diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index ab872c587..4c8c3e311 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -252,6 +252,8 @@ type config struct {
 	net tor.Net
 
 	Routing *routing.Conf `group:"routing" namespace:"routing"`
+
+	Workers *lncfg.Workers `group:"workers" namespace:"workers"`
 }
 
 // loadConfig initializes and parses the config using a config file and command
@@ -334,6 +336,11 @@ func loadConfig() (*config, error) {
 			Control: defaultTorControl,
 		},
 		net: &tor.ClearNet{},
+		Workers: &lncfg.Workers{
+			Read:  lncfg.DefaultReadWorkers,
+			Write: lncfg.DefaultWriteWorkers,
+			Sig:   lncfg.DefaultSigWorkers,
+		},
 	}
 
 	// Pre-parse the command line options to pick up an alternative config
@@ -968,6 +975,12 @@ func loadConfig() (*config, error) {
 			"minbackoff")
 	}
 
+	// Assert that all worker pools will have a positive number of
+	// workers, otherwise the pools will rendered useless.
+	if err := cfg.Workers.Validate(); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	// Finally, ensure that the user's color is correctly formatted,
 	// otherwise the server will not be able to start after the unlocking
 	// the wallet.
diff --git a/lncfg/workers.go b/lncfg/workers.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fec57ddda
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lncfg/workers.go
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+package lncfg
+
+import "fmt"
+
+const (
+	// DefaultReadWorkers is the default maximum number of concurrent
+	// workers used by the daemon's read pool.
+	DefaultReadWorkers = 16
+
+	// DefaultWriteWorkers is the default maximum number of concurrent
+	// workers used by the daemon's write pool.
+	DefaultWriteWorkers = 16
+
+	// DefaultSigWorkers is the default maximum number of concurrent workers
+	// used by the daemon's sig pool.
+	DefaultSigWorkers = 8
+)
+
+// Workers exposes CLI configuration for turning resources consumed by worker
+// pools.
+type Workers struct {
+	// Read is the maximum number of concurrent read pool workers.
+	Read int `long:"read" description:"Maximum number of concurrent read pool workers."`
+
+	// Write is the maximum number of concurrent write pool workers.
+	Write int `long:"write" description:"Maximum number of concurrent write pool workers."`
+
+	// Sig is the maximum number of concurrent sig pool workers.
+	Sig int `long:"sig" description:"Maximum number of concurrent sig pool workers."`
+}
+
+// Validate checks the Workers configuration to ensure that the input values are
+// sane.
+func (w *Workers) Validate() error {
+	if w.Read <= 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("number of read workers (%d) must be "+
+			"positive", w.Read)
+	}
+	if w.Write <= 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("number of write workers (%d) must be "+
+			"positive", w.Write)
+	}
+	if w.Sig <= 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("number of sig workers (%d) must be "+
+			"positive", w.Sig)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/lncfg/workers_test.go b/lncfg/workers_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cc32202d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lncfg/workers_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+package lncfg_test
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd/lncfg"
+)
+
+const (
+	maxUint = ^uint(0)
+	maxInt  = int(maxUint >> 1)
+	minInt  = -maxInt - 1
+)
+
+// TestValidateWorkers asserts that validating the Workers config only succeeds
+// if all fields specify a positive number of workers.
+func TestValidateWorkers(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name  string
+		cfg   *lncfg.Workers
+		valid bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "min valid",
+			cfg: &lncfg.Workers{
+				Read:  1,
+				Write: 1,
+				Sig:   1,
+			},
+			valid: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "max valid",
+			cfg: &lncfg.Workers{
+				Read:  maxInt,
+				Write: maxInt,
+				Sig:   maxInt,
+			},
+			valid: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "read max invalid",
+			cfg: &lncfg.Workers{
+				Read:  0,
+				Write: 1,
+				Sig:   1,
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "write max invalid",
+			cfg: &lncfg.Workers{
+				Read:  1,
+				Write: 0,
+				Sig:   1,
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "sig max invalid",
+			cfg: &lncfg.Workers{
+				Read:  1,
+				Write: 1,
+				Sig:   0,
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "read min invalid",
+			cfg: &lncfg.Workers{
+				Read:  minInt,
+				Write: 1,
+				Sig:   1,
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "write min invalid",
+			cfg: &lncfg.Workers{
+				Read:  1,
+				Write: minInt,
+				Sig:   1,
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "sig min invalid",
+			cfg: &lncfg.Workers{
+				Read:  1,
+				Write: 1,
+				Sig:   minInt,
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			err := test.cfg.Validate()
+			switch {
+			case test.valid && err != nil:
+				t.Fatalf("valid config was invalid: %v", err)
+			case !test.valid && err == nil:
+				t.Fatalf("invalid config was valid")
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index 77cd8d044..d86f340cd 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import (
 	"net"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"regexp"
-	"runtime"
 	"strconv"
 	"sync"
 	"sync/atomic"
@@ -273,7 +272,7 @@ func newServer(listenAddrs []net.Addr, chanDB *channeldb.DB, cc *chainControl,
 	)
 
 	writePool := pool.NewWrite(
-		writeBufferPool, runtime.NumCPU(), pool.DefaultWorkerTimeout,
+		writeBufferPool, cfg.Workers.Write, pool.DefaultWorkerTimeout,
 	)
 
 	readBufferPool := pool.NewReadBuffer(
@@ -282,7 +281,7 @@ func newServer(listenAddrs []net.Addr, chanDB *channeldb.DB, cc *chainControl,
 	)
 
 	readPool := pool.NewRead(
-		readBufferPool, runtime.NumCPU(), pool.DefaultWorkerTimeout,
+		readBufferPool, cfg.Workers.Read, pool.DefaultWorkerTimeout,
 	)
 
 	decodeFinalCltvExpiry := func(payReq string) (uint32, error) {
@@ -296,7 +295,7 @@ func newServer(listenAddrs []net.Addr, chanDB *channeldb.DB, cc *chainControl,
 	s := &server{
 		chanDB:    chanDB,
 		cc:        cc,
-		sigPool:   lnwallet.NewSigPool(runtime.NumCPU()*2, cc.signer),
+		sigPool:   lnwallet.NewSigPool(cfg.Workers.Sig, cc.signer),
 		writePool: writePool,
 		readPool:  readPool,