diff --git a/top/top.c b/top/top.c
index 1d89711a..5d3db5f1 100644
--- a/top/top.c
+++ b/top/top.c
@@ -1836,14 +1836,13 @@ static CPU_t *cpus_refresh (CPU_t *cpus) {
       , &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))
          error_exit(N_txt(FAIL_statget_txt));
+#ifndef CPU_ZEROTICS
    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;
-#ifndef CPU_ZEROTICS
-   /* 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 */
+   /* if a cpu has registered substantially fewer tics than those expected,
+      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);
 #endif
@@ -1866,9 +1865,9 @@ static CPU_t *cpus_refresh (CPU_t *cpus) {
       }
 #ifndef CPU_ZEROTICS
       cpus[i].edge = cpus[Cpu_faux_tot].edge;
-#endif
       // this is for symmetry only, it's not currently required
       cpus[i].cur.tot = cpus[Cpu_faux_tot].cur.tot;
+#endif
 #ifdef PRETEND4CPUS
       cpus[i].id = i;
 #endif
diff --git a/top/top.h b/top/top.h
index f3d234f8..fbb89a4b 100644
--- a/top/top.h
+++ b/top/top.h
@@ -62,9 +62,9 @@
            for nls support inclusion.  They're identified with:
               // nls_maybe */
 
-        /* For initiating the topic of potential % CPU distortions due
-           to Nehalem type processors (see CPU_ZEROTICS), thanks to:
-               Jaromir Capik, <jcapik@redhat.com> - February, 2012 */
+        /* For initiating the topic of potential % CPU distortions due to
+           to kernel and/or cpu anomalies (see CPU_ZEROTICS), thanks to:
+              Jaromir Capik, <jcapik@redhat.com> - February, 2012 */
 
 #ifdef PRETEND2_5_X
 #define linux_version_code LINUX_VERSION(2,5,43)
@@ -133,10 +133,12 @@
            -- used at startup and for task/thread mode transitions */
 #define PROC_XTRA  -1
 
+#ifndef CPU_ZEROTICS
         /* 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
+#endif
 
 
 /* #####  Enum's and Typedef's  ############################################ */
@@ -223,7 +225,9 @@ 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
+#ifndef CPU_ZEROTICS
    SIC_t tot;                     // total from /proc/stat line 1
+#endif
 } CT_t;
 
 typedef struct CPU_t {