diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 80e05fa..0c3303f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -89,6 +89,9 @@
 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,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,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))