diff --git a/backend/src/api/handler.rs b/backend/src/api/handler.rs
index a1a9354..e7672e6 100644
--- a/backend/src/api/handler.rs
+++ b/backend/src/api/handler.rs
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ pub enum CpuMessage {
 
 impl CpuMessage {
     fn process(self, settings: &mut dyn TCpus) {
+        // NOTE: "cpu" refers to the Linux kernel definition of a CPU, which is actually a hardware thread
+        // not to be confused with a CPU chip, which usually has multiple hardware threads (cpu cores/threads) in the chip
         match self {
             Self::SetCpuOnline(index, status) => {settings.cpus().get_mut(index).map(|c| *c.online() = status);},
             Self::SetCpusOnline(cpus) => {
@@ -68,10 +70,38 @@ impl CpuMessage {
                 }
             },
             Self::SetSmt(status, cb) => {
-                *settings.smt() = status;
+                if *settings.smt() == status {
+                    // already set, do nothing
+                } else if status {
+                    // set SMT on
+                    *settings.smt() = true;
+                    let mut should_be_online = false;
+                    let cpu_count = settings.len();
+                    for i in (0..cpu_count).rev() {
+                        if *settings.cpus()[i].online() && !should_be_online {
+                            should_be_online = true;
+                            // enable the odd-numbered thread right before
+                            // for 1c:2t configs (i.e. anything with SMT2), the highest cpu core is always odd
+                            // (e.g. 4c8t has CPUs 0-7, inclusive)
+                            // this enables the """fake""" (i.e. odd) cpu which is disabled when SMT is set off
+                            if i % 2 == 0 && i+1 != cpu_count {
+                                *(settings.cpus()[i+1].online()) = true;
+                            }
+                        } else {
+                            *settings.cpus()[i].online() = should_be_online;
+                        }
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    // set SMT off
+                    *settings.smt() = false;
+                    for i in 0..settings.len() {
+                        // this disables the """fake""" (odd) cpu for appearances' sake
+                        // the kernel will automatically disable that same cpu when SMT is changed
+                        *settings.cpus()[i].online() = *settings.cpus()[i].online() && (status || i % 2 == 0);
+                    }
+                }
                 let mut result = Vec::with_capacity(settings.len());
                 for i in 0..settings.len() {
-                    *settings.cpus()[i].online() = *settings.cpus()[i].online() && (status || i % 2 == 0);
                     result.push(*settings.cpus()[i].online());
                 }
                 cb(result);
diff --git a/src/backend.ts b/src/backend.ts
index 59a4f4d..70f1fee 100644
--- a/src/backend.ts
+++ b/src/backend.ts
@@ -120,8 +120,8 @@ export async function unsetBatteryChargeMode(): Promise<any[]> {
 
 // CPU
 
-export async function setCpuSmt(status: boolean): Promise<boolean> {
-    return (await call_backend("CPU_set_smt", [status]))[0];
+export async function setCpuSmt(status: boolean): Promise<boolean[]> {
+    return await call_backend("CPU_set_smt", [status]);
 }
 
 /*export async function getCpuCount(): Promise<number> {
diff --git a/src/index.tsx b/src/index.tsx
index ef25c48..4de4a06 100755
--- a/src/index.tsx
+++ b/src/index.tsx
@@ -251,18 +251,10 @@ const Content: VFC<{ serverAPI: ServerAPI }> = ({}) => {
           description="Enables odd-numbered CPUs"
           onChange={(smt: boolean) => {
             backend.log(backend.LogLevel.Debug, "SMT is now " + smt.toString());
-            const cpus = get_value(ONLINE_CPUS);
+            //const cpus = get_value(ONLINE_CPUS);
             const smtNow = smt && smtAllowed;
-            backend.resolve(backend.setCpuSmt(smtNow), (newVal: boolean) => {
-              set_value(SMT_CPU, newVal);
-            });
-            let onlines: boolean[] = [];
-            for (let i = 0; i < total_cpus; i++) {
-              const online = (smtNow? i < cpus : (i % 2 == 0) && (i < cpus * 2))
-                || (!smtNow && cpus == 4);
-              onlines.push(online);
-            }
-            backend.resolve(backend.setCpuOnlines(onlines), (statii: boolean[]) => {
+            backend.resolve(backend.setCpuSmt(smtNow), (statii: boolean[]) => {
+              set_value(SMT_CPU, smtNow);
               set_value(ONLINE_STATUS_CPUS, statii);
               const count = countCpus(statii);
               set_value(ONLINE_CPUS, count);
@@ -276,7 +268,7 @@ const Content: VFC<{ serverAPI: ServerAPI }> = ({}) => {
           label="Threads"
           value={get_value(ONLINE_CPUS)}
           step={1}
-          max={get_value(SMT_CPU) || !smtAllowed ? total_cpus : total_cpus/2}
+          max={(get_value(SMT_CPU) || !smtAllowed) ? total_cpus : total_cpus/2}
           min={1}
           showValue={true}
           onChange={(cpus: number) => {
@@ -411,9 +403,9 @@ const Content: VFC<{ serverAPI: ServerAPI }> = ({}) => {
           description="Allow the CPU thread to do work"
           onChange={(status: boolean) => {
             backend.log(backend.LogLevel.Debug, "CPU " + advancedCpu.toString() + " is now " + status.toString());
-            if (get_value(SMT_CPU)) {
-              backend.resolve(backend.setCpuSmt(false), (newVal: boolean) => {
-                set_value(SMT_CPU, newVal);
+            if (!get_value(SMT_CPU)) {
+              backend.resolve(backend.setCpuSmt(true), (_newVal: boolean[]) => {
+                set_value(SMT_CPU, true);
               });
             }
             backend.resolve(backend.setCpuOnline(advancedCpuIndex, status), (newVal: boolean) => {