diff --git a/src/misc.cpp b/src/misc.cpp
index 0ca56571..28eff708 100644
--- a/src/misc.cpp
+++ b/src/misc.cpp
@@ -24,10 +24,6 @@
 #include "misc.h"
 #include "thread.h"
 
-#ifdef __hpux
-#    include <sys/pstat.h>
-#endif
-
 using namespace std;
 
 /// Version number. If Version is left empty, then compile date, in the
@@ -169,31 +165,6 @@ std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, SyncCout sc) {
 void start_logger(bool b) { Logger::start(b); }
 
 
-/// cpu_count() tries to detect the number of CPU cores
-
-int cpu_count() {
-
-#ifdef _WIN32
-  SYSTEM_INFO s;
-  GetSystemInfo(&s);
-  return s.dwNumberOfProcessors;
-#else
-
-#  if defined(_SC_NPROCESSORS_ONLN)
-  return sysconf(_SC_NPROCESSORS_ONLN);
-#  elif defined(__hpux)
-  struct pst_dynamic psd;
-  if (pstat_getdynamic(&psd, sizeof(psd), (size_t)1, 0) == -1)
-      return 1;
-  return psd.psd_proc_cnt;
-#  else
-  return 1;
-#  endif
-
-#endif
-}
-
-
 /// timed_wait() waits for msec milliseconds. It is mainly an helper to wrap
 /// conversion from milliseconds to struct timespec, as used by pthreads.
 
diff --git a/src/misc.h b/src/misc.h
index ea1e55f1..f14308af 100644
--- a/src/misc.h
+++ b/src/misc.h
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
 #include "types.h"
 
 extern const std::string engine_info(bool to_uci = false);
-extern int cpu_count();
 extern void timed_wait(WaitCondition&, Lock&, int);
 extern void prefetch(char* addr);
 extern void start_logger(bool b);
diff --git a/src/platform.h b/src/platform.h
index 206ee4e9..af7795b9 100644
--- a/src/platform.h
+++ b/src/platform.h
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ typedef unsigned __int64 uint64_t;
 
 #else
 #  include <inttypes.h>
-#  include <unistd.h>  // Used by sysconf(_SC_NPROCESSORS_ONLN)
 #endif
 
 #ifndef _WIN32 // Linux - Unix
diff --git a/src/thread.cpp b/src/thread.cpp
index 1772a419..08ac30e1 100644
--- a/src/thread.cpp
+++ b/src/thread.cpp
@@ -217,6 +217,13 @@ void ThreadPool::read_uci_options() {
 
   assert(requested > 0);
 
+  // Value 0 has a special meaning: We determine the optimal minimum split depth
+  // automatically. Anyhow the minimumSplitDepth should never be under 4 plies.
+  if (!minimumSplitDepth)
+      minimumSplitDepth = (requested < 8 ? 4 : 7) * ONE_PLY;
+  else
+      minimumSplitDepth = std::max(4 * ONE_PLY, minimumSplitDepth);
+
   while (size() < requested)
       push_back(new_thread<Thread>());
 
diff --git a/src/ucioption.cpp b/src/ucioption.cpp
index 5cc0de56..384d9317 100644
--- a/src/ucioption.cpp
+++ b/src/ucioption.cpp
@@ -51,14 +51,9 @@ bool CaseInsensitiveLess::operator() (const string& s1, const string& s2) const
 
 
 /// init() initializes the UCI options to their hard coded default values
-/// and initializes the default value of "Threads" and "Min Split Depth"
-/// parameters according to the number of CPU cores detected.
 
 void init(OptionsMap& o) {
 
-  int cpus = std::min(cpu_count(), MAX_THREADS);
-  int msd = cpus < 8 ? 4 : 7;
-
   o["Write Debug Log"]             = Option(false, on_logger);
   o["Write Search Log"]            = Option(false);
   o["Search Log Filename"]         = Option("SearchLog.txt");
@@ -74,9 +69,9 @@ void init(OptionsMap& o) {
   o["Space"]                       = Option(100, 0, 200, on_eval);
   o["Aggressiveness"]              = Option(100, 0, 200, on_eval);
   o["Cowardice"]                   = Option(100, 0, 200, on_eval);
-  o["Min Split Depth"]             = Option(msd, 4, 12, on_threads);
-  o["Max Threads per Split Point"] = Option(5, 4, 8, on_threads);
-  o["Threads"]                     = Option(cpus, 1, MAX_THREADS, on_threads);
+  o["Min Split Depth"]             = Option(0, 0, 12, on_threads);
+  o["Max Threads per Split Point"] = Option(5, 4,  8, on_threads);
+  o["Threads"]                     = Option(1, 1, MAX_THREADS, on_threads);
   o["Idle Threads Sleep"]          = Option(true);
   o["Hash"]                        = Option(32, 1, 8192, on_hash_size);
   o["Clear Hash"]                  = Option(on_clear_hash);