diff --git a/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 6706ed5208..7c8b5ee097 100644
--- a/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -222,6 +222,12 @@ set(
 
 file(GLOB PROJECT_PERF_TESTS ${PROJECT_TEST_PERF_DIR}/*.cc)
 
+if (MPI_MAX_NUMPROC LESS 2)
+  set(PERF_TEST_NUMPROC 2)
+else()
+  set(PERF_TEST_NUMPROC ${MPI_MAX_NUMPROC})
+endif()
+
 foreach(PERF_TEST ${PROJECT_PERF_TESTS})
   if (${PERF_TEST} IN_LIST EXCLUDED_PERF_TEST_FILES)
     message(STATUS "Test file ${PERF_TEST} is present on EXCLUDED_PERF_TEST_FILES list. Skipping!")
@@ -245,7 +251,7 @@ foreach(PERF_TEST ${PROJECT_PERF_TESTS})
 
   add_test(
     NAME ${TEST_NAME}
-    COMMAND ${MPI_RUN_COMMAND} ${MPI_EXTRA_FLAGS_LIST} ${MPI_NUMPROC_FLAG} ${MPI_MAX_NUMPROC}
+    COMMAND ${MPI_RUN_COMMAND} ${MPI_EXTRA_FLAGS_LIST} ${MPI_NUMPROC_FLAG} ${PERF_TEST_NUMPROC}
             ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${TEST_NAME} ${VT_TEST_EXTRA_FLAGS}
   )
 
@@ -257,7 +263,7 @@ foreach(PERF_TEST ${PROJECT_PERF_TESTS})
   set_tests_properties(
     ${TEST_NAME}
     PROPERTIES
-    PROCESSORS ${MPI_NUMPROC_FLAG}
+    PROCESSORS ${PERF_TEST_NUMPROC}
     TIMEOUT 300
     LABELS "perf_test"
   )