diff --git a/buildroot-external/board/intel/ova/kernel.config b/buildroot-external/board/intel/ova/kernel.config
index 543fed10f..18b3f8c63 100644
--- a/buildroot-external/board/intel/ova/kernel.config
+++ b/buildroot-external/board/intel/ova/kernel.config
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 CONFIG_EFI_STUB=y
 
+CONFIG_HOTPLUG_CPU=y
+CONFIG_MEMORY_HOTPLUG=y
+CONFIG_MEMORY_HOTPLUG_DEFAULT_ONLINE=y
+CONFIG_MEMORY_HOTREMOVE=y
+
 CONFIG_VMXNET3=y
 CONFIG_VMWARE_PVSCSI=y
 CONFIG_VMWARE_VMCI_VSOCKETS=y
diff --git a/buildroot-external/rootfs-overlay/usr/lib/udev/rules.d/80-hotplug-cpu.rules b/buildroot-external/rootfs-overlay/usr/lib/udev/rules.d/80-hotplug-cpu.rules
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..38c16f9eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/buildroot-external/rootfs-overlay/usr/lib/udev/rules.d/80-hotplug-cpu.rules
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+SUBSYSTEM=="cpu", ACTION=="add", TEST=="online", ATTR{online}=="0", ATTR{online}="1"