diff --git a/losoto/lib_operations.py b/losoto/lib_operations.py
index d5740d2..9a60b5e 100644
--- a/losoto/lib_operations.py
+++ b/losoto/lib_operations.py
@@ -2,11 +2,22 @@
 
 # Some utilities for operations
 
-import sys, multiprocessing
+import multiprocessing
+import os
 import numpy as np
 from losoto.h5parm import h5parm
 from losoto._logging import logger as logging
 
+def nproc():
+    """
+    Return the number of CPU cores _available_ to the current process, similar
+    to what the Linux `nproc` command does. This can be less than the total
+    number of CPU cores in the machine, which is returned by, e.g.,
+    `multiprocessing.cpu_count()`
+    """
+    return len(os.sched_getaffinity(0))
+
+
 class multiprocManager(object):
 
     class multiThread(multiprocessing.Process):
@@ -43,7 +54,7 @@ def __init__(self, procs=0, funct=None):
         and it will be linked to the output queue
         """
         if procs == 0:
-            procs = multiprocessing.cpu_count()
+            procs = nproc()
         self.procs = procs
         self._threads = []
         self.inQueue = multiprocessing.JoinableQueue()
diff --git a/losoto/operations/faraday.py b/losoto/operations/faraday.py
index 0839c88..4a34e80 100644
--- a/losoto/operations/faraday.py
+++ b/losoto/operations/faraday.py
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ def run( soltab, soltabOut='rotationmeasure000', refAnt='', maxResidual=1.,ncpu=
 
                 tuples = [(t,coord_rr,coord_ll,wt,vl,solType,coord,maxResidual) for t,wt,vl in zip(list(np.arange(len(times))), weightsliced, valsliced)]
                 if ncpu == 0:
-                    ncpu = mp.cpu_count()
+                    ncpu = nproc()
                 with mp.Pool(ncpu) as pool:
                     fitrm,fitweights = zip(*pool.starmap(_run_timestep,tuples))
 
diff --git a/losoto/operations/interpolatedirections.py b/losoto/operations/interpolatedirections.py
index df587a5..941a224 100644
--- a/losoto/operations/interpolatedirections.py
+++ b/losoto/operations/interpolatedirections.py
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ def run( soltab, interp_dirs, soltabOut=None, prefix='interp_', ncpu=0):
         import sys
         sys.exit()
     # run the interpolation
-    ncpu = mp.cpu_count() if ncpu == 0 else ncpu # default use all cores
+    ncpu = nproc() if ncpu == 0 else ncpu # default use all cores
     with mp.Pool(ncpu) as pool:
         logging.info('Start interpolation.')
         results = pool.starmap(interpolate_directions3d, args)
diff --git a/losoto/operations/prefactor_bandpass.py b/losoto/operations/prefactor_bandpass.py
index 7c33ef5..c28af8f 100644
--- a/losoto/operations/prefactor_bandpass.py
+++ b/losoto/operations/prefactor_bandpass.py
@@ -519,7 +519,7 @@ def run(soltab, chanWidth='', outSoltabName='bandpass', BadSBList = '', interpol
     if autoFlag:
         if ncpu == 0:
             import multiprocessing
-            ncpu = multiprocessing.cpu_count()
+            ncpu = nproc()
         mpm = multiprocManager(ncpu, _flag_amplitudes)
         for s in range(nants):
             mpm.put([soltab.freq[:], amplitude_arraytmp[:, s, :, :], weights_arraytmp[:, s, :, :],
diff --git a/losoto/operations/tec.py b/losoto/operations/tec.py
index e53ab8c..0f9eb48 100644
--- a/losoto/operations/tec.py
+++ b/losoto/operations/tec.py
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ def run( soltab, soltabOut, refAnt, maxResidualFlag, maxResidualProp, ncpu ):
         selections.append(selection)
 
     if ncpu == 0:
-        ncpu = mp.cpu_count()
+        ncpu = nproc()
     with mp.Pool(ncpu) as pool:
         logging.info('Start TEC fitting.')
         results = pool.starmap(fit_tec_to_phases, args)