From 383992fdd4b5d20500c0376532518d5e61f0e229 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Eric Voskuil <eric@voskuil.org>
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 2026 01:49:43 -0400
Subject: [PATCH] Default node threads to zero (hardware threads).

---
 src/settings.cpp       | 5 +++--
 test/configuration.cpp | 4 ++--
 test/settings.cpp      | 4 ++--
 3 files changed, 7 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)

diff --git a/src/settings.cpp b/src/settings.cpp
index dd066108..668f13c6 100644
--- a/src/settings.cpp
+++ b/src/settings.cpp
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ namespace libbitcoin {
 namespace node {
 
 settings::settings() NOEXCEPT
-  : threads{ 1 },
+  : threads{ 0 },
     delay_inbound{ true },
     headers_first{ true },
     memory_priority{ true },
@@ -68,7 +68,8 @@ settings::settings(chain::selection) NOEXCEPT
 
 size_t settings::threads_() const NOEXCEPT
 {
-    return std::max<size_t>(threads, one);
+    // Zero implies hardware threads (including hyperthreads).
+    return to_bool(threads) ? threads : network::cores();
 }
 
 size_t settings::maximum_height_() const NOEXCEPT
diff --git a/test/configuration.cpp b/test/configuration.cpp
index 6c0a514a..0d31658e 100644
--- a/test/configuration.cpp
+++ b/test/configuration.cpp
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(configuration__construct1__none_context__expected)
 
     // Just a sample of settings.
     BOOST_REQUIRE(instance.node.headers_first);
-    BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(instance.network.threads, 1_u32);
-    BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(instance.bitcoin.first_version, 1_u32);
+    BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(instance.network.threads, 0u);
+    BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(instance.bitcoin.first_version, 1u);
 }
 
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_SUITE_END()
diff --git a/test/settings.cpp b/test/settings.cpp
index af296bc1..483c01a0 100644
--- a/test/settings.cpp
+++ b/test/settings.cpp
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(settings__node__default_context__expected)
     using namespace network;
 
     const node::settings node{};
-    BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(node.threads, 1_u32);
+    BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(node.threads, 0_u32);
     BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(node.delay_inbound, true);
     BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(node.headers_first, true);
     BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(node.memory_priority, true);
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(settings__node__default_context__expected)
     ////BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(node.snapshot_valid, 250'000_u32);
     ////BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(node.snapshot_confirm, 500'000_u32);
 
-    BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(node.threads_(), one);
+    BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(node.threads_(), cores());
     BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(node.maximum_height_(), max_size_t);
     BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(node.maximum_concurrency_(), 50'000_size);
     BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(node.fee_estimate_horizon_(), 0_size);