diff --git a/i3pystatus/load.py b/i3pystatus/load.py
index 0c657f7..dc3f3d2 100644
--- a/i3pystatus/load.py
+++ b/i3pystatus/load.py
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
 from i3pystatus import IntervalModule
+try:
+    from os import cpu_count
+except ImportError:
+    from multiprocessing import cpu_count
 
 
 class Load(IntervalModule):
@@ -11,13 +15,13 @@ class Load(IntervalModule):
         ("format",
          "format string used for output. {avg1}, {avg5} and {avg15} are the load average of the last one, five and fifteen minutes, respectively. {tasks} is the number of tasks (i.e. 1/285, which indiciates that one out of 285 total tasks is runnable)."),
         ("color", "The text color"),
-        ("critical_limit", "Limit above which the load is considered critical"),
+        ("critical_limit", "Limit above which the load is considered critical, defaults to amount of cores."),
         ("critical_color", "The critical color"),
     )
 
     file = "/proc/loadavg"
     color = "#ffffff"
-    critical_limit = 1
+    critical_limit = cpu_count()
     critical_color = "#ff0000"
 
     def run(self):