diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/core/NodeConfig.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/core/NodeConfig.java
index 3db453bc861..ea451a96007 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/core/NodeConfig.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/core/NodeConfig.java
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ public class NodeConfig {
     this.solrProperties = solrProperties;
     this.backupRepositoryPlugins = backupRepositoryPlugins;
 
-    if (this.cloudConfig != null && this.getCoreLoadThreadCount(NodeConfigBuilder.DEFAULT_CORE_LOAD_THREADS) < 2) {
+    if (this.cloudConfig != null && this.getCoreLoadThreadCount(false) < 2) {
       throw new SolrException(SolrException.ErrorCode.SERVER_ERROR,
           "SolrCloud requires a value of at least 2 for coreLoadThreads (configured value = " + this.coreLoadThreads + ")");
     }
@@ -109,8 +109,10 @@ public class NodeConfig {
     return updateShardHandlerConfig;
   }
 
-  public int getCoreLoadThreadCount(int def) {
-    return coreLoadThreads == null ? def : coreLoadThreads;
+  public int getCoreLoadThreadCount(boolean zkAware) {
+    return coreLoadThreads == null ?
+        (zkAware ? NodeConfigBuilder.DEFAULT_CORE_LOAD_THREADS_IN_CLOUD : NodeConfigBuilder.DEFAULT_CORE_LOAD_THREADS)
+        : coreLoadThreads;
   }
 
   public String getSharedLibDirectory() {
@@ -196,8 +198,8 @@ public class NodeConfig {
     private final String nodeName;
 
     public static final int DEFAULT_CORE_LOAD_THREADS = 3;
-    //No:of core load threads in cloud mode is set to a default of 24
-    public static final int DEFAULT_CORE_LOAD_THREADS_IN_CLOUD = 24;
+    //No:of core load threads in cloud mode is set to a default of 8
+    public static final int DEFAULT_CORE_LOAD_THREADS_IN_CLOUD = 8;
 
     private static final int DEFAULT_TRANSIENT_CACHE_SIZE = Integer.MAX_VALUE;
 
diff --git a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/core/CoreSorterTest.java b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/core/CoreSorterTest.java
index 3e5af201575..dda437af966 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/core/CoreSorterTest.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/core/CoreSorterTest.java
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ import org.apache.solr.util.MockCoreContainer;
 import static java.util.stream.Collectors.toList;
 import static org.apache.solr.core.CoreSorter.getShardName;
 import static org.easymock.EasyMock.createMock;
-import static org.easymock.EasyMock.expectLastCall;
+import static org.easymock.EasyMock.expect;
 import static org.easymock.EasyMock.replay;
 import static org.easymock.EasyMock.reset;
 
@@ -49,16 +49,16 @@ public class CoreSorterTest extends SolrTestCaseJ4 {
 
   public void testComparator() {
     List<CountsForEachShard> l = new ArrayList<>();
-    //                           DN LIV  MY
-    l.add(new CountsForEachShard(1, 3, 1));
-    l.add(new CountsForEachShard(0, 3, 2));
-    l.add(new CountsForEachShard(0, 3, 3));
-    l.add(new CountsForEachShard(0, 3, 4));
-    l.add(new CountsForEachShard(1, 0, 2));
-    l.add(new CountsForEachShard(1, 0, 1));
-    l.add(new CountsForEachShard(2, 5, 1));
-    l.add(new CountsForEachShard(2, 4, 2));
-    l.add(new CountsForEachShard(2, 3, 3));
+    //                           DOWN LIVE  MY
+    l.add(new CountsForEachShard(1,     3,  1));
+    l.add(new CountsForEachShard(0,     3,  2));
+    l.add(new CountsForEachShard(0,     3,  3));
+    l.add(new CountsForEachShard(0,     3,  4));
+    l.add(new CountsForEachShard(1,     0,  2));
+    l.add(new CountsForEachShard(1,     0,  1));
+    l.add(new CountsForEachShard(2,     5,  1));
+    l.add(new CountsForEachShard(2,     4,  2));
+    l.add(new CountsForEachShard(2,     3,  3));
 
     List<CountsForEachShard> expected = Arrays.asList(
         new CountsForEachShard(0, 3, 2),
@@ -108,14 +108,10 @@ public class CoreSorterTest extends SolrTestCaseJ4 {
     ZkController mockZKC = createMock(ZkController.class);
     ClusterState mockClusterState = createMock(ClusterState.class);
     reset(mockCC, mockZKC, mockClusterState);
-    mockCC.isZooKeeperAware();
-    expectLastCall().andAnswer(() -> Boolean.TRUE).anyTimes();
-    mockCC.getZkController();
-    expectLastCall().andAnswer(() -> mockZKC).anyTimes();
-    mockClusterState.getLiveNodes();
-    expectLastCall().andAnswer(() -> liveNodes).anyTimes();
-    mockZKC.getClusterState();
-    expectLastCall().andAnswer(() -> mockClusterState).anyTimes();
+    expect(mockCC.isZooKeeperAware()).andReturn(Boolean.TRUE).anyTimes();
+    expect(mockCC.getZkController()).andReturn(mockZKC).anyTimes();
+    expect(mockClusterState.getLiveNodes()).andReturn(liveNodes).anyTimes();
+    expect(mockZKC.getClusterState()).andReturn(mockClusterState).anyTimes();
     replay(mockCC, mockZKC, mockClusterState);
     return mockCC;
   }
diff --git a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/core/TestSolrXml.java b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/core/TestSolrXml.java
index e005c9fe3da..9224c4dd7af 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/core/TestSolrXml.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/core/TestSolrXml.java
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ public class TestSolrXml extends SolrTestCaseJ4 {
     assertEquals("collection handler class", "testCollectionsHandler", cfg.getCollectionsHandlerClass());
     assertEquals("info handler class", "testInfoHandler", cfg.getInfoHandlerClass());
     assertEquals("config set handler class", "testConfigSetsHandler", cfg.getConfigSetsHandlerClass());
-    assertEquals("core load threads", 11, cfg.getCoreLoadThreadCount(0));
+    assertEquals("core load threads", 11, cfg.getCoreLoadThreadCount(false));
     assertThat("core root dir", cfg.getCoreRootDirectory().toString(), containsString("testCoreRootDirectory"));
     assertEquals("distrib conn timeout", 22, cfg.getUpdateShardHandlerConfig().getDistributedConnectionTimeout());
     assertEquals("distrib socket timeout", 33, cfg.getUpdateShardHandlerConfig().getDistributedSocketTimeout());