diff --git a/next.config.js b/next.config.js
index 6bddc675a..4cf4c3965 100644
--- a/next.config.js
+++ b/next.config.js
@@ -41,6 +41,11 @@ module.exports = withBundleAnalyzer({
         SESSION_POLL_INTERVAL_MS: config.has("sessions.poll_interval_ms")
             ? config.get("sessions.poll_interval_ms")
             : 5000,
+        TOOLS_DEFAULT_SELECTED_MAX_CPUS: config.has(
+            "tools.default_selected_max_cpus"
+        )
+            ? config.get("tools.default_selected_max_cpus")
+            : 4,
         TOOLS_ADMIN_MAX_CPU_LIMIT: config.has("tools.admin.max_cpu_limit")
             ? config.get("tools.admin.max_cpu_limit")
             : 8,
diff --git a/src/components/apps/launch/formatters.js b/src/components/apps/launch/formatters.js
index 3914c06f2..9e1fa6840 100644
--- a/src/components/apps/launch/formatters.js
+++ b/src/components/apps/launch/formatters.js
@@ -35,21 +35,28 @@ const initAppLaunchValues = (
         notify,
         notifyPeriodic,
         periodicPeriod,
+        defaultSelectedMaxCpus,
+        defaultMaxCpuCores = defaultSelectedMaxCpus,
         defaultOutputDir,
         app: { id, version_id, system_id, name, requirements, groups },
     }
 ) => {
+    // If no default_max_cpu_cores is returned from the API,
+    // then use the default from configs (if it's less than the actual max)
+    // so the max is not automatically submitted by the services.
     const reqInitValues = requirements?.map(
         ({
             step_number,
             max_cpu_cores,
-            default_max_cpu_cores = 0,
+            default_max_cpu_cores = max_cpu_cores < defaultMaxCpuCores
+                ? max_cpu_cores
+                : defaultMaxCpuCores,
             default_cpu_cores = 0,
             default_memory = 0,
             default_disk_space = 0,
         }) => ({
             step_number,
-            max_cpu_cores: default_max_cpu_cores || max_cpu_cores,
+            max_cpu_cores: default_max_cpu_cores,
             min_cpu_cores: default_cpu_cores,
             min_memory_limit: default_memory,
             min_disk_space: default_disk_space,
diff --git a/src/components/apps/launch/index.js b/src/components/apps/launch/index.js
index 5267df260..ce722cede 100644
--- a/src/components/apps/launch/index.js
+++ b/src/components/apps/launch/index.js
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ const Launch = ({
     const notifyPeriodic = !!preferences?.enablePeriodicEmailNotification;
     const periodicPeriod = preferences?.periodicNotificationPeriod || 14400;
 
+    const defaultSelectedMaxCpus = config?.tools?.default_selected_max_cpus;
     const defaultMaxCPUCores = config?.tools?.private.max_cpu_limit;
     const defaultMaxMemory = config?.tools?.private.max_memory_limit;
     const defaultMaxDiskSpace = config?.tools?.private.max_disk_limit;
@@ -148,6 +149,7 @@ const Launch = ({
             defaultMaxCPUCores={defaultMaxCPUCores}
             defaultMaxMemory={defaultMaxMemory}
             defaultMaxDiskSpace={defaultMaxDiskSpace}
+            defaultSelectedMaxCpus={defaultSelectedMaxCpus}
             app={app}
             appError={submissionError}
             loading={loading}
diff --git a/src/pages/_app.js b/src/pages/_app.js
index 4976f343c..d1c54f110 100644
--- a/src/pages/_app.js
+++ b/src/pages/_app.js
@@ -164,6 +164,8 @@ function MyApp({ Component, pageProps }) {
             poll_interval_ms: publicRuntimeConfig.SESSION_POLL_INTERVAL_MS,
         };
         const tools = {
+            default_selected_max_cpus:
+                publicRuntimeConfig.TOOLS_DEFAULT_SELECTED_MAX_CPUS,
             admin: {
                 max_cpu_limit: publicRuntimeConfig.TOOLS_ADMIN_MAX_CPU_LIMIT,
                 max_memory_limit:
diff --git a/stories/apps/launch/DEWordCount.stories.js b/stories/apps/launch/DEWordCount.stories.js
index a3db733ef..3d15787f6 100644
--- a/stories/apps/launch/DEWordCount.stories.js
+++ b/stories/apps/launch/DEWordCount.stories.js
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ export const DEWordCount = ({
     loading,
     loadingError,
     submissionError,
+    defaultSelectedMaxCpus,
     defaultMaxCPUCores,
     defaultMaxMemory,
     defaultMaxDiskSpace,
@@ -59,6 +60,7 @@ export const DEWordCount = ({
             app={!loadingError && app}
             loading={loading}
             appError={appError || (loadingError && errorObject)}
+            defaultSelectedMaxCpus={defaultSelectedMaxCpus}
             defaultMaxCPUCores={defaultMaxCPUCores}
             defaultMaxMemory={defaultMaxMemory}
             defaultMaxDiskSpace={defaultMaxDiskSpace}
@@ -120,6 +122,12 @@ DEWordCount.argTypes = {
             type: "boolean",
         },
     },
+    defaultSelectedMaxCpus: {
+        name: "Default Selected Max CPU Cores",
+        control: {
+            type: "number",
+        },
+    },
     defaultMaxCPUCores: {
         name: "Max CPU Cores",
         control: {
@@ -147,6 +155,7 @@ DEWordCount.args = {
     loading: false,
     loadingError: false,
     submissionError: false,
+    defaultSelectedMaxCpus: 4,
     defaultMaxCPUCores: 8,
     defaultMaxMemory: 4 * constants.ONE_GiB,
     defaultMaxDiskSpace: 64 * constants.ONE_GiB,
diff --git a/stories/configMock.js b/stories/configMock.js
index 9bb3ca21d..a58152a79 100644
--- a/stories/configMock.js
+++ b/stories/configMock.js
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ export default {
         trash_path: "/iplant/trash/home/de-irods",
     },
     tools: {
+        default_selected_max_cpus: 4,
         admin: {
             max_cpu_limit: 48,
             max_memory_limit: 244 * constants.ONE_GiB,