diff --git a/plugins/GSdx/GPU.cpp b/plugins/GSdx/GPU.cpp
index 7b6cfff0cc..66b360926c 100644
--- a/plugins/GSdx/GPU.cpp
+++ b/plugins/GSdx/GPU.cpp
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ EXPORT_C_(int32) GPUopen(void* hWnd)
 #endif
 
 	int renderer = theApp.GetConfig("Renderer", 1);
-	int threads = theApp.GetConfig("extrathreads", 0);
+	int threads = theApp.GetConfig("extrathreads", DEFAULT_EXTRA_RENDERING_THREADS);
 
 	switch(renderer)
 	{
diff --git a/plugins/GSdx/GPUSettingsDlg.cpp b/plugins/GSdx/GPUSettingsDlg.cpp
index 28d8c96f1c..bdbcecb9b3 100644
--- a/plugins/GSdx/GPUSettingsDlg.cpp
+++ b/plugins/GSdx/GPUSettingsDlg.cpp
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ void GPUSettingsDlg::OnInit()
 	CheckDlgButton(m_hWnd, IDC_WINDOWED, theApp.GetConfig("windowed", 1));
 
 	SendMessage(GetDlgItem(m_hWnd, IDC_SWTHREADS), UDM_SETRANGE, 0, MAKELPARAM(16, 0));
-	SendMessage(GetDlgItem(m_hWnd, IDC_SWTHREADS), UDM_SETPOS, 0, MAKELPARAM(theApp.GetConfig("extrathreads", 0), 0));
+	SendMessage(GetDlgItem(m_hWnd, IDC_SWTHREADS), UDM_SETPOS, 0, MAKELPARAM(theApp.GetConfig("extrathreads", DEFAULT_EXTRA_RENDERING_THREADS), 0));
 
 	UpdateControls();
 }
diff --git a/plugins/GSdx/GS.cpp b/plugins/GSdx/GS.cpp
index 60373155eb..eaf33e7614 100644
--- a/plugins/GSdx/GS.cpp
+++ b/plugins/GSdx/GS.cpp
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ static int _GSopen(void** dsp, const char* title, GSRendererType renderer, int t
 
 	if(threads == -1)
 	{
-		threads = theApp.GetConfig("extrathreads", 0);
+		threads = theApp.GetConfig("extrathreads", DEFAULT_EXTRA_RENDERING_THREADS);
 	}
 
 	GSWnd* wnd[2] = { NULL, NULL };
diff --git a/plugins/GSdx/GS.h b/plugins/GSdx/GS.h
index 389eecf5a2..24ee2f4191 100644
--- a/plugins/GSdx/GS.h
+++ b/plugins/GSdx/GS.h
@@ -1280,3 +1280,7 @@ enum {FREEZE_LOAD=0, FREEZE_SAVE=1, FREEZE_SIZE=2};
 struct GSFreezeData {int size; uint8* data;};
 
 enum stateType {ST_WRITE, ST_TRANSFER, ST_VSYNC};
+
+// default gs config settings
+#define DEFAULT_EXTRA_RENDERING_THREADS 2
+
diff --git a/plugins/GSdx/GSLinuxDialog.cpp b/plugins/GSdx/GSLinuxDialog.cpp
index 313361150e..ee97840975 100644
--- a/plugins/GSdx/GSLinuxDialog.cpp
+++ b/plugins/GSdx/GSLinuxDialog.cpp
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ void populate_gl_table(GtkWidget* gl_table)
 void populate_sw_table(GtkWidget* sw_table)
 {
 	GtkWidget* threads_label = left_label("Extra rendering threads:");
-	GtkWidget* threads_spin  = CreateSpinButton(0, 32, "extrathreads", 0);
+	GtkWidget* threads_spin  = CreateSpinButton(0, 32, "extrathreads", DEFAULT_EXTRA_RENDERING_THREADS);
 
 	GtkWidget* aa_check         = CreateCheckBox("Edge anti-aliasing (AA1)", "aa1");
 	GtkWidget* mipmap_check     = CreateCheckBox("Mipmap", "mipmap", true);
diff --git a/plugins/GSdx/GSSettingsDlg.cpp b/plugins/GSdx/GSSettingsDlg.cpp
index 0fe51ed5c6..71a1e5c97a 100644
--- a/plugins/GSdx/GSSettingsDlg.cpp
+++ b/plugins/GSdx/GSSettingsDlg.cpp
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ void GSSettingsDlg::OnInit()
 	SendMessage(GetDlgItem(m_hWnd, IDC_RESY), UDM_SETPOS, 0, MAKELPARAM(theApp.GetConfig("resy", 1024), 0));
 
 	SendMessage(GetDlgItem(m_hWnd, IDC_SWTHREADS), UDM_SETRANGE, 0, MAKELPARAM(16, 0));
-	SendMessage(GetDlgItem(m_hWnd, IDC_SWTHREADS), UDM_SETPOS, 0, MAKELPARAM(theApp.GetConfig("extrathreads", 0), 0));
+	SendMessage(GetDlgItem(m_hWnd, IDC_SWTHREADS), UDM_SETPOS, 0, MAKELPARAM(theApp.GetConfig("extrathreads", DEFAULT_EXTRA_RENDERING_THREADS), 0));
 
 	AddTooltip(IDC_FILTER);
 	AddTooltip(IDC_CRC_LEVEL);