diff --git a/hypervisor.go b/hypervisor.go
index 96b735d0..55d1efb9 100644
--- a/hypervisor.go
+++ b/hypervisor.go
@@ -128,6 +128,14 @@ type HypervisorConfig struct {
 	// Debug changes the default hypervisor and kernel parameters to
 	// enable debug output where available.
 	Debug bool
+
+	// DefaultVCPUs specifies default number of vCPUs for the VM.
+	// Pod configuration VMConfig.VCPUs overwrites this.
+	DefaultVCPUs uint32
+
+	// DefaultMem specifies default memory size in MiB for the VM.
+	// Pod configuration VMConfig.Memory overwrites this.
+	DefaultMemSz uint32
 }
 
 func (conf *HypervisorConfig) valid() (bool, error) {
@@ -139,6 +147,14 @@ func (conf *HypervisorConfig) valid() (bool, error) {
 		return false, fmt.Errorf("Missing image path")
 	}
 
+	if conf.DefaultVCPUs == 0 {
+		conf.DefaultVCPUs = 1
+	}
+
+	if conf.DefaultMemSz == 0 {
+		conf.DefaultMemSz = 2048 // MiB
+	}
+
 	return true, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/hypervisor_test.go b/hypervisor_test.go
index 3534325b..48c831d8 100644
--- a/hypervisor_test.go
+++ b/hypervisor_test.go
@@ -162,6 +162,26 @@ func TestHypervisorConfigIsValid(t *testing.T) {
 	testHypervisorConfigValid(t, hypervisorConfig, true)
 }
 
+func TestHypervisorConfigDefaults(t *testing.T) {
+	hypervisorConfig := &HypervisorConfig{
+		KernelPath:     fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", testDir, testKernel),
+		ImagePath:      fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", testDir, testImage),
+		HypervisorPath: "",
+	}
+	testHypervisorConfigValid(t, hypervisorConfig, true)
+
+	hypervisorConfigDefaultsExpected := &HypervisorConfig{
+		KernelPath:     fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", testDir, testKernel),
+		ImagePath:      fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", testDir, testImage),
+		HypervisorPath: "",
+		DefaultVCPUs:   1,
+		DefaultMemSz:   2048,
+	}
+	if reflect.DeepEqual(hypervisorConfig, hypervisorConfigDefaultsExpected) == false {
+		t.Fatal()
+	}
+}
+
 func TestAppendParams(t *testing.T) {
 	paramList := []Param{
 		{
diff --git a/qemu.go b/qemu.go
index db31e0fe..0ce81066 100644
--- a/qemu.go
+++ b/qemu.go
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"regexp"
-	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
@@ -88,8 +87,6 @@ const (
 )
 
 const (
-	defaultMemSize        = "2G"
-	defaultMemMax         = "3G"
 	defaultMemSlots uint8 = 2
 )
 
@@ -448,14 +445,14 @@ func (q *qemu) qmpMonitor(connectedCh chan struct{}) {
 }
 
 func (q *qemu) setCPUResources(podConfig PodConfig) ciaoQemu.SMP {
-	vcpus := uint(runtime.NumCPU())
+	vcpus := q.config.DefaultVCPUs
 	if podConfig.VMConfig.VCPUs > 0 {
-		vcpus = podConfig.VMConfig.VCPUs
+		vcpus = uint32(podConfig.VMConfig.VCPUs)
 	}
 
 	smp := ciaoQemu.SMP{
-		CPUs:    uint32(vcpus),
-		Cores:   uint32(vcpus),
+		CPUs:    vcpus,
+		Cores:   vcpus,
 		Sockets: defaultSockets,
 		Threads: defaultThreads,
 	}
@@ -464,8 +461,8 @@ func (q *qemu) setCPUResources(podConfig PodConfig) ciaoQemu.SMP {
 }
 
 func (q *qemu) setMemoryResources(podConfig PodConfig) ciaoQemu.Memory {
-	mem := defaultMemSize
-	memMax := defaultMemMax
+	mem := fmt.Sprintf("%dM", q.config.DefaultMemSz)
+	memMax := fmt.Sprintf("%dM", int(float64(q.config.DefaultMemSz)*1.5))
 	if podConfig.VMConfig.Memory > 0 {
 		mem = fmt.Sprintf("%dM", podConfig.VMConfig.Memory)
 		intMemMax := int(float64(podConfig.VMConfig.Memory) * 1.5)
diff --git a/qemu_test.go b/qemu_test.go
index 61d518a5..94819484 100644
--- a/qemu_test.go
+++ b/qemu_test.go
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ func newQemuConfig() HypervisorConfig {
 		KernelPath:     testQemuKernelPath,
 		ImagePath:      testQemuImagePath,
 		HypervisorPath: testQemuPath,
+		DefaultVCPUs:   1,
+		DefaultMemSz:   2048,
 	}
 }