diff --git a/nbr/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/scenarios/simframe/optimizers/optimo/CMD_optimo.java b/nbr/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/scenarios/simframe/optimizers/optimo/CMD_optimo.java
index 56564e13b..ab7175790 100644
--- a/nbr/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/scenarios/simframe/optimizers/optimo/CMD_optimo.java
+++ b/nbr/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/scenarios/simframe/optimizers/optimo/CMD_optimo.java
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ public class CMD_optimo extends NBBaseCommand {
         model.add("rate", 10, optimoSearchParams.startRate(), optimoSearchParams.startRate()*4,
             rate -> flywheel.onEvent(ParamChange.of(new CycleRateSpec(rate, 1.1d, SimRateSpec.Verb.restart)))
         );
-        model.add("threads", 10, 50, 2000,
+        model.add("threads", 10, optimoSearchParams.start_threads(), 2000,
             threads -> flywheel.onEvent(ParamChange.of(new SetThreads((int) (threads))))
         );
 
diff --git a/nbr/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/scenarios/simframe/optimizers/optimo/OptimoSearchSettings.java b/nbr/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/scenarios/simframe/optimizers/optimo/OptimoSearchSettings.java
index 12aed639a..59c018c39 100644
--- a/nbr/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/scenarios/simframe/optimizers/optimo/OptimoSearchSettings.java
+++ b/nbr/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/scenarios/simframe/optimizers/optimo/OptimoSearchSettings.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ public record OptimoSearchSettings(
     long sample_time_ms,
     double cutoff_quantile,
     double cutoff_ms,
+    double start_threads,
     OptimoParamModel model
 ) {
     public OptimoSearchSettings(NBCommandParams params, OptimoParamModel model) {
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ public record OptimoSearchSettings(
             params.maybeGet("sample_time_ms").map(Long::parseLong).orElse(5000L),
             params.maybeGet("cutoff_quantile").map(Double::parseDouble).orElse(0.99),
             params.maybeGet("cutoff_ms").map(Double::parseDouble).orElse(50.0d),
+            params.maybeGet("start_threads").map(Double::parseDouble).orElse(50.0d),
             model
         );
     }