diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 80e05fa63..0c3303f86 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -89,6 +89,9 @@ TRUSTED_BOARD_BOOT		:= 0
 PROGRAMMABLE_RESET_ADDRESS	:= 0
 # Build flag to treat usage of deprecated platform and framework APIs as error.
 ERROR_DEPRECATED		:= 0
+# By default, consider that the platform may release several CPUs out of reset.
+# The platform Makefile is free to override this value.
+COLD_BOOT_SINGLE_CPU		:= 0
 # Flag to introduce an infinite loop in BL1 just before it exits into the next
 # image. This is meant to help debugging the post-BL2 phase.
 SPIN_ON_BL1_EXIT		:= 0
@@ -357,6 +360,7 @@ $(eval $(call assert_boolean,CREATE_KEYS))
 $(eval $(call assert_boolean,SAVE_KEYS))
 $(eval $(call assert_boolean,TRUSTED_BOARD_BOOT))
 $(eval $(call assert_boolean,PROGRAMMABLE_RESET_ADDRESS))
+$(eval $(call assert_boolean,COLD_BOOT_SINGLE_CPU))
 $(eval $(call assert_boolean,PSCI_EXTENDED_STATE_ID))
 $(eval $(call assert_boolean,ERROR_DEPRECATED))
 $(eval $(call assert_boolean,ENABLE_PLAT_COMPAT))
@@ -380,6 +384,7 @@ $(eval $(call add_define,LOG_LEVEL))
 $(eval $(call add_define,USE_COHERENT_MEM))
 $(eval $(call add_define,TRUSTED_BOARD_BOOT))
 $(eval $(call add_define,PROGRAMMABLE_RESET_ADDRESS))
+$(eval $(call add_define,COLD_BOOT_SINGLE_CPU))
 $(eval $(call add_define,PSCI_EXTENDED_STATE_ID))
 $(eval $(call add_define,ERROR_DEPRECATED))
 $(eval $(call add_define,ENABLE_PLAT_COMPAT))
diff --git a/bl1/aarch64/bl1_entrypoint.S b/bl1/aarch64/bl1_entrypoint.S
index 4fc52918a..83594f218 100644
--- a/bl1/aarch64/bl1_entrypoint.S
+++ b/bl1/aarch64/bl1_entrypoint.S
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ func bl1_entrypoint
 	el3_entrypoint_common					\
 		_set_endian=1					\
 		_warm_boot_mailbox=!PROGRAMMABLE_RESET_ADDRESS	\
-		_secondary_cold_boot=1				\
+		_secondary_cold_boot=!COLD_BOOT_SINGLE_CPU	\
 		_init_memory=1					\
 		_init_c_runtime=1				\
 		_exception_vectors=bl1_exceptions
diff --git a/bl31/aarch64/bl31_entrypoint.S b/bl31/aarch64/bl31_entrypoint.S
index 636b1d287..45aa85dc4 100644
--- a/bl31/aarch64/bl31_entrypoint.S
+++ b/bl31/aarch64/bl31_entrypoint.S
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ func bl31_entrypoint
 	el3_entrypoint_common					\
 		_set_endian=1					\
 		_warm_boot_mailbox=!PROGRAMMABLE_RESET_ADDRESS	\
-		_secondary_cold_boot=1				\
+		_secondary_cold_boot=!COLD_BOOT_SINGLE_CPU	\
 		_init_memory=1					\
 		_init_c_runtime=1				\
 		_exception_vectors=runtime_exceptions
diff --git a/docs/porting-guide.md b/docs/porting-guide.md
index 82bed6b04..6c6122adf 100644
--- a/docs/porting-guide.md
+++ b/docs/porting-guide.md
@@ -459,7 +459,7 @@ type of reset nor to query the warm reset entrypoint. Therefore, implementing
 this function is not required on such platforms.
 
 
-### Function : plat_secondary_cold_boot_setup() [mandatory]
+### Function : plat_secondary_cold_boot_setup() [mandatory when COLD_BOOT_SINGLE_CPU == 0]
 
     Argument : void
 
@@ -476,8 +476,12 @@ populated.
 
 This function fulfills requirement 2 above.
 
+Note that for platforms that can't release secondary CPUs out of reset, only the
+primary CPU will execute the cold boot code. Therefore, implementing this
+function is not required on such platforms.
 
-### Function : plat_is_my_cpu_primary() [mandatory]
+
+### Function : plat_is_my_cpu_primary() [mandatory when COLD_BOOT_SINGLE_CPU == 0]
 
     Argument : void
     Return   : unsigned int
@@ -487,6 +491,11 @@ secondary CPU. A return value of zero indicates that the CPU is not the
 primary CPU, while a non-zero return value indicates that the CPU is the
 primary CPU.
 
+Note that for platforms that can't release secondary CPUs out of reset, only the
+primary CPU will execute the cold boot code. Therefore, there is no need to
+distinguish between primary and secondary CPUs and implementing this function is
+not required.
+
 
 ### Function : platform_mem_init() [mandatory]
 
diff --git a/docs/user-guide.md b/docs/user-guide.md
index 53745f0eb..f7e4f4c79 100644
--- a/docs/user-guide.md
+++ b/docs/user-guide.md
@@ -359,6 +359,15 @@ performed.
     implication for `plat_get_my_entrypoint()` platform porting interface.
     (see the [Porting Guide] for details)
 
+*   `COLD_BOOT_SINGLE_CPU`: This option indicates whether the platform may
+    release several CPUs out of reset. It can take either 0 (several CPUs may be
+    brought up) or 1 (only one CPU will ever be brought up during cold reset).
+    Default is 0. If the platform always brings up a single CPU, there is no
+    need to distinguish between primary and secondary CPUs and the boot path can
+    be optimised. The `plat_is_my_cpu_primary()` and
+    `plat_secondary_cold_boot_setup()` platform porting interfaces do not need
+    to be implemented in this case.
+
 *   `PSCI_EXTENDED_STATE_ID`: As per PSCI1.0 Specification, there are 2 formats
     possible for the PSCI power-state parameter viz original and extended
     State-ID formats. This flag if set to 1, configures the generic PSCI layer