diff --git a/top/top.c b/top/top.c
index 2105076e..d0b40acc 100644
--- a/top/top.c
+++ b/top/top.c
@@ -1826,6 +1826,12 @@ static CPU_t *cpus_refresh (CPU_t *cpus) {
    cpus[Cpu_faux_tot].cur.tot = cpus[Cpu_faux_tot].cur.u + cpus[Cpu_faux_tot].cur.s
       + cpus[Cpu_faux_tot].cur.n + cpus[Cpu_faux_tot].cur.i + cpus[Cpu_faux_tot].cur.w
       + cpus[Cpu_faux_tot].cur.x + cpus[Cpu_faux_tot].cur.y + cpus[Cpu_faux_tot].cur.z;
+   /* if a Nehalem type cpu has been turned off completely, and thus registers
+      very few total tics, we'll force it to be treated as idle when that total
+      falls below a % of those expected -- other cpus will register their full
+      number of expected tics as 'idle' and thus won't be effected */
+   cpus[Cpu_faux_tot].edge =
+      ((cpus[Cpu_faux_tot].cur.tot - cpus[Cpu_faux_tot].sav.tot) / smp_num_cpus) / (100 / TICS_EDGE);
 
    // now value each separate cpu's tics, maybe
    for (i = 0; i < Cpu_faux_tot && i < Screen_rows; i++) {
@@ -1844,9 +1850,9 @@ static CPU_t *cpus_refresh (CPU_t *cpus) {
             memmove(&cpus[i], &cpus[Cpu_faux_tot], sizeof(CPU_t));
             break;        // tolerate cpus taken offline
       }
-      cpus[i].cur.tot = cpus[i].cur.u + cpus[i].cur.s
-         + cpus[i].cur.n + cpus[i].cur.i + cpus[i].cur.w
-         + cpus[i].cur.x + cpus[i].cur.y + cpus[i].cur.z;
+      cpus[i].edge = cpus[Cpu_faux_tot].edge;
+      // this is for symmetry only, it's not currently required
+      cpus[i].cur.tot = cpus[Cpu_faux_tot].cur.tot;
 #ifdef PRETEND4CPUS
       cpus[i].id = i;
 #endif
@@ -3338,7 +3344,7 @@ static void summaryhlp (CPU_t *cpu, const char *pfx) {
 #ifdef CPU_ZEROTICS
    if (1 > tot_frme) tot_frme = 1;
 #else
-   if (tot_frme < (cpu->cur.tot - cpu->sav.tot) / 10)
+   if (tot_frme < cpu->edge)
       tot_frme = u_frme = s_frme = n_frme = i_frme = w_frme = x_frme = y_frme = z_frme = 0;
    if (1 > tot_frme) i_frme = tot_frme = 1;
 #endif
diff --git a/top/top.h b/top/top.h
index fda84412..e8606878 100644
--- a/top/top.h
+++ b/top/top.h
@@ -129,6 +129,11 @@
            -- used at startup and for task/thread mode transitions */
 #define PROC_XTRA  -1
 
+        /* This is the % used in establishing the tics threshold below
+           which a cpu is treated as 'idle' rather than displaying
+           misleading state percentages */
+#define TICS_EDGE  20
+
 
 /* #####  Enum's and Typedef's  ############################################ */
 
@@ -214,12 +219,13 @@ typedef struct CT_t {
       2.6.0  kernel: x == hi (hardware irq time), y == si (software irq time)
       2.6.11 kernel: z == st (virtual steal time) */
    TIC_t u, n, s, i, w, x, y, z;  // as represented in /proc/stat
-   SIC_t tot;                     // total of above
+   SIC_t tot;                     // total from /proc/stat line 1
 } CT_t;
 
 typedef struct CPU_t {
    CT_t cur;                      // current frame's cpu tics
    CT_t sav;                      // prior frame's cpu tics
+   SIC_t edge;                    // tics adjustment threshold boundary
    int id;                        // the cpu id number (0 - nn)
 } CPU_t;