < digits) error_exit(N_txt(FAIL_widecpu_txt));
       snprintf(fmts_cpu, sizeof(fmts_cpu), "%%%ud ", digits);
       Fieldstab[P_CPN].head = "    P " + 5 - digits;
@@ -1773,9 +1773,9 @@ always:
 
    Cpu_pmax = 99.9;
    Fieldstab[P_CPU].fmts = " %#4.1f ";
-   if (Rc.mode_irixps && smp_num_cpus > 1 && !Thread_mode) {
-      Cpu_pmax = 100.0 * smp_num_cpus;
-      if (smp_num_cpus > 10) {
+   if (Rc.mode_irixps && smp_num_cpus() > 1 && !Thread_mode) {
+      Cpu_pmax = 100.0 * smp_num_cpus();
+      if (smp_num_cpus() > 10) {
          if (Cpu_pmax > 99999.0) Cpu_pmax = 99999.0;
          Fieldstab[P_CPU].fmts = "%5.0f ";
       } else {
@@ -1841,7 +1841,7 @@ static CPU_t *cpus_refresh (CPU_t *cpus)
       we'll force it to be treated as 'idle' so as not to present misleading
       percentages. */
    cpus[Cpu_faux_tot].edge =
-      ((cpus[Cpu_faux_tot].cur.tot - cpus[Cpu_faux_tot].sav.tot) / smp_num_cpus) / (100 / TICS_EDGE);
+      ((cpus[Cpu_faux_tot].cur.tot - cpus[Cpu_faux_tot].sav.tot) / smp_num_cpus()) / (100 / TICS_EDGE);
 #endif
    // now value each separate cpu's tics, maybe
    for (i = 0; i < Cpu_faux_tot && i < Screen_rows; i++) {
@@ -1946,7 +1946,7 @@ static void procs_hlp (proc_t *this) {
       oldtimev.tv_usec = timev.tv_usec;
 
       // if in Solaris mode, adjust our scaling for all cpus
-      Frame_etscale = 100.0f / ((float)Hertz * (float)et * (Rc.mode_irixps ? 1 : smp_num_cpus));
+      Frame_etscale = 100.0f / ((float)Hertz * (float)et * (Rc.mode_irixps ? 1 : smp_num_cpus()));
 #ifdef OFF_HST_HASH
       maxt_sav = Frame_maxtask;
 #endif
@@ -2088,8 +2088,7 @@ static void sysinfo_refresh (int forced)
 #ifndef PRETEND4CPUS
    /*** hotplug_acclimated ***/
    if (300 <= cur_secs - cpu_secs) {
-      cpuinfo();
-      Cpu_faux_tot = smp_num_cpus;
+      Cpu_faux_tot = smp_num_cpus();
       cpu_secs = cur_secs;
    }
 #endif
@@ -2116,10 +2115,10 @@ static void before (char *me) {
    initialize_nls();
 
    // establish cpu particulars
+   Cpu_faux_tot = smp_num_cpus();
 #ifdef PRETEND4CPUS
-   smp_num_cpus = 4;
+   Cpu_faux_tot = 4;
 #endif
-   Cpu_faux_tot = smp_num_cpus;
    Cpu_States_fmts = N_unq(STATE_lin2x4_fmt);
    if (linux_version_code > LINUX_VERSION(2, 5, 41))
       Cpu_States_fmts = N_unq(STATE_lin2x5_fmt);