diff --git a/examples/vm_power_manager/main.c b/examples/vm_power_manager/main.c
index 273bfec29..77797b1e1 100644
--- a/examples/vm_power_manager/main.c
+++ b/examples/vm_power_manager/main.c
@@ -165,15 +165,14 @@ parse_args(int argc, char **argv)
 	static struct option lgopts[] = {
 		{ "mac-updating", no_argument, 0, 1},
 		{ "no-mac-updating", no_argument, 0, 0},
-		{ "core-list", optional_argument, 0, 'l'},
+		{ "core-branch-ratio", optional_argument, 0, 'b'},
 		{ "port-list", optional_argument, 0, 'p'},
-		{ "branch-ratio", optional_argument, 0, 'b'},
 		{NULL, 0, 0, 0}
 	};
 	argvopt = argv;
 	ci = get_core_info();
 
-	while ((opt = getopt_long(argc, argvopt, "l:p:q:T:b:",
+	while ((opt = getopt_long(argc, argvopt, "p:q:T:b:",
 				  lgopts, &option_index)) != EOF) {
 
 		switch (opt) {
@@ -185,7 +184,8 @@ parse_args(int argc, char **argv)
 				return -1;
 			}
 			break;
-		case 'l':
+		case 'b':
+			branch_ratio = BRANCH_RATIO_THRESHOLD;
 			oob_enable = malloc(ci->core_count * sizeof(uint16_t));
 			if (oob_enable == NULL) {
 				printf("Error - Unable to allocate memory\n");
@@ -193,32 +193,37 @@ parse_args(int argc, char **argv)
 			}
 			cnt = parse_set(optarg, oob_enable, ci->core_count);
 			if (cnt < 0) {
-				printf("Invalid core-list - [%s]\n",
+				printf("Invalid core-list section in "
+				       "core-branch-ratio matrix - [%s]\n",
 						optarg);
 				free(oob_enable);
 				break;
 			}
+			cnt = parse_branch_ratio(optarg, &branch_ratio);
+			if (cnt < 0) {
+				printf("Invalid branch-ratio section in "
+				       "core-branch-ratio matrix - [%s]\n",
+						optarg);
+				free(oob_enable);
+				break;
+			}
+			if (branch_ratio <= 0.0 || branch_ratio > 100.0) {
+				printf("invalid branch ratio specified\n");
+				return -1;
+			}
 			for (i = 0; i < ci->core_count; i++) {
 				if (oob_enable[i]) {
-					printf("***Using core %d\n", i);
+					printf("***Using core %d "
+					       "with branch ratio %f\n",
+					       i, branch_ratio);
 					ci->cd[i].oob_enabled = 1;
 					ci->cd[i].global_enabled_cpus = 1;
+					ci->cd[i].branch_ratio_threshold =
+								branch_ratio;
 				}
 			}
 			free(oob_enable);
 			break;
-		case 'b':
-			branch_ratio = 0.0;
-			if (strlen(optarg))
-				branch_ratio = atof(optarg);
-			if (branch_ratio <= 0.0) {
-				printf("invalid branch ratio specified\n");
-				return -1;
-			}
-			ci->branch_ratio_threshold = branch_ratio;
-			printf("***Setting branch ratio to %f\n",
-					branch_ratio);
-			break;
 		/* long options */
 		case 0:
 			break;
diff --git a/examples/vm_power_manager/oob_monitor_x86.c b/examples/vm_power_manager/oob_monitor_x86.c
index aecfcb2eb..3c514475f 100644
--- a/examples/vm_power_manager/oob_monitor_x86.c
+++ b/examples/vm_power_manager/oob_monitor_x86.c
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ apply_policy(int core)
 	 * down. Each core_details struct has it's own array.
 	 */
 	freq_window_idx = ci->cd[core].freq_window_idx;
-	if (ratio > ci->branch_ratio_threshold)
+	if (ratio > ci->cd[core].branch_ratio_threshold)
 		ci->cd[core].freq_directions[freq_window_idx] = 1;
 	else
 		ci->cd[core].freq_directions[freq_window_idx] = 0;
diff --git a/examples/vm_power_manager/parse.c b/examples/vm_power_manager/parse.c
index 8231533b6..8a8dcf05f 100644
--- a/examples/vm_power_manager/parse.c
+++ b/examples/vm_power_manager/parse.c
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ parse_set(const char *input, uint16_t set[], unsigned int num)
 				min = idx;
 			else /* avoid continuous '-' */
 				return -1;
-		} else if ((*end == ',') || (*end == '\0')) {
+		} else if ((*end == ',') || (*end == ':') || (*end == '\0')) {
 			max = idx;
 
 			if (min == num)
@@ -75,7 +75,45 @@ parse_set(const char *input, uint16_t set[], unsigned int num)
 			return -1;
 
 		str = end + 1;
-	} while (*end != '\0');
+	} while ((*end != '\0') && (*end != ':'));
+
+	return str - input;
+}
+
+int
+parse_branch_ratio(const char *input, float *branch_ratio)
+{
+	const char *str = input;
+	char *end = NULL;
+
+	while (isblank(*str))
+		str++;
+
+	if (*str == '\0')
+		return -1;
+
+	/* Go straight to the ':' separator if present */
+	while ((*str != '\0') && (*str != ':'))
+		str++;
+
+	/* Branch ratio not specified in args so leave it at default setting */
+	if (*str == '\0')
+		return 0;
+
+	/* Confirm ':' separator present */
+	if (*str != ':')
+		return -1;
+
+	str++;
+	errno = 0;
+	*branch_ratio = strtof(str, &end);
+	if (errno || end == NULL)
+		return -1;
+
+	if (*end != '\0')
+		return -1;
+
+	str = end + 1;
 
 	return str - input;
 }
diff --git a/examples/vm_power_manager/parse.h b/examples/vm_power_manager/parse.h
index a5971e9a2..892dee449 100644
--- a/examples/vm_power_manager/parse.h
+++ b/examples/vm_power_manager/parse.h
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ extern "C" {
 int
 parse_set(const char *, uint16_t [], unsigned int);
 
+int
+parse_branch_ratio(const char *input, float *branch_ratio);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/examples/vm_power_manager/power_manager.c b/examples/vm_power_manager/power_manager.c
index cd51d4741..c5cf6bffa 100644
--- a/examples/vm_power_manager/power_manager.c
+++ b/examples/vm_power_manager/power_manager.c
@@ -59,7 +59,6 @@ core_info_init(void)
 	ci = get_core_info();
 
 	ci->core_count = get_nprocs_conf();
-	ci->branch_ratio_threshold = BRANCH_RATIO_THRESHOLD;
 	ci->cd = malloc(ci->core_count * sizeof(struct core_details));
 	memset(ci->cd, 0, ci->core_count * sizeof(struct core_details));
 	if (!ci->cd) {
@@ -68,6 +67,7 @@ core_info_init(void)
 	}
 	for (i = 0; i < ci->core_count; i++) {
 		ci->cd[i].global_enabled_cpus = 1;
+		ci->cd[i].branch_ratio_threshold = BRANCH_RATIO_THRESHOLD;
 	}
 	printf("%d cores in system\n", ci->core_count);
 	return 0;
diff --git a/examples/vm_power_manager/power_manager.h b/examples/vm_power_manager/power_manager.h
index e324766b6..d35f8cbe0 100644
--- a/examples/vm_power_manager/power_manager.h
+++ b/examples/vm_power_manager/power_manager.h
@@ -26,12 +26,12 @@ struct core_details {
 	uint16_t freq_directions[FREQ_WINDOW_SIZE];
 	uint16_t freq_window_idx;
 	uint16_t freq_state;
+	float branch_ratio_threshold;
 };
 
 struct core_info {
 	uint16_t core_count;
 	struct core_details *cd;
-	float branch_ratio_threshold;
 };
 
 #define BRANCH_RATIO_THRESHOLD 0.1
